System for machine reading and processing information from gaming chips

Abstract

A fully automatic table game player tracking system for Blackjack and other casino games wherein players have individual betting positions on the table is disclosed. An individual B&W CCD chip reading turret is placed inches in front of each player's betting position to scan wagered chips using ambient casino lighting. The turret also has a “comp” light to indicate to the player at the beginning of every hand that his bet was read credited for his complimentaries (meals, room, entertainment, etc.), thus delivering to the player extra gaming satisfaction every hand. Patterns of repeated coding around the playing chips' peripheral surface represent with light and dark contrasting colors the dollar value and particular casino issuer of the chips. The aesthetically pleasing chip identifying coding patterns are comprised of unique referenceless error controlled self-clocking (n,k) code words, which are repeated around the chip's periphery without space therebetween, for improved efficiency and accuracy no matter the orientation of the wagered chip placed on the table.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 10 / 321,020 filed Dec. 17, 2002, which is a divisional of U.S. Pat. No. 6,514,140, filed Jun. 17, 1999.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The invention disclosed herein relates generally to machine reading information from gaming chips, and more particularly to such machine reading during play of casino table games such as blackjack and baccarat. The invention has particular application to machine reading information from gaming chips for the purpose of ascertaining player betting, where the information read from the chips includes at least the denomination of the chips. That application allows a casino to rate players' betting activities in order to identify players that the casino wants to encourage to gamble in the casino, and to provide them with a commensurate level of free services, meals and merchandise such as accommodations, transportation, entertainment, food and bev...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

"The invention is a system that can automatically read information from gambling chips during play on gambling tables. The system uses small optical devices mounted on the table to collect the information from the chips' periphery without interfering with game play. The system can also detect winning and losing bets, as well as points in the cycle of a card game. The invention provides a way for casinos to manage their table game assets and allow players to earn automatic comp credits. The system uses unique bar code words that can be read in any rotated position, making them more reliable and efficient. Overall, the invention improves the reliability and performance of gambling table games."

Problems solved by technology

However, even though casinos have attempted to track table player betting accurately, by pit bosses observations, a substantial portion of the comping inevitably goes to undeserving players while some deserving players go uncomped.

Though both the “PitTrak Player Tracking System” and the system described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,936 machine read player identification information and facilitate entry of betting information, since they do not machine read information from the gambling chips but instead require a manual data entry step, they do not truly automate data collection for player comping.

However, the embodiment of the system described in this patent publication which does not include a chip deposit area for each player, does not provide for automatic entry of bet values for each bet.

Thus, in one embodiment, exact bet information is not provided, and in the other, the dealer must be careful to associate chips won and lost by a player only with the specific deposit area of the chip rack assigned to that player, which precludes the dealer from mixing chips from losing bets to pay winning bets, as is typically done, and therefore substantially slows game play.

However, a system relying on a single ceiling-mounted camera to monitor all chip locations on a table below likely would not be able to determine how many chips (and their denomination) players bet because multiple chip bets are placed in vertical stacks and only the top chip can be seen.

However, other than a schematic association of the readers with a gaming table in a block diagram, there is no disclosure of what the readers are, or where or how they are mounted.

Because the SafeJack system requires special gaming chips that each include an integrated circuit, and electronics which transmit, receive and process electromagnetic energy, the SafeJack system is relatively complex and its overall cost is high and it involves exposure to rf energy.

Images