Card handling apparatus and related components and methods

Abstract

A card handling apparatus includes a temporary card collection zone. The card processing device further comprises a lifting platform located in the temporary card collecting area. The card handling device also includes a wall for defining a boundary of a temporary card collection zone. The card handling device further includes a card holder positioned and configured to secure one or more cards in the temporary card collection area between the card holder and the wall.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a card handling device that can be used in a chess and card room environment, and more particularly to a card handling device that moves cards in a deck of cards from one area of ​​the card handling device to another area of ​​the card handling device one by one. Background Art

[0002] A card feeding system in a card handling device may include a support surface with a pick-up roller located within the support surface to remove one card at a time from the bottom of a vertically oriented stack of cards. In this orientation, the front face of each card is in a substantially horizontal plane, with the front face of one card in contact with the back face of an adjacent card. Such a gravity feed system moves individual cards from one stack of cards in the card handling device to another stack of cards to perform a shuffling operation. Cards may be inserted from an unshuffled stack into a shuffled stack at a position determined by a random number generator (RNG), wherein the cards in the shuffled stack are gripped by a card gripper to create a gap at a desired position for insertion of the next card. Summary of the invention

[0003] Embodiments of the present disclosure include a card handling device. The card handling device includes a temporary card collection area. The card handling device also includes a lifting platform located within the temporary card collection area. The card handling device also includes a wall for defining a boundary of the temporary card collection area. The card handling device also includes a card holder positioned and configured to secure one or more cards in the temporary card collection area between the card holder and the wall.

[0004] Another embodiment of the present disclosure includes a method of operating a card handling device. The method includes receiving a card. The method also includes transferring the card to a temporary card collection area. The method also includes clamping at least one of the cards in the temporary card collection area between a card holder and a wall. The method also includes moving a lifting platform with an un-clamped card of the one or more cards away from the at least one card clamped between the card holder and the wall to form a gap. The method also includes inserting another card of the cards into the gap.

[0005] Other embodiments of the present disclosure include a card handling device. The card handling device includes a card insertion system configured to receive cards. The card handling device also includes a temporary card collection area configured to arrange the cards into a shuffled stack of cards. The card handling device also includes a panel. The panel includes a card insertion area, which includes a first opening located above the card insertion system. The panel also includes a card output area, which includes a second opening located above the temporary card collection area. The panel also includes a modular panel configured to be removed from the card handling device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0006] Although the specification is concluded with claims, which particularly point out and distinctly claim various embodiments of the present disclosure, advantages of the embodiments of the present disclosure may be more readily ascertained by reading the following description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0007] Figure 1 A perspective view showing a card handling device according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0008] Figure 2A and 2B Shows Figure 1 a side view of a card handling device with a cover removed to illustrate internal components of the card handling device;

[0009] Figure 3 yes Figure 1-2B A schematic diagram of a control system of a card processing device;

[0010] Figure 4A and 4B Shows Figure 1-2B A schematic diagram of an implementation of a temporary card storage area of ​​a card processing device;

[0011] Figure 5A and 5B yes Figure 1-2B an enlarged view of a portion of a card handling device;

[0012] Figure 6 Show Figure 1-2B and Figures 4A-5B A perspective view of a card holder of a card handling device;

[0013] Figure 7 Shows Figure 1-2B and Figures 4A-5B An embodiment of a cable chain of a card handling device;

[0014] Figure 8 Show Figure 1-2B and Figures 4A-5BA perspective view of one embodiment of a panel of a card handling device;

[0015] Fig. 9A and 9B Shows Figure 8 An implementation method of a modular panel of panels; and

[0016] Fig.10 Shows Figure 1-2B and Figures 4A-5B A perspective view of the card handling device with the modular panels removed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] The following description provides specific details, such as material composition, shape and size, to provide a comprehensive description of the embodiments of the present disclosure. However, it should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented without adopting these specific details. In fact, the embodiments of the present disclosure can be implemented in combination with conventional techniques used in industry.

[0018] The drawings presented herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not meant to be actual views of any particular material, component, structure, device or system. Due to reasons such as manufacturing techniques and / or tolerances, variations different from the shapes depicted in the drawings can be expected. Therefore, the embodiments described herein should not be interpreted as being limited to the specific shapes or regions shown, but rather include shape deviations due to reasons such as manufacturing. For example, an area shown or described as box-shaped may have rough and / or nonlinear features, while an area shown or described as round may include certain rough and / or linear features. In addition, the illustrated sharp angles may be rounded, and vice versa. Therefore, the areas shown in the drawings are schematic in nature, and their shapes are not intended to illustrate the precise shapes of the areas, and do not limit the scope of the claims of the present application. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. In addition, common elements between the drawings may retain the same reference numerals.

[0019] In the following description, elements, circuits and functions may be shown in block diagram form to avoid unnecessary details that make the present disclosure obscure. In addition, block definitions and logical divisions between various blocks are examples of specific embodiments. It is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art that the present disclosure can be implemented by a variety of other division schemes. It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that any of a variety of different techniques and methods can be used to represent information and signals. For example, the data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols and chips that may be mentioned in the above description can be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, light fields or particles, or any combination thereof. For clarity of description and explanation, some drawings may illustrate multiple signals as single signals. It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that the above signals can represent signal buses, wherein the bus can have a variety of bit widths, and the present disclosure can be implemented based on any number of data signals (including single data signals).

[0020] The various exemplary logic blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be implemented or executed using a general purpose processor, a special purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device, a controller, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. All of these may be referred to as "control logic".

[0021] A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the general purpose processor may be any processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine suitable for executing the processes of the present disclosure. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, such as a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0022] A general purpose processor may be part of a general purpose computer, which should be considered a special purpose computer when configured to execute instructions (e.g., software code) for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. In addition, such a special purpose computer improves the functionality of a general purpose computer when configured in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, because without the present disclosure, the general purpose computer would not be able to perform the processes of the present disclosure. The present disclosure also provides meaningful limitations in one or more specific technical environments that go beyond the abstract concept. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure provide improvements in the technical field of card handling devices, and more specifically, embodiments of the present disclosure relate to devices and related methods for improving the accuracy of shuffling operations by controlling the movement of a lifting platform to correct for changing the position of features in a stack of cards being shuffled.

[0023] Moreover, it should be noted that each embodiment can be described according to a process that can be depicted as a flow chart, a structure diagram or a block diagram. Although the process can describe the operation action as a sequential process, many of these actions can be performed in another order, in parallel, or substantially simultaneously. In addition, the order of each action can be rearranged. The process can correspond to a method, a function, a flow, a subroutine, a subprogram, etc. In addition, the method disclosed herein can be implemented with hardware, software or both. If implemented with software, the function can be stored or transmitted on a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Computer-readable media include computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that is convenient for transferring a computer program from one place to another.

[0024] It should be understood that any reference to elements using names such as "first", "second", etc. in this article does not limit the number or order of these elements, unless such limitation is explicitly stated. On the contrary, these names can be used as a convenient method to distinguish two or more elements or each instance of an element in this article. Therefore, the reference to the first element and the second element does not mean that only two elements can be used or that the first element must be in some way before the second element. In addition, unless otherwise stated, a group of elements can include one or more elements.

[0025] As used herein, the term "unshuffled set of cards" refers to cards that are on the input platform prior to a shuffling operation (i.e., when inserted into a card handling device), as well as cards that may remain on the input platform during a shuffling operation (i.e., when the shuffling has not yet been completed). An unshuffled set of cards may include any number of cards, whether or not they are part of a full deck of cards. Furthermore, an unshuffled set of cards may include one or more decks of cards. Finally, an unshuffled set of cards may not need to be in any particular order prior to being shuffled. An unshuffled set of cards may be in a predetermined order prior to being shuffled (e.g., a newly opened deck of cards), or may be in another order (e.g., a used deck of cards that is being reshuffled). In other words, a set of cards that is to be shuffled and characterized herein as "unshuffled" may be ordered, random, or partially random. Sometimes, cards in an unshuffled set of cards may be referred to as some variation of the term "card" that may or may not describe the status of the card in the set.

[0026] As used herein, the term "a shuffled set of cards" refers to the cards that are on the lift platform after the shuffle operation that randomizes the set of cards (i.e., when all cards have been moved from the input platform to the lift platform), as well as the cards that have been moved to the lift platform during a shuffle operation that has not yet been completed. For example, after a 10-card insertion of a shuffle operation of a full deck of cards (52 cards), 10 cards may be in the shuffled set of cards on the lift platform, while 42 cards may remain in the unshuffled set of cards. Sometimes, cards in a shuffled set of cards may be referred to as clamped cards, platform cards, or some other variation of the term "cards" that may or may not describe the state of the cards in the set of cards.

[0027] As used herein, the terms "configured" and "configuration" refer to the size, shape, material composition, material distribution, orientation, and arrangement of at least one feature (e.g., one or more of at least one structure, at least one material, at least one region, at least one device) that facilitates use of the at least one feature in a predetermined manner.

[0028] The term "substantially" as used herein with respect to a given parameter means and includes to the extent that a given parameter, characteristic, or condition is satisfied within a small degree of variation (e.g., within acceptable manufacturing tolerances) as understood by those skilled in the art. For example, depending on a particular parameter, characteristic, or condition being substantially satisfied, the parameter, characteristic, or condition may be at least 90.0% satisfied, at least 95.0% satisfied, at least 99.0% satisfied, at least 99.9% satisfied, or even 100.0% satisfied.

[0029] As used herein, "about" or "approximately" with respect to a numerical value of a particular parameter includes the numerical value and the degree of deviation of the numerical value within the acceptable tolerance range of the particular parameter as understood by those of ordinary skill in the art. For example, "about" or "approximately" with respect to a numerical value may include additional numerical values ​​within the range of 90.0% to 110.0% of the numerical value, such as within the range of 95.0% to 105.0% of the numerical value, within the range of 97.5% to 102.5% of the numerical value, within the range of 99.0% to 101.0% of the numerical value, within the range of 99.5% to 100.5% of the numerical value, or within the range of 99.9% to 100.1% of the numerical value.

[0030] As used herein, relational terms such as "below", "below", "lower", "bottom", "above", "top", "front", "rear", "left", "right", etc. can be used to conveniently describe the relationship of one element or feature shown in the drawings relative to another element or feature. Unless otherwise specified, spatial relative terms are intended to cover different material orientations other than the orientation depicted in the drawings. For example, if the material in the drawings is inverted, the element described as being "below" or "below" or "bottom" of other elements or features will be "above" or "top" of the other elements or features. Therefore, the term "below" can cover both the above and below orientations, depending on the context in which the term is used, which is obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art. The material can be in other orientations (e.g., rotated 90 degrees, inverted, flipped), and the spatial relative descriptors used in this article are interpreted accordingly.

[0031] As used herein, the singular forms “a”, “an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

[0032] As used herein, the term "and / or" means and includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0033] As used herein, the terms "vertical", "longitudinal", "horizontal", and "transverse" are relative to the principal plane of a structure and are not necessarily defined by the earth's gravitational field. A "horizontal" or "transverse" direction is a direction substantially parallel to the principal plane of a structure, while a "vertical" or "longitudinal" direction is a direction substantially perpendicular to the principal plane of a structure. A principal plane of a structure is defined by a surface of the structure having a larger area than other surfaces of the structure. With respect to the accompanying drawings, a "horizontal" or "transverse" direction may be perpendicular to the "Z" axis as shown, and may be parallel to the "X" axis as shown and / or parallel to the "Y" axis as shown; while a "vertical" or "longitudinal" direction may be parallel to the "Z" axis as shown, may be perpendicular to the "X" axis as shown, and may be perpendicular to the "Y" axis as shown.

[0034] Figure 1 The card handling device 100 is shown. The card handling device 100 includes a housing 102 configured to enclose the mechanical and electronic components of the card handling device 100. The housing 102 may also include a panel 124 that closes the ends of the housing 102. The panel 124 may include a card insertion area 112 and a card output area 114. The panel 124 may also include a user interface device, such as a display panel 120 and a button 122.

[0035] The display panel 120 may be configured to provide information (e.g., graphically or alphanumerically, etc.) to a user (e.g., a dealer, card room personnel, service technician, etc.). Such information may include the number of cards present in the card handling device 100, the status of any shuffling or dealing operations, hand information, security information, confirmation information, on / off status, self-test status, and other information that may be desired regarding the operation of the game and / or the card handling device 100. The buttons 122 (or touch screen controls on the display panel 120) may include on / off buttons, special function buttons (e.g., raising the elevator to the card transfer position, operating a blocking sequence, reshuffling request, security check, card count request, calibration, etc.), etc. The display panel 120 may also be configured to receive input (e.g., as a touch screen display) to perform operations on the card handling device 100.

[0036] In operation, multiple sets of cards (e.g., up to 8 decks) may be inserted into the card insertion area 112 for shuffling. The card handling device 100 may include an input platform (not shown) that moves upward (e.g., opens) for manually inserting a set of unshuffled cards to be shuffled. The input platform may move downward (e.g., close) to place a set of unshuffled cards in a fixed position within the card insertion area 112. The card handling device 100 may also include an output platform (e.g., a lift platform 212 ( Figure 2A )), the output platform can also be moved upward (e.g., opened) to manually remove a set of shuffled cards from the card output area 114.

[0037] During shuffling, cards may be moved (e.g., fed) from the card insertion area 112 to a temporary card collection area 222 within the housing 102 to form a shuffled set of cards. During shuffling, the input platform may not move. However, within the temporary card collection area 222, the lifting platform 212 ( Figure 2A ) is controlled to move up or down to a desired position during shuffling. If the lifting platform 212 is in the desired position, the card holder 204 ( Figure 2A) is controlled to clamp the desired number of cards, after which the lifting platform 212 is lowered to create a gap for inserting a new card between the clamped cards and the platform cards remaining on the lifting platform 212. The desired position for clamping the cards to create the gap can be determined by a random number generator (RNG). After the gap is formed, the bottom card on the input platform can be moved from a stack of cards in the card insertion area 112 to the lifting platform 212 in the temporary card collection area 222. As a result, the inserted card from a set of unshuffled cards is placed in a stack of cards on top of the platform cards on the lifting platform 212. The next card at the bottom of the set of unshuffled cards on the input platform can be inserted at the next desired position in a similar manner according to the RNG. The remaining cards in the set of unshuffled cards can be similarly moved from the input platform to spaces in the stack of cards on the lifting platform 212 until all cards are moved. As a result, the operation of controlling the card handling device 100 can transform a set of unshuffled cards into a set of shuffled cards. Once the cards have been shuffled, the lifting platform 212 can be moved to the top of the card handling device 100, and the set of shuffled cards can be taken out for dealing.

[0038] In addition to shuffling, the card handling device 100 can also be configured to perform additional operations, such as counting cards, validating cards, etc. The card handling device 100 may include a mechanized card shoe, a card group inspection device, an automatic shuffler, a card sorting device, a card retirement device, etc. In some embodiments, multiple groups of cards can be processed simultaneously. For example, while a group of cards is being shuffled, another group of cards can be issued from the card shoe.

[0039] Figure 2A and Figure 2B yes Figure 1 A simplified side view of the card handling device 100 with the housing 102 removed to show the internal components. Figure 2A and 2B As shown, the card handling device 100 includes a lift platform motor 210, a card holder 204, a holder card presence sensor 206, a top platform card sensor 208, and a card insertion system 202. The card insertion system may include one or more pick-up rollers 216 and one or more sets of acceleration rollers 218. The lift platform 212 may include a platform card presence sensor 214 (e.g., an optical sensor, a pressure sensor, a magnetic detector, a sonar detector, etc.), which is configured to detect whether a card or other object is present on the lift platform 212.

[0040] The lift motor 210 can be configured to drive the lift 212, which in turn transports a set of shuffled cards to the card holder 204 for separation to create a gap in the set of shuffled cards between the clamped cards and the remaining cards on the lift 212. The card insertion system 202 can insert the cards from the card insertion area 112 into the gaps created in the cards by the card holder 204 and the lift 212. The lift motor 210 can be configured so that its degree of movement is highly controlled. For example, the lift motor 210 can include a micro-stepping motor. Micro-stepping the lift motor 210 can control the precise amount of movement used to drive the position of the lift 212. Using micro-stepping, the movement of the lift 212 can be controlled so that the amount of movement of each micro-step is less than the thickness of the card. The amount of movement per microstep can be less than 90% of the thickness of the card, less than 80% of the thickness of the card, less than 50% of the thickness of the card, less than 40% of the thickness of the card, less than 30% of the thickness of the card, less than 25% of the thickness of the card, less than 20% of the thickness of the card, or even less than 5% of the thickness of the card. In an embodiment where the microstepping can be 4% of the thickness of the card, each card is approximately 25 microsteps thick. As a result, the smaller the microstepping, the more accurate the positioning of the lifting platform 212 can be provided, which helps to make it more likely that the card will be inserted in the desired position. The position of the motor may be simply referred to as a "step" in this article, and the stepping may include microstepping and other steps of various precision levels.

[0041] The lift platform motor 210 may also be configured to assist the card handling device 100 in performing an internal check to move the lift platform 212 to the correct position. For example, the lift platform motor 210 may include an encoder (not shown) configured to determine the position of the lift platform 212. The encoder may be configured to evaluate the position of the lift platform 212 by analyzing and evaluating information about the number of pulses per revolution of the spindle on the lift platform motor 210, which may be greater than 100 pulses per revolution, greater than 250 pulses per revolution, greater than 360 pulses per revolution, greater than 500 pulses per revolution or greater than 750 pulses per revolution, greater than 1000 pulses per revolution, greater than 1200 pulses per revolution, and equal to or greater than 1440 pulses per revolution. In operation, the processor 350 ( Figure 3 ) can control the movement of the lifting platform motor 210, the encoder calculates the amount of movement driven by the motor, and then determines the actual position of the lifting platform 212 or the space relative to the lifting platform 212 (for example, four cards high).

[0042] The holder card presence sensor 206 may be located near the card holder 204 and may be configured to detect when at least one card on the lifting platform 212 is lifted to a position where it can be gripped by the card holder 204. Alternatively, the holder card presence sensor 206 may be located in the card holder 204. The holder card presence sensor 206 may include an optical proximity sensor (e.g., a reflective sensor) or other sensor elements.

[0043] The top platform card sensor 208 can be located in a temporary card collection area 222 below the card holder 204 and can be configured to detect when the top card on the lifting platform 212 is aligned with the top platform card sensor 208. The alignment of the top card on the lifting platform 212 with the top platform card sensor 208 can be detected during calibration to generate benchmark data, and the alignment of the top card on the lifting platform 212 with the top platform card sensor 208 can be detected after the card has been clamped during shuffling to determine how many cards are left on the lifting platform 212 and verify the accuracy of the clamping before inserting the card. As a result, the height of a stack of cards on the lifting platform 212 can be determined. The top platform card sensor 208 can include an optical proximity sensor (e.g., a reflective sensor) or other sensor elements. For example, the top platform card sensor 208 can be a diffuse reflective sensor configured to detect objects within a range of 5 mm to 40 mm from the top platform card sensor 208. The top platform card sensor 208 can be configured to detect the edge of an object traveling perpendicular to the top platform card sensor 208 using a triangular beam pattern. The top platform card sensor 208 can be coupled to the lift motor 210 as a limit switch to stop the lift motor 210 when the top platform card sensor 208 detects a top platform card during the ascent of the lift 212. The top platform card sensor 208 can be operably coupled to the processor 350 via a cable chain 220. The cable chain 220 is a flexible electrical connector configured to reduce fatigue wear on the cable connections between the various moving parts. The processor 350 can then record the position of the lift 212.

[0044] Although Figures 1 to 2B A substantially vertical stack of cards using a gravity feed system is shown, but some embodiments may also include horizontally aligned stacks of cards, as well as stacks of cards placed at an angle relative to the vertical or horizontal direction. For example, some embodiments may provide a stack of cards that is rotated 5 to 10 degrees relative to the vertical direction, which helps to maintain the alignment of the stack of cards.

[0045] Figure 3 According to one embodiment of the present invention Figure 11 is a simplified schematic block diagram of a shuffling control system 300 of the card handling device 100. The shuffling control system 300 may include a processor 350 operably coupled to the lifting platform 212, the card holder 204, the platform card presence sensor 214, the holder card presence sensor 206, the top platform card sensor 208 and the card insertion system 202.

[0046] The processor 350 is configured to control and instruct the operation of the card handling device 100 and its various components. Specifically, the processor 350 can control the operation of the lifting platform 212 (e.g., to what position the lifting platform 212 should be moved), the operation of the card clamp 204 (e.g., when the card clamp 204 should clamp and / or release the card), and the operation of the card insertion system 202 (e.g., when to insert the card into the lifting platform 212). It should be recognized that the processor 350 can be configured to send commands to various motors used to control the movement of the lifting platform 212, the card clamp 204, the card insertion system 202, and other components. The processor 350 can also be configured to send commands to other components that also contribute to the operation of the card handling device 100 (e.g., a card recognition unit). These additional components are not shown, so Figure 3 It may be simplified to show components that are discussed in detail herein.

[0047] The processor 350 can determine where a card from a set of unshuffled cards should be inserted into a set of shuffled cards on the lifting platform 212. The insertion position can be determined by a random number generator (RNG). The processor 350 can include the RNG; however, in some embodiments, the RNG can be a separate component within the card handling device 100, or can be part of a component external to the card handling device 100.

[0048] The processor 350 may be configured to use the generated random numbers to generate a virtual set of shuffled cards that can be used to physically shuffle a set of cards. The virtual set of shuffled cards may be generated in the form of a random number insertion table. The insertion table may be generated for a set of cards (e.g., a deck of cards) containing 52 cards. The insertion table may be a different size for different sets of cards with more or fewer cards.

[0049] The insertion table may contain a set of numbers that determine the "insertion position" each time a card is moved from the input platform to the lift platform 212. For example, each card in the set of unshuffled cards may have a specific number associated with that particular card, which is referred to herein as an original position number (OPN). Each OPN may be assigned according to the position in the set of unshuffled cards. If the cards are fed onto the lift platform 212 from the bottom of a stack of cards, then the OPN may be assigned to the card from bottom to top. For example, the bottom card in the stack may be card 1, the next card is card 2, the next card is card 3, and so on. If the cards are fed from the top of the stack, then the OPN may be assigned to the card from top to bottom. The RNG may assign a random position number (RPN) to each card in the set of unshuffled cards. The RPN may be the randomly determined final position for each card in the final set of shuffled cards. Therefore, after the card handling device 100 transforms a set of unshuffled cards into a set of shuffled cards, the insertion table can represent the expected shuffle results.

[0050] In operation, the processor 350 can identify each card based on its OPN and use the RPN to control the lift platform 212 to move to a desired position where the card can be properly inserted into a shuffled set of cards formed into a stack on the lift platform 212. For example, a first card from the input platform can be moved to the lift platform 212. To determine where the second card should be placed, the processor 350 can consult the insertion table and place the second card above or below the first card on the lift platform 212. To place the second card below the first card, the processor 350 can control the card holder 204 to hold the first card, control the lift platform 212 to move downward, and control the card insertion system 202 to insert the second card into the gap between the first card (held by the card holder 204) and the lift platform 212. The processor may similarly insert subsequent cards, determining how many cards to clamp so that the correct number of cards remain on the lifting platform 212. The number of cards to be clamped and temporarily suspended may be referred to as the "clamping number". The lifting platform 212 may be moved to a "clamping position" to clamp the clamping number of cards on the lifting platform 212. The lifting platform 212 may be lowered to an "insertion position" to create a gap to insert the next card. Shuffling continues until all cards have been moved from the input platform to the lifting platform 212.

[0051] For the following FIG. 4A to FIG. 10 , refer to Figures 1 to 3Components of the card handling device 100 are shown. Therefore, reference numerals for different components may be maintained in the description even if the drawing in question does not show a particular component of the card handling device 100.

[0052] Figure 4A A schematic diagram of a stack of cards 400 within a temporary card collection area 222 on a lifting platform 212 is shown. Figure 4A The stack of cards 400 in may represent cards that are not held during a shuffling operation.

[0053] As described above, during a shuffling operation, a card may be inserted into the stack of cards 400 at a desired insertion position determined by the RNG. The processor 350 may determine the insertion position 402 based on the desired number of cards that should be retained on the lifting platform 212 so as to insert the card at the desired position. Thus, the lifting platform 212 may be moved so that the insertion position 402 is aligned with the card holder 204. Figure 4A In the example shown, the insertion position 402 for the inserted card is between the 6th card and the 7th card in the stack of cards 400. The lifting platform 212 can be moved to a position where the insertion position 402 (e.g., the 6th card in this example) is approximately aligned with the card holder 204, which can be approximated by the position where the insertion position 402 (e.g., the 6th card) is approximately aligned with the top platform card sensor 208 plus an additional distance (d) between the top platform card sensor 208 and the card holder 204.

[0054] The position of the lifting platform 212 for the cards to be clamped can be referred to as the clamping position. In some embodiments, the clamping position can be adjusted according to a correction table, which can store correction values ​​for the clamping position to account for changes in the card position according to the size of the current stack of cards on the lifting platform 212.

[0055] Figure 4B A schematic diagram showing a card 404 being clamped by the card holder 204 to create a gap 406 for the next card to be inserted. The lifting platform 212 is raised to the clamping position so that the insertion position 402 is aligned with the card holder 204, and then the card holder 204 can clamp the card 404. Figure 4BAs shown, the card holder 204 clamps the card 404 by applying pressure to the first edge 412 of the card 404 and causing the second edge 414 of the card 404 to contact the wall 410 of the temporary card collection area 222 near the lifting platform 212. Therefore, when the lifting platform 212 is lowered to create the gap 406, the card holder 204 clamps the card 404 between the card holder 204 and the wall 410, thereby holding the card 404 in place. Two sub-stacks can be formed: the clamped card 404 is suspended by the card holder 204, and the platform card 408 remains on the lifting platform 212. Then the acceleration roller 218 ( Figure 2A and 2B ) The card can be inserted into the gap 406 formed between the clamped card 404 and the platform card 408.

[0056] like Figure 4B As shown, the card holder 204 can contact more than one of the cards 404. By clamping the cards 404 between the card holder 204 and the wall 410, the card holder 204 can align the first edges 412 of the cards 404 substantially uniformly. During a shuffling operation, the card holder 204 can contact the first edges 412 of many cards 404 in the stack of cards 400, so that the resulting stack of cards 400 after the shuffling operation is substantially uniform.

[0057] Figure 5A and Figure 5B An enlarged view of a portion of the card handling device 100 corresponding to the card holder 204 is shown, with the housing 102 removed to show the internal components of the card handling device 100 .

[0058] As described above, the card holder 204 is configured to secure one or more cards 404 between the card holder 204 and the wall 410. Thus, the card holder 204 is located on the side of the card 404 opposite the wall 410. The foot 502 of the card holder 204 is configured to selectively contact the first edge 412 of the card 404 to press the second edge 414 of the card 404 toward the wall 410. The card holder 204 also includes an arm 504 extending between the holder motor 506 and the foot 502.

[0059] The arm 504 is coupled to a gripper pivot mount 508 that can be configured to create a pivot point or fulcrum between the gripper motor 506 and the foot 502 that is configured to increase the distance that the foot 502 can move relative to the input from the gripper motor 506. The gripper motor 506 includes a gripper drive post 510 that is configured to interface with a gripper drive slot 512 in the arm 504. The gripper drive post 510 can be offset from the center of the gripper motor 506 so that the gripper drive post 510 travels along a circular path. The circular path of the gripper drive post 510 can enable the foot 502 to move in a circular manner such as Figure 5A and Figure 5B The clamped position shown moves along an arc between the clamped position and the un-clamped position where the foot 502 does not contact the first edge 412 of any card 404. For example, if the clamp drive post 510 is as shown Figure 5B Moving in a clockwise direction as shown, the interface between the clamp drive post 510 and the clamp drive slot 512 can cause the top of the arm 504 to move laterally, which in turn can cause the arm 504 to pivot about the clamp pivot mount 508.

[0060] To clearly illustrate the interaction between the gripper drive post 510 and the arm 504, the position of the gripper drive post 510 around the motor is described herein as a relative position around a simulated clock face. For example, the topmost position in the rotational motion is described as the 12 o'clock position, the rightmost position is described as the 3 o'clock position, the bottommost position is described as the 6 o'clock position, and the leftmost position is described as the 9 o'clock position. Figure 5B As shown, these positions are listed in a perspective view of the gripper motor 506, gripper drive column 510 and arm 504.

[0061] When the clamp drive post 510 moves from the 12 o'clock position to the 3 o'clock position, the interaction between the clamp drive post 510 and the clamp drive slot 512 causes the foot 502 to move in a direction away from the cards 404 in the temporary card collection area 222 above the lifting platform 212. When the clamp drive post 510 is at the 3 o'clock position, the foot 502 can be at a boundary position, in which the distance between the foot 502 and the wall 410 in the temporary card collection area 222 is the largest, and the foot 502 will enter the temporary card collection area 222 through the travel path of the foot 502.

[0062] When the clamp drive column 510 moves from the 3 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position, the foot 502 will begin to move in a direction toward the cards 404 in the temporary card collection area 222. In some embodiments, when the clamp drive column 510 is at the 6 o'clock position, the foot 502 will be at a distance from the cards 404 in the temporary card collection area 222. In other embodiments, when the clamp drive column 510 is at the 6 o'clock position, the foot 502 can be in a position of slight contact (e.g., slidable contact) with the cards 404, so that when the lifting platform 212 moves vertically relative to the foot 502, the stack of cards 400 ( Figure 4A ) can move vertically (e.g., slide) relative to the foot 502.

[0063] When the clamp drive column 510 moves from the 6 o'clock position to the 9 o'clock position, the foot 502 will move in the direction toward the card 404 in the temporary card collection area 222. When the clamp drive column 510 is at the 9 o'clock position, the foot 502 can be at a second boundary position, in which the distance between the foot 502 and the wall 410 in the temporary card collection area 222 is the smallest, and the foot 502 will enter the temporary card collection area 222 through the travel path of the foot 502. In this position, the foot 502 can directly interfere with one or more cards 404 in the temporary card collection area 222. The direct interference contact can press the one or more cards 404 between the foot 502 and the wall 410 to fix the card 404 in place, thereby substantially preventing the vertical movement of the card 404. With vertical movement of the card 404 substantially blocked, the lift platform 212 may move in a vertical direction away from the foot 502 and the blocked card 404 to form a gap 406 between the card 404 and any platform card 408 remaining on the lift platform 212 .

[0064] As the gripper drive post 510 moves from the 9 o'clock position to the 12 o'clock position, the foot 502 will move in a direction away from the cards 404 in the temporary card collection area 222. The movement in a direction away from the cards 404 can release the cards 404 from direct interference contact between the foot 502 and the wall 410, and allow the cards 404 to move vertically relative to the foot 502 again when the lifting platform 212 moves vertically relative to the foot 502.

[0065] In some embodiments, the gripper motor 506 can be operated in the reverse direction (counterclockwise) so that the operation at each of the above points is substantially reversed. For example, when traveling from the 12 o'clock position to the 9 o'clock position, the foot 502 can move toward the card 404 into a direct interference contact state. The direct interference contact can then be released by moving from the 9 o'clock position to the 6 o'clock position. When the gripper drive post 510 moves from the 6 o'clock position to the 3 o'clock position, the foot 502 can continue to move away from the wall 410, and at the 3 o'clock position, the foot 502 will then travel in the reverse direction and move back toward the wall 410 when the gripper drive post 510 moves from the 3 o'clock position to the 12 o'clock position.

[0066] In other embodiments, the gripper motor 506 may not go through a full circle. Instead, the gripper motor 506 may move the gripper drive post 510 between the 3 o'clock position and the 9 o'clock position while only passing through one of the 12 o'clock position or the 6 o'clock position. The gripper motor 506 may achieve this by reversing its rotation direction after reaching the 3 o'clock position or the 9 o'clock position, so that the gripper drive post 510 travels half a circle or less (e.g., an arc less than or equal to 180°, such as an arc in the range of about 90° to about 180°, or an arc of about 100° to about 140°).

[0067] The acceleration rollers 218 are located near the card holder 204 and vertically offset from the foot 502. At least one of the acceleration rollers 218 can be arranged to be substantially laterally aligned with the foot 502 of the card holder 204, so that the acceleration roller 218 is located adjacent to the temporary card collection area 222. The acceleration rollers 218 are configured to push one or more cards into the gap 406 formed between the clamped card 404 and the platform card 408 when the foot 502 is in direct interference contact with the clamped card 404. In some embodiments, the acceleration rollers 218 include rollers above and below the card path, so that the card is clamped between two adjacent rollers and they are pushed forward. In other embodiments, one or more of the acceleration rollers 218 can be located below the card path without a paired roller located above the card path.

[0068] The pick-up roller 216 is located below the card insertion area 112 ( Figure 2A and 2B ). The pick roller 216 can be configured to contact a bottom card in a stack of cards in the card insertion area 112 and advance the bottom card to the acceleration roller 218 for insertion into the gap 406, as described above.

[0069] Figure 6An enlarged view of the card holder 204 is shown. As described above, the card holder 204 includes an arm 504 extending between a gripper motor 506 and a foot 502. The arm 504 includes a gripper pivot mount 508 configured to create a fulcrum or pivot point. The gripper pivot mount 508 can be located along the arm 504 at a first distance from the gripper motor 506 and along the arm 504 at a second distance from the foot 502. The relationship between the first distance and the second distance at least partially defines a path of travel of the foot 502 in response to input from the gripper motor 506. For example, if the first distance is less than the second distance, the path of travel of the foot 502 will be greater than the path of travel of the gripper drive post 510 of the gripper motor 506. In another example, if the first distance is greater than the second distance, the path of travel of the foot 502 will be less than the path of travel of the gripper drive post 510.

[0070] The second distance between the gripper pivot mount 508 and the foot 502 can be at least partially defined by an offset region 602. The offset region 602 can be a portion of the arm 504 that extends laterally outward from a main portion of the arm 504. The foot 502 is coupled to the offset region 602 of the arm 504. The offset region 602 of the arm 504 can be configured to position the foot 502 proximate to a stack of cards 400 in the temporary card collection area 222 above the lifting platform 212 ( Figure 4A ).

[0071] The position of the foot 502 is adjustable. In some embodiments, the foot 502 is coupled to the offset region 602 of the arm 504 by an adjustment hard component 606, such as an adjustment screw, threaded shaft, or other mechanism configured to adjust the position of the foot 502 laterally relative to the arm 504. Figure 6 As shown in the embodiment of the present invention, the foot 502 includes a slot 610 configured to receive the offset region 602 of the arm 504. The slot 610 can be configured to limit the movement of the foot 502 relative to the offset region 602 at least in the Z direction (e.g., along the Z axis). The adjustment hard component 606 can be configured to limit the movement of the foot 502 in the Y direction (e.g., along the Y axis) and in the X direction (e.g., along the X axis). The adjustment hard component 606 can also be configured to adjust the position of the foot 502 relative to the offset region 602 in the X direction.

[0072] The foot 502 also includes a contact area 604. The contact area 604 is located on the front surface of the foot 502 and is configured to contact and secure the card 404. In some embodiments, the contact area 604 is formed of the same material as the foot 502. For example, the contact area 604 can be formed integrally with the foot 502. In other embodiments, the contact area 604 is formed of a material different from the material of other portions of the foot 502. For example, the contact area 604 can include a coating formed on the foot 502, another material bonded to the foot 502 (e.g., by adhesive bonding), or another material structure attached to the foot 502 by an interference connection, a hard component connection, or a welded connection (e.g., welding, soldering, cold welding). In some embodiments, the contact area 604 is formed of a material softer than the material of the foot 502, such as a rubber material, a polymer material, or an organic material.

[0073] The gripper drive post 510 may be coupled to the gripper motor 506 via a gripper drive cam 608. Figure 6 As shown, the gripper drive cam 608 is configured to offset the gripper drive post 510 from the center of the gripper motor 506 so that the gripper drive post 510 travels along a substantially circular path. The gripper drive cam 608 can be configured to balance the output of the gripper motor 506 by evenly distributing weight on the gripper drive cam 608 so that the offset gripper drive post 510 does not create an uneven weight distribution and cause vibration or other undesirable lateral forces.

[0074] Embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the cost and complexity of card handling devices. For example, a card holder located on a first side of a stack of cards and configured to secure the cards against a wall can reduce the number of moving parts within an associated card handling device. Reducing moving parts can reduce the cost of producing the card handling device. Additionally, reducing moving parts can reduce potential points of failure, which in turn reduces maintenance costs. Securing the cards against a wall can further help form a consistent stack of cards, which can result in fewer cards getting stuck or jammed during a shuffling operation.

[0075] Figure 7 The top platform card sensor 208 of the lifting platform 212 is shown coupled to the processor 350 ( Figure 3) of the cable chain 220. The cable chain 220 includes a cable 702 connected by a plurality of interlocking cable links 704. The cable links 704 are connected to adjacent cable links 704 by pivots 706. The cable links 704 connected by pivots 706 can be configured to form a flexible cable connection that can substantially prevent fatigue damage caused by repeated position changes. Therefore, the cable chain 220 can be configured to facilitate the connection between the lifting platform 212 and the fixed processor 350 ( Figure 3 ) between the lifting platform 212 and the lifting platform 212 is configured to move vertically multiple times during each shuffling process.

[0076] Figure 8 The card handling device 100 ( Figure 1 ) is an enlarged view of the panel 124 of the card insertion system 202. As described above, the panel 124 includes the card insertion area 112 and the card output area 114. The card insertion area 112 includes the card insertion system 202 ( Figure 2A ) so that the card can be received into the card insertion system 202 ( Figure 2A The card output area 114 includes an opening ( Figure 2A The opening in the card output area 114 may be arranged so that the lifting platform 212 ( Figure 2A ) can pass a stack of cards 400 ( Figure 4A ) is lifted above panel 124.

[0077] Panel 124 may be divided into at least two separate parts. Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the panel 124 is divided into two separate parts, namely, a modular panel 804 and a fixed panel 806. The fixed panel 806 may include a card handling device 100 ( Figure 1 ) features that physically interact with other components of the card handling device 100 (such as the card insertion area 112 and the card output area 114, which provide for inserting cards into the card handling device 100 ( Figure 1 ) or an opening for removing a card from the card handling device 100 and the card insertion system 202 ( Figure 2A ) and lifting platform 212( Figure 2A ) physically interacts with the card handling device 100 ( Figure 1) components that interact electrically or through other forms of communication, such as wired communication (e.g., Ethernet, fiber optic, TCP / IP, I2C, SPI, RS-232, RS-485, LON, Modbus, UART, etc.) or wireless communication (e.g., Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC, etc.). The components in the modular panel 804 are connected to the card processing device 100 ( Figure 1 ) can facilitate the removal and reconfiguration of the modular panel 804. For example, a plurality of different modular panels 804 can be designed to be in the card handling device 100 ( Figure 1 ) are interchangeable to facilitate the addition or removal of different features and components.

[0078] exist Figure 8 In the illustrated embodiment, the modular panel 804 includes the display panel 120, the buttons 122, and the printer 802. In other embodiments, the modular panel 804 may include additional auxiliary devices, such as additional control buttons, locks, chip collection chambers, windows, etc. In other embodiments, the modular panel 804 may include a different display configuration, such as a larger display or multiple displays.

[0079] The modular panel 804 is configured to be attached to the fixed panel 806. For example, the modular panel 804 can be configured to be attached to the fixed panel 806 through interlocking features (e.g., interlocking shelves 808, 810). The modular panel 804 can also be configured to be attached to the housing 102 ( Figure 1 ). In some embodiments, the modular panel 804 is fixed to the housing 102 ( ) by a hard component connection (e.g., screws, studs, nuts, bolts, etc.) or an interference connection (e.g., latches, interlocking grooves, interlocking teeth, etc.). Figure 1 ) and fixed panel 806.

[0080] Fig. 9A and 9B Various embodiments of modular panels 804 are shown. Fig. 9A In the illustrated embodiment, the modular panel 804 includes the display panel 120 and buttons 122, but does not include a printer 802 or other auxiliary devices. Fig. 9B The modular panel 804 shown includes a display panel 120, a button 122 and a printer 802. Two different modular panels 804 are provided in the same card handling device 100 ( Figure 1 ) may be interchangeable so that the card handling device 100 ( ) may be modified by changing the modular panel 804 rather than adding or removing internal components or changing the entire panel 124. Figure 1 ) add features or functionality or remove features or functionality from the card handling device 100.

[0081] Fig.10 The card handling device 100 is shown with the modular panel 804 removed. As described above, the modular panel 804 can be removed to facilitate adding or removing features by changing the modular panel 804. Fig.10 As shown, the modular panel 804 can extend outside the footprint of the card handling device 100. Extending the modular panel 804 outside the footprint of the card handling device 100 can allow a majority of the modular panel 804 to be located outside the housing 102 ( Figure 1 ) outside. The majority of the modular panel 804 is placed outside the housing 102 ( Figure 1 ) can facilitate removal of the modular panel 804 or replacement of the modular panel 804 while keeping the card handling device 100 in place (e.g., mounted on a table).

[0082] As described above, modular panel 804 may be coupled to fixed panel 806 via hard component connection 1002. Fig.10 In the illustrated embodiment, the hard component connection 1002 is disposed in the shelf 810 of the fixed panel 806. As described above, the modular panel 804 includes a complementary shelf 808 configured to interface with the shelf 810. The hard component connection 1002 can be configured to pass through each of the shelf 808 and the shelf 810 to secure the modular panel 804 to the fixed panel 806. In other embodiments, the hard component connection 1002 can extend from one of the shelves 808, 810 and be configured to be received in a receiving aperture or receiving hard component connection of the other of the shelves 808, 810. The hard component connection 1002 can be configured to facilitate removal and installation of the modular panel 804. In some embodiments, the hard component connection 1002 can include a secure hard component device, such as a hard component that requires the use of a special tool or a hard component located below or behind a locking panel to substantially prevent unauthorized tampering with components of the card handling device 100.

[0083] Embodiments of the present disclosure can reduce the cost and complexity of card handling devices. For example, a panel including modular portions can facilitate rapid changes in the functionality of an associated card handling device. In some cases, changing the modular portions of a panel can facilitate moving a card handling device from one location to another and changing the features of the card handling device to meet the needs of the new location. Retailers can stock multiple card handling devices and change the modular portions of the panel to meet the needs of different customers. During operation, the modular portions of the panel can be replaced in the event of a failure without removing the entire card handling device, thereby reducing both maintenance costs and downtime.

[0084] The embodiments of the present disclosure described above and shown in the accompanying drawings do not limit the scope of the present invention, as these embodiments are only some examples of embodiments of the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Any equivalent embodiments are within the scope of the present disclosure. In fact, in addition to the modifications shown and described herein, various modifications of the present disclosure (such as other useful combinations of the described elements) will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the description. Such modifications and embodiments are also within the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

[0085] List of reference numerals:

[0086] 100 Card handling device

[0087] 102 Housing

[0088] 112 Card Insertion Area

[0089] 114 Card Output Area

[0090] 120 Display Board

[0091] 122 Button

[0092] 124 Panel

[0093] 202 Card Insertion System

[0094] 204 Card Holder

[0095] 206 Gripper Card Presence Sensor

[0096] 208 Top Platform Card Sensor

[0097] 210 Lifting platform motor

[0098] 212 Lifting Platform

[0099] 214 Platform card presence sensor

[0100] 216 Pick-up roller

[0101] 218 Acceleration Roller

[0102] 220 Cable Chain

[0103] 222 Temporary Card Collection Area

[0104] 300 Shuffle Control System

[0105] 350 processor

[0106] 400 Cards

[0107] 402 Insert Location

[0108] 404 Card

[0109] 406 Gap

[0110] 408 Platform Card

[0111] 410 wall

[0112] 412 First Edge

[0113] 414 Second Edge

[0114] 502 Feet

[0115] 504 Arm

[0116] 506 Gripper Motor

[0117] 508 Clamp Pivot Mount

[0118] 510 Gripper Drive Column

[0119] 512 Gripper drive slot

[0120] 602 Offset Zone

[0121] 604 Contact Area

[0122] 606 Adjustment of hard parts

[0123] 608 Gripper drive cam

[0124] 610 slots

[0125] 702 Cable

[0126] 704 Cable Link

[0127] 706 Pivot

[0128] 802 Printer

[0129] 804 Modular Panels

[0130] 806 Fixed Panel

[0131] 808 Shelves

[0132] 810 Shelves

[0133] 1002Hard parts connection

Claims

1. A card processing device, comprising: Temporary card collection area; a lifting platform located in the temporary card collection area; a wall defining a boundary of the temporary card collection area; and A card holder is positioned and configured to secure one or more cards in the temporary card collection area between the card holder and the wall.

2. The card handling device of claim 1, wherein the card holder comprises an arm coupled to a foot and a holder motor configured to rotate the arm.

3. The card handling device of claim 2 further comprising a pivot coupled to the arm between the gripper motor and the foot.

4. The card handling device of claim 2, wherein the foot includes a contact area configured to contact the one or more cards in the temporary card collection area.

5. The card handling device of claim 4, wherein the contact area comprises a contact material different from a material of the foot.

6. The card handling device of claim 5, wherein the contact material comprises a coating.

7. The card handling device of claim 5, wherein the contact material is softer than a material of the foot.

8. The card handling device of claim 2, wherein the gripper motor is coupled to the arm via a gripper drive post extending from the gripper motor and a complementary slot defined in the arm.

9. The card handling apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor located in the lifting platform, the sensor being configured to detect whether a card exists on the lifting platform.

10. The card handling device of claim 9, further comprising a cable chain coupled between the sensor and a processor in the card handling device.

11. A card handling device according to claim 1, wherein the card holder is configured to fix the one or more cards between the card holder and the wall in the temporary card collection area, and the lifting platform is configured to move away from the card holder when the one or more cards are fixed between the card holder and the wall.

12. The card handling device according to claim 11, wherein the card holder is configured to release the one or more cards, and the lifting platform is configured to move the one or more cards in the temporary card collection area relative to the card holder.

13. The card handling device according to claim 12, wherein the card holder is configured to fix a second group of cards containing one or more cards between the card holder and the wall after the card holder releases the one or more cards, and the lifting platform is configured to move in a direction away from the second group of cards containing one or more cards and the card holder.

14. A method of operating a card handling device, the method comprising: Receive cards; transferring said cards to a temporary card collection area; clamping at least one of the cards in the temporary card collection area between a card holder and a wall; moving the lifting platform with the unretained cards of the deck away from the at least one card clamped between the card holder and the wall to form a gap; and Another card from the deck is inserted into the gap.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein transferring the cards to a temporary collection area comprises: removing the cards individually from a receiving area using one or more pick rollers; and The cards are inserted into the temporary card collection area using one or more accelerating rollers.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising detecting whether there is a card on the lifting platform in the temporary card collection area before clamping the at least one card.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising releasing the at least one of the decks of cards after inserting another of the decks of cards into the gap.

18. The method according to claim 17, further comprising: after releasing the at least one of the cards, moving the lifting platform relative to the card holder; clamping a second group of cards including at least one card among the cards in the temporary card collection area between the card holder and the wall; moving the lifting platform with the unretained cards of the deck away from the second set of cards including at least one card clamped between the card holder and the wall to form a second gap; and A second card of the deck is inserted into the second gap.

19. A card processing device, comprising: a card insertion system configured to receive a card; a temporary card collection area configured to arrange the cards into a shuffled deck of cards; and A panel, comprising: a card insertion area, the card insertion area comprising a first opening located above the card insertion system; a card output area, the card output area comprising a second opening located above the temporary card collection area; and A modular panel configured to be removed from the card handling device.

20. The card handling device of claim 19, wherein the modular panel includes at least one device communicatively coupled to the card handling device.

21. The card handling device of claim 20, wherein the at least one device is communicatively coupled to the card handling device via one or more of a wired connection or a wireless connection.

22. The card handling device of claim 20, wherein the at least one device comprises a display panel.

23. The card handling device of claim 20, wherein the at least one device comprises a printer.

24. The card handling device of claim 19, wherein the panel further comprises a shelf configured to interface with a complementary shelf of the modular panel.

25. The card handling device of claim 19, wherein the modular panels are removably attached to the panel via one or more hardware connections.

Images