Double-layer game coin tray system

Abstract

A double-layer game coin tray system for use in a game table and storing game coins having built-in RFID tags, the double-layer game coin tray system comprising: a lower tray storing the game coins; an upper tray, wherein the upper tray is stacked on the lower tray; and one or more RFID readers that determine the game coins stored in the upper tray and the lower tray, respectively, by reading the RFID tags of the game coins stored in the upper tray and the lower tray using at least one RFID antenna.

Description

[0001] Divisional application

[0002] This application is a divisional application of the patent application with the application date of October 9, 2019, application number: 201980066523.7, and invention name: System, Game Coin Tray and Method.

[0003] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0004] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 743,451, filed on October 9, 2018, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0005] The present disclosure relates to a new system having a chip storage row for storing gaming chips, a chip tray, and a method. Background Art

[0006] Coin trays can be used to store the dealer's coins for gambling games. They provide a secure place to store coins of varying denominations. Coin trays can be made from a variety of materials, including plastic and metal.

[0007] For the past 20 years, the amusement park industry has been using RFID technology to protect and track its gaming tokens, also known as plaques and coins. These are tokens with a face value that allow for gambling and payment. RFID tags provide a unique identifier for each item and often include ROM memory to store specific information about the gaming token. These tokens are stored in trays on the gaming tables. For large-scale gaming, amusement parks use double-layered coin trays. Using RFID in the tags allows amusement parks to maintain a real-time inventory of these floating trays. The opening system of these double-layered floating trays is typically based on two handles and is unassisted, making it difficult to open when the floating trays contain many coins (up to 2,000). Summary of the Invention

[0008] The present disclosure is directed to providing a system, a gaming coin tray, and a method for changing the storage amount of various gaming coins.

[0009] One aspect of the present disclosure is a system comprising a first coin tube component and a second coin tube component. The first coin tube component includes at least one first coin storage row corresponding to a first size of coin. The second coin tube component includes at least one second coin storage row corresponding to a second size of coin. A first edge of the first coin tube component is coupled to a second edge of the second coin tube component.

[0010] One aspect of the present disclosure is a game coin tray, which includes: a first game coin tube component, the first game coin tube component including at least one first game coin storage row corresponding to a first size of game coins; and a second game coin tube component, the second game coin tube component including at least one second game coin storage row corresponding to a second size of game coins, wherein a first edge of the first game coin tube component is connected to a second edge of the second game coin tube component.

[0011] One aspect of the present disclosure is a method comprising: coupling a first coin tube component to a second coin tube component; coupling a third coin tube component to the second coin tube component to form a plurality of coupled coin components; and positioning the plurality of coupled coin components in a housing.

[0012] With 2 handles, the opening is not synchronized. The present invention consists in installing a mechanism to help the upper tray to open in a guided manner and to facilitate the opening of the tray without the risk of creating maintenance problems.

[0013] The mechanism is based on 3 principles:

[0014] —Single rod that links the left and right parts of the tray to open. It is important to have a system that links the left side to the right side to have a guided opening

[0015] —Lever system to reduce opening force

[0016] —A spring, which is linked to a lever system to help start the movement when opening and closing the tray.

[0017] This system allows the tray to be opened with one hand while the second hand retrieves the game coins from the bottom tray. This feature saves the dealer time while keeping the high-value game coins within the protected area of ​​the bottom tray.

[0018] The present invention can also make in the pallet can have several compartments, therefore can only open the part of upper pallet.Like this, the passage to some compartments also can be stopped by passage control equipment.

[0019] Integrated sensors allow software control of the opening, traceability and securing of the contents of the floating pallet. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] For a more complete understanding of the embodiments and their advantages, reference is now made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which are briefly described as follows:

[0021] Figure 1 A gaming table according to various example embodiments is provided.

[0022] Figure 2is a network environment according to various example implementations.

[0023] Figure 3 A gaming chip tray according to various example embodiments is provided.

[0024] Figure 4 An exploded view of components of a chip tray is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 5 An exploded view of components of a chip tray is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 6 A coin tube assembly according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown.

[0027] Figure 7 A portion of a chip storage row is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 8 is a diagram showing various embodiments of the Figure 2 A schematic block diagram of an example computing device for use in a network environment.

[0029] Figure 9 It is a perspective view of a coin tray according to the second embodiment.

[0030] Figure 10 1 is a cross-sectional view of the coin tray 104 according to the second embodiment in a state where the lower tray is opened.

[0031] Figure 11 is a cross-sectional view of the coin tray according to the second embodiment in a state where the upper tray is accommodated in the lower tray.

[0032] Figure 12 is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for small round coins) according to a second embodiment.

[0033] Figure 13 is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for large round coins) according to a second embodiment.

[0034] Figure 14 1 is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for square coins) according to a second embodiment.

[0035] Figure 15 It is a perspective view of a coin tray according to a third embodiment.

[0036] Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of a coin tray according to a third embodiment.

[0037] Figure 17It is a perspective view of a coin collecting tube component according to a third embodiment.

[0038] Figure 18 2 is a cross-sectional view of a collecting coin tube member according to a third embodiment.

[0039] Figure 19 It is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for coins) according to a third embodiment.

[0040] Figure 20 It is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for square coins) according to a third embodiment.

[0041] Figure 21 It is a perspective view of a spacer member according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0042] The accompanying drawings illustrate only example embodiments and should not be considered limiting of the scope of the present disclosure, as other equally effective embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but are emphasized to clearly illustrate the principles of the embodiments. In addition, some dimensions may be exaggerated to help visually convey certain principles. In the drawings, like reference numerals between the various figures indicate similar or corresponding, but not necessarily identical, elements.

[0043] In the following paragraphs, embodiments are described in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, known components, methods, and / or processing techniques are omitted or briefly described to avoid obscuring the embodiments. As used herein, "the present disclosure" refers to any one of the embodiments described herein and any equivalents. In addition, reference to various features of "the present embodiment" does not imply that all embodiments must include the referenced features.

[0044] Among the embodiments, certain aspects of the present disclosure are implemented by computer programs executed by one or more processors, as described and illustrated. As will be apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art, one or more embodiments may be implemented at least in part by various forms of computer-readable instructions, and the present disclosure is not limited to a specific set or series of instructions executed by a processor.

[0045] The embodiments described herein are not limited in their application to the details described in the following description or the details shown in the accompanying drawings. The disclosed subject matter is capable of other embodiments and can be practiced or implemented in various ways. In addition, the phrases and terms used herein are intended to be illustrative and should not be considered as limiting. "Include," "comprise," or "have" and their variations are used herein to encompass the items listed thereafter, additional items, and their equivalents. The terms "connect" and "couple" are used in a broad sense to encompass direct and indirect connections and couplings. In addition, the terms "connect" and "couple" are not limited to electrical, physical, or mechanical connections or couplings. The terms "machine," "computer," "server," and "workstation" used herein are not limited to devices with a single processor, but may encompass multiple devices (such as computers) linked in a system, devices with multiple processors, dedicated devices, devices with various peripherals and input / output devices, software used as a computer or server, and combinations thereof.

[0046] The term game coin as used herein may include any game coin, square game coin, metal game coin or other game coin that can be used for amusement park, game room or digital game. Each game coin can represent a predetermined or undetermined value. Game coins can be made of hard plastic material or clay to obtain a structure that is sufficiently strong to resist the conditions of use of amusement park. Game coins can be used everywhere in amusement park.

[0047] <First Embodiment> Turning now to the drawings, an exemplary embodiment is described in detail. Figure 1 , a gaming table 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The gaming table 100 includes, among other components, a coin tray 103. The coin tray 103 may include one or more coin tube components 106, such as coin tube components 106a, 106b, and 106c. The housing of the coin tray 103 may include a lockable lid 109.

[0048] The coin tray 103 may be covered by a lid 109 that can be locked to restrict access to the coin tray 103. When a gaming game is started, the lid 109 can be completely removed. Similarly, when the gaming table is opened, the lid 109 can be unlocked so that an employee can lift it if desired. When the gaming game is over, the lid 109 can be locked.

[0049] refer to Figure 2, a network environment 103 is shown according to various embodiments. The network environment 103 includes a computing environment 203, one or more gaming table devices 206 located at one or more gaming tables 100, and one or more cameras 209 that communicate data with each other via a network 212. The network 212 includes, for example, the Internet, an intranet, an extranet, wide area networks (WANs), local area networks (LANs), a wired network, a wireless network, or other suitable networks, or any combination of two or more such networks. For example, such networks may include satellite networks, cable networks, Ethernet networks, and other types of networks.

[0050] The computing environment 203 may include, for example, a server computer or any other system that provides computing power. Alternatively, the computing environment 203 may use, for example, a plurality of computing devices that may be arranged in one or more server groups or computer groups or other arrangements. Such computing devices may be located in a single device or may be distributed among many different geographical locations. For example, the computing environment 203 may include a plurality of computing devices that together may include managed computing resources, grid computing resources, and / or any other distributed computing devices. In some cases, the computing environment 203 may correspond to elastic computing resources, wherein the capacity of the allocated processing, network, storage, or other computing-related resources may change over time.

[0051] Various applications and / or other functions can be executed in the computing environment 203 according to various embodiments. Furthermore, various data is stored in a data store 215 accessible to the computing environment 203. As will be appreciated, the data store 215 may represent multiple data stores 215. The data stored in the data store 215 is associated with, for example, the operation of various applications and / or functional entities described below. The data store 215 may include, among other data, gaming currency data 218 and gaming data 221.

[0052] Components executing on the computing environment 203 include, for example, a gaming service 227, as well as other applications, services, processes, systems, engines, or functions not discussed in detail herein. The gaming service 227 is executed to identify gaming coins used on one or more tables 206. As an example, during a gaming game, a stack of gaming coins may be positioned in various locations on the gaming table 100. One or more images of the gaming table 100 may be captured, and the gaming service 227 may identify one or more stacks of gaming coins in the positioned images, count the gaming coins in each stack, and estimate the face value of the gaming coins. It will be appreciated that some or all of the functionality described with reference to the gaming service 227 may be executed in the gaming table equipment 206, including the computing device, at the gaming table 100.

[0053] The chip data 218 may include a list of all active chips, including any identifiers associated with the chips, such as RFID tag identifiers, barcode identifiers, visual characteristics including color information, and other identifiers. The game data 221 may store a history of received sensor inputs and any configuration, calibration, and control settings.

[0054] The gaming table 100 represents a plurality of gaming tables that can be connected to the network 212. The gaming table equipment 206 can include, for example, one or more computing devices having a processor-based system (e.g., a computer system). Such a computer system can be embodied in the form of an embedded computing device or other device with similar functionality. The gaming table 100 can include one or more cameras 230, one or more sensors 233, a coin tray 103, one or more placement points 239, a coin recycler 242, and a ticket validator 245.

[0055] Similar to camera 209, camera 230 can capture images of the surface of gaming table 100. Gaming table equipment 206 or camera 230 can transmit this image to gaming service 227 via network 212. This image can be transmitted to gaming service 227 as a video stream of the surface of gaming table 100. Gaming service 227 can receive images from various angles from cameras 209 and 230. Sensors 233 can include RFID antennas, video barcode scanners, weighing scales, and other sensors. Sensors 133 can be used to identify gaming coins used on the gaming table.

[0056] The gaming service 227 can verify RFID gaming coins based on the information read from the sensor 233 as an RFID antenna. The RFID antenna can be positioned at the gaming coin tray 103, each placement point 239, the gaming coin reclaimer 242, and another location. The gaming table device 206 can use the RFID antenna to read the RFID tag from the gaming coins that RFID enables. The information from the RFID tag can be stored together with the data related to the RFID antenna that reads the RFID tag. For example, the identifier of the gaming coin enabled by one or more RFIDs can be read by the RFID antenna at a specific placement point 239.

[0057] refer to Figure 3 , a coin tray 103 is shown according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The coin tray 103 may include a storage rack to store the coins. The coin tray 103 may be placed in a gaming table to keep the casino's coins safe. The coin tray 103 may be used by employees, such as dealers or managers.

[0058] These coins can have different shapes and sizes for different reasons. For example, the size and shape of a coin may vary depending on its denomination. The size and shape of a coin may also depend on the type of audience it is intended for. For example, coins may have different sizes and shapes for the general public, VIPs, high-end individuals, or other categories.

[0059] Casino operators may have preferences regarding the layout of the coin tray 103 used. This preference may depend on various factors, including the casino's history and region. Most casinos adjust or customize the coin tray 103 based on the casino games and the specific location's coin requirements. For injection-molded coin trays 103, if these customizations involve changing the layout of the storage area within the coin tray 103, a new injection mold may be required, significantly increasing production costs.

[0060] For amusement parks, it is important to understand the current value and quantity of the game coins in the game coin tray 103 in order to manage the turnover of the game table, the filling and exchange at the game table, the opening and closing of the game table and other aspects. The amusement park operator can visually check the quantity of the game coins. However, this may be impractical and time-consuming. In other cases, the amusement park operator can use an RFID game coin tray when using the game coins and square game coins that RFID enables.

[0061] For the coin tray 103, whether or not equipped with RFID, the required customization (which can involve the number of rows and the configuration of each row) can involve new designs and specific manufacturing tools, such as molds, to accommodate the customized design. The customized configuration can involve limiting the overall capacity of the coin tray, limiting the diameter of the coins stored in different rows, and limiting the shape and other configurations of the coins. If the amusement park operator wants to store larger rectangular square coins, the shape of the coin can be rectangular.

[0062] The casino operator can store higher denominations in the middle row of the coin tray 103 and store lower denominations in the outer rows of the coin tray 103. The coins with higher denominations can have a larger diameter, such as 45 millimeters (mm) or 48 mm. The coins with lower denominations can have a smaller diameter, such as 39 mm or 40 mm. The difference in diameter can help to distinguish the coins when they are stacked together to prevent mistakes.

[0063] The variable configuration of the coin tube component 106 can be used to facilitate customization of the coin tray 103. This coin tube component system can reduce design and tooling costs and provide a solution for easily changing the configuration of trays across a fleet of gaming tables in a short period of time. The coin tray 103 is designed to be scalable and modular. In some embodiments, the coin tray 103 is RFID-compatible.

[0064] The coin tray 103 can have a fixed width. A fixed-size housing can also be used. In some embodiments, a set of fixed-width and fixed-size housings can be used to enable larger and smaller coin trays 103 based on preference. The coin tray 103 can be assembled with a coin tube assembly 106, which can include tubes 303. Each tube 303 can be configured to hold coins of a specific shape and size, which can include, for example, round, rectangular, or other shaped coins.

[0065] The coin tray 103 may include a base structure 306 for providing support for the coin tube component 106 and a decorative cover 309. In some embodiments, the decorative cover 309 may be removably coupled to the base structure 306 to secure the coin tube component 106 in place. As an example, tabs on the decorative cover 309 may fit snugly into slots on the base structure 306 to secure the decorative cover 309 in place. The decorative cover 309 may cover the outer edge of the coin tube component 106 to secure the coin tube component 106 in place.

[0066] The coin tube assembly 106 may have one or more tubes 303, each of which is referred to as a coin storage row. Casino operators can assemble the coin tube assembly 106 to fill available space. The coin trays can be customized based on the casino's current needs. In some embodiments, the weight of the coins can be used to secure the coin tube assembly 106 in place. The edges of the coin tube assembly 106 can be coupled together to secure the coin tube assembly 106 in place. In some embodiments, the edges of adjacent coin tube assembly 106 can be locked together based on the shape of the edges.

[0067] In one example embodiment, each coin tube component 106 has two to three coin storage rows 303. By assembling more than one coin tube component 106, the coin tray 100 can have a total of twelve to sixteen coin storage rows 303. The coin storage rows can be configured to accommodate circular coins of 35mm, 40mm, 41mm, 45mm or other diameters. The coin storage rows can be configured to accommodate rectangular coins of 85mm or other sizes. Each of the different game tables 100 on the playground floor can have a coin tube component 106 of different configurations on their respective coin trays 103. Further, the coin trays 103 of each game table 100 can be quickly and easily changed to adapt to different coin tube components 106.

[0068] refer to Figure 4 , an exploded view of selected components 400 of an example chip tray 103 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. Components 400 include chip tube components 106a, 106b, and 106c, spacing components 403 and 406, an RFID antenna 409, a base 412, and potentially other components.

[0069] The game coin tube parts 106a-160c can be assembled together to cross the fixed width of the game coin tray 103. Spacers 403 and 406 can be used to fill any remaining space to cross over whole fixed widths. The width of each game coin tube part 106 can be based on the size of the game coins to be stored in each game coin tube and the number of the game coin tubes. In various embodiments, owing to the multiple game coin tube parts 106 with various fixed sizes that can be selected, the span of the assembled game coin tube parts 106 may not be accurately set to match within the fixed span of the game coin tray 103. Thus, there may be a gap between the side of the game coin tray 103 and the side of the game coin tube parts 106. Spacers 403 and 406 can be connected to the side of the game coin tube parts 106 so that accurate matching.

[0070] One or more RFID antennas 409 can be placed underneath the chip tube assembly 106. In some embodiments, the RFID antenna 409 is mounted within the gaming table 100 beneath the base 412 of the chip tray 103 housing. The RFID antenna 409 can be covered when the chip tray 103 is inserted into the gaming table 100 to protect the RFID antenna 409 from damage. For security reasons, the RFID antenna 409 can be locked within the gaming table 100 to prevent tampering.

[0071] The RFID antenna 409 can be configured to communicate with the gaming service 227 ( Figure 2) reads the gaming coins placed in the gaming coin tube component 106. The results of the reading can be displayed to the dealer on a display to show the number and value of the gaming coins in the gaming coin tray 103. The display can also include an authentication result to indicate whether all the gaming coins read were successfully authenticated. In some embodiments, the display can include one or more indicators on the table, such as LED indicators, which indicate the success or failure of the reading or authentication. In some embodiments, when one or more RFID antennas are used, the gaming coin tray 103 can include a shield.

[0072] refer to Figure 5 , shown is an exploded view of selected components 500 of an example coin tray 103 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Components 500 include coin tube components 106d, 106e, and 106f, spacer components 403 and 406, and potentially other components. The coin tube component 106 may have a coupling edge on a first side and a second side opposite the first side. The coupling edge may be configured to abut against each other at a joint 503. In some embodiments, the coupling edge may prevent adjacent coin tube components 106 from disengaging unless the coin tube components 106 slide in opposite directions relative to each other along the coupling edge. Although the coupling edge shown corresponds to a hooking mechanism, in other embodiments, other types of edge engagements may be used, such as tongue-and-groove engagements, finger-shaped engagements, or other types of edge engagements. As shown, the spacer components 403 and 406 may also include coupling edges that engage with the edges of adjacent coin tube components 106.

[0073] refer to Figure 6 , an example coin tube assembly 106 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The coin tube assembly 106 can include one or more tubes 303a-303c. The coin tube assembly 106 can have a first coupling edge 603 and a second coupling edge 606 opposite the first coupling edge. In some embodiments, the front edge 609 and / or the rear edge (not shown) can have coupling edges for coupling to front and rear spacer members similar to the spacer members 403 and 406.

[0074] The coin tube component 106 can be created using a 3D printer or any other manufacturing process for plastic and metal materials. As an example, material removal or machining can be used to form the coin tube component 106. The coin tube component 106 can also be formed or injection molded.

[0075] A catalog of chip tube components 106 can be provided to casino operators to facilitate the construction of each chip tray 103. When RFID is being used, one or more RFID antennas and potentially shielding plates can be placed underneath the chip tube component 106. The RFID antenna and shielding can be manufactured to cover the entire width of the tray, regardless of the configuration of the chip tube component 106.

[0076] refer to Figure 7 , a top view of a portion 700 of an example coin storage row 303d according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The coin tube assembly 106 may include one or more coin storage rows 303d. A coin storage row 303d may hold one or more rectangular square coins within a space 703. Edges 706 may provide horizontal support for the square coins while also providing space for fingers to reach and grasp the square coins.

[0077] Steering Figure 8 , which is a block diagram of an example hardware of a computing device 800. The gaming service 227 may be implemented in part using one or more components of the computing device 800. The computing device 800 may include one or more of a processor 810, a random access memory (RAM) 820, a read-only memory (ROM) 830, a storage device 840, a network interface 850, and an input / output (I / O) interface 860. The components of the computing device 800 are communicatively coupled via a bus 802.

[0078] The processor 810 may include an arithmetic processor, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or other type of hardware or software processor. RAM 820 and ROM 830 may include memory for storing computer-readable instructions to be executed by the processor 810. The storage device 830 stores computer-readable instructions thereon, which, when executed by the processor 810, direct the processor 810 to perform the various aspects of the present disclosure described herein. When the processor 810 includes an ASIC, the processes described herein may be performed by the ASIC according to the embedded circuit design of the ASIC, or by the firmware of the ASIC, or by both the embedded circuit design and the firmware of the ASIC. As a non-limiting example group, the storage device 830 includes one or more of an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory (i.e., semiconductor, floating gate, or similar flash-based memory), a magnetic tape memory, a removable memory, a combination of the above, or any other known storage device for storing computer-readable instructions. The network interface 850 may include a hardware interface for communicating over a data network. The I / O interface 860 may include device input and output interfaces, such as a keyboard, pointing device, display, communication, and other interfaces. The bus 802 may electrically and communicatively couple the processor 810 , RAM 820 , ROM 830 , storage device 840 , network interface 850 , and I / O interface 860 to facilitate communication of data and instructions therebetween.

[0079] In operation, the processor 810 is configured to retrieve computer-readable instructions stored on the memory device 840, RAM 820, ROM 830, or other storage device and, for example, copy the computer-readable instructions to the RAM 820 or ROM 830 for execution. The processor 810 is also configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to implement various aspects and features of the present disclosure. For example, the processor 810 can be adapted and configured to execute the above-referenced Figure 2 The processes described include those described as being performed by the gaming service 227. Additionally, the memory device 840 may store data stored in the database 215.

[0080] <Second embodiment> Figure 9 104 is a perspective view of a coin tray 104 according to the second embodiment. The coin tray 104 is a double-layered coin tray consisting of an upper tray 1041 and a lower tray 1042. Figure 10 104 is a cross-sectional view of the coin tray 104 with the lower tray 1042 opened. Figure 11 104 is a cross-sectional view of the coin tray 104 in a state where the upper tray 1041 is accommodated in the lower tray 1042 .

[0081] The lower coin tray 1042 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an opening in its upper surface. The coin tubes 106 are arranged side by side on the bottom surface of its inner portion. The upper coin tray 1041 has a tray shape. The coin tubes 106 are arranged side by side on the bottom surface of its inner portion. The upper tray 1041 can store the coins stored in the lower tray 1042 from above.

[0082] The upper tray 1041 is movably connected to the lower tray 1042 via a link mechanism 1043. By lifting the handle 1044, the upper tray 1041 can be moved diagonally upward from the lower tray 1042 while maintaining the posture of the upper tray 1041, thereby opening the upper surface of the lower tray 1042.

[0083] Although not shown in the figure, an RFID antenna is provided on the bottom surface of the upper tray 1041 for reading the RFID tags embedded in the gaming coins stored in the upper tray 1041, and an RFID antenna is also provided on the bottom surface of the lower tray 1042 for reading the RFID tags embedded in the gaming coins stored in the lower tray 1042. A shielding member that blocks electromagnetic waves from the RFID antenna or an interference antenna that generates electromagnetic waves that partially cancel or weaken the electromagnetic waves from the RFID antenna can be used to prevent the RFID antenna of the upper tray 1041 from reading the RFID tags of the gaming coins stored in the lower tray 1042, or to prevent the RFID antenna of the lower tray 1042 from reading the RFID tags of the gaming coins stored in the upper tray 1041.

[0084] Figure 12 : is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for small round coins) according to this embodiment, Figure 13 : is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for large round coins) according to this embodiment. Figure 14 1 is a perspective view of a coin tube assembly (for square coins) according to this embodiment. Each coin tube assembly is composed of a single coin storage row. The coin tube assembly 106 for small round coins, large round coins, and square coins has different widths corresponding to the size of the coins stored therein.

[0085] The side surfaces of each coin tube component 106 are flat surfaces, and the side surfaces are in contact with each other when the coin tube components 106 are coupled, and no gap is formed between the side surfaces. As mentioned above, since the coin tube components 106 do not have a structure in which adjacent coin tube components 106 vertically overlap each other at the coupled portions when the adjacent coin tube components 106 are coupled to each other at the right and left edges, the corresponding coin tube component 106 can be independently attached to or removed from the upper tray 1041 or the lower tray 1042 separately from the other coin tube components 106 by removing the fixed L-shaped angle piece 1051 mentioned later.

[0086] In each of the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042, the coin tube member 106 is arranged in a slightly inclined manner so that the front end is on the upper side and the rear end is on the lower side. Further, the coin tube member 106 for the upper tray 1041 is formed to be shorter in the longitudinal direction than the coin tube member for the lower tray 1042.

[0087] Retaining flanges 1061 and 1062 are formed at the longitudinal front and rear ends of the coin tube member 106, respectively. The rear flange 1062 fits into locking grooves 1045 and 1046 formed in the upper tray 1041 and lower tray 1042, respectively. The front end of the coin tube member 106 is secured to the upper tray 1041 and lower tray 1042 by retaining the front flange 1061 from above with a fixing L-shaped angle piece 105. The fixing L-shaped angle piece 1051 is secured to the upper tray 1041 and lower tray 1042, respectively, with screws 1052.

[0088] The front and rear ends of the coin tube member 106 are opened. When the coin tube member 106 is installed in the upper tray 1041 or the lower tray 1042, the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042 support the flat surface of the coin in the tilting direction.

[0089] <Third embodiment> Figure 15 1 is a perspective view of a coin tray 108 according to a third embodiment. The coin tray 108 according to this embodiment is also a double-layered coin tray comprising an upper tray 1081 and a lower tray 1082, similar to the second embodiment. The coin tray 108 is further provided with a coin collection tube component 107. The coin collection tube component 107 is a variant of the coin collection tube component 106 and has a plurality (two) tubes 303. The coin collection tube component 107 is a tray for temporarily storing coins collected from players who have lost the game.

[0090] Figure 16 108 is a cross-sectional view of the game coin tray 108. Figure 16As shown, the collecting coin tube part 107 is assembled to the lower tray 1082 so as to be flush with the upper tray 1081 accommodated in the lower tray 1082. A space is provided below the collecting coin tube part 107, and a camera (not shown) is provided in the space.

[0091] like Figure 16 As shown, the spacing members 407 are provided at both ends of the coin tube members 106 in the array direction in the lower tray 1041. By using the spacing members 407, the coin tube members 106 for round coins and the coin tube members 106 for square coins, which have different widths from each other, can be arranged in the lower tray 1081 in an optional number combination. In the upper tray 1081, by using the spacing members 407, the coin tube members 106 for round coins and the coin tube members 106 for square coins can be similarly used in an optional number combination.

[0092] Figure 17 107 is a perspective view of the coin collecting tube component 107. Figure 18 1 is a cross-sectional view of the coin collection tube assembly 107. A slit 1071 is formed in each tube 303 of the coin collection tube assembly 107 in the longitudinal direction of the tube (i.e., the direction in which the coins are stacked). A camera disposed below the coin collection tube assembly 107 captures the side view of the coins emerging from the slit 1071. Multiple mirrors are mounted between the camera and the slit 1071, and illumination light is provided to illuminate the slit 1071. The multiple mirrors transmit reflected light from the illuminated slit 1071 to the camera lens.

[0093] The game coins used in this embodiment have a striped pattern in the thickness direction on their side. The striped pattern is formed by sandwiching a given color layer between a shared color layer. The given color is set according to the face value (value) of the game coin. More specifically, the color of the given color layer represents the face value of the game coin. The shared color is shared by game coins with different face values. According to the above structure, when the game coins are stacked, the given color layers for distinguishing the face values ​​are not adjacent to each other, and each game coin can distinguish the face value of the game coin.

[0094] The computing device 800 determines the face value of each gaming coin stored in the coin collection tube 107 by performing image analysis on the image captured by the camera. An RFID antenna may be provided in the coin collection tube 107, and the RFID tags of the gaming coins stored in the coin collection tube 107 can be read by the RFID antenna. The computing device 800 can then verify the face value of the gaming coins stored in the coin collection tube 107 by comparing the face value obtained from the image captured by the camera with the face value obtained by reading the RFID tags.

[0095] Figure 19: is a perspective view of a coin tube component (for round coins) according to this embodiment, Figure 20 1 is a perspective view of a coin tube assembly (for square coins) according to this embodiment. Each coin tube assembly is composed of a single coin storage row. The coin tube assembly 106 for small round coins and for square coins has different widths corresponding to the size of the coins.

[0096] The coin tube member 106 according to this embodiment is open at its front end, but has a rear end wall 1063 at its rear end for supporting the coins. Therefore, even if the coin tube member 106 is removed from the upper tray 1081 or the lower tray 1082 while storing the coins in the coin tube member 106, the coins can be stably retained in the coin tube member 106.

[0097] Figure 21 4 is a perspective view of the spacer member according to this embodiment. Flanges 4071 and 4072 are formed at the front and rear ends of the spacer member 407 in the same manner as the coin tube member 106. Therefore, the spacer member 407 is also fixed to the upper tray 1081 or the lower tray 1082 (see FIG. 4 ) by the L-shaped angle piece 1081 in the same manner as the coin tube member 106. Figure 15 ). An example of a spacer component 407 is as follows Figure 20 As shown, however, a variety of spacing members 407 having different widths can be prepared and used corresponding to the type and number of coin tube members 106 used.

[0098] The camera installed below the coin collecting tube component 107 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera, and is used to detect only the number of coins in the coin collecting tube component 107 .

[0099] In the case where identification by a camera installed below the collected game coin tube component 107 is not required, the camera may not be installed and the collected game coins may be detected independently of other game coins in the game coin tube component 106 only by RFID.

[0100] To reduce the thickness of the coin tray, the RFID antenna can be placed only on the bottom surface of the upper tray 1041. In this case, the RFID antenna can read both the RFID tags embedded in the round or square coins stored in the upper tray 1041 and the RFID tags embedded in the round or square coins stored in the lower tray 1042. When the upper tray 1041 is contained within the lower tray 1042, all RFID tags in the upper and lower trays 1041 and 1042 can be read by a single RFID antenna. When the upper tray 1041 is outside the lower tray 1042, the RFID tags in the upper tray 1041 can be read by a single RFID antenna. In this case, the lower tray 1042 is preferably designed so that the distance between the RFID tags in the coins and the RFID antenna placed on the bottom surface of the upper tray 1042 is constant.

[0101] When RFID antennas are respectively provided on the bottom surfaces of the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042, the upper antenna may read only the gaming coins in the upper tray 1041, while the lower antenna may read the gaming coins in the lower tray 1042 and a portion or all of the gaming coins in the upper tray 1041, or the upper antenna may read a portion or all of the gaming coins in the upper tray 1041, while the lower antenna may read only the gaming coins in the lower tray 1042. In either case, each of the gaming coins in the upper tray 1041 and the gaming coins in the lower tray 1042 can be determined by verifying the collective relationship of the read results from the upper and lower antennas.

[0102] Unless otherwise specifically stated, phrases such as "at least one of X, Y, or Z" should be understood, along with the context, as generally used to suggest that an item, term, etc. can be X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and / or Z). Similarly, unless otherwise specifically stated, "at least one of X, Y, and Z" should be understood to suggest that an item, term, etc. can be any one of X, Y, and Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and / or Z). Thus, as used herein, such phrases are generally not intended to, and should not, imply that certain embodiments require the presence of at least one of X, Y, or Z, but do not require, for example, one X and one Y. Furthermore, such phrases should not imply that certain embodiments require the presence of each of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z.

[0103] Although embodiments are described in detail herein, they are described by way of example. The features of the embodiments described herein are representative, and in alternative embodiments, certain features and elements may be added or omitted. Furthermore, modifications to various aspects of the embodiments described herein may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined in the following claims, the scope of which is to be given the broadest interpretation to encompass variations and equivalent structures.

Claims

1. A double-layer game coin tray, comprising: at least one RFID antenna configured to read gaming coins, the gaming coins including two types of gaming coins containing RFID tags and having different shapes and sizes; an upper game coin tray configured to receive the game coins; and The lower game coin tray is configured to receive the game coins. in, The two types of game coins include round game coins and rectangular square game coins. Each of the game coins includes the RFID tag for storing the face value of the game coin, The upper game coin tray has at least one first game coin storage row corresponding to the round game coins, for storing the round game coins. The lower game coin tray has at least one second game coin storage row corresponding to the rectangular square game coins, for storing the rectangular square game coins. The at least one RFID antenna is configured to read each of the RFID tags of the two types of gaming coins received in the double-layered gaming coin tray, namely, the round gaming coins and the rectangular square gaming coins.

2. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one RFID antenna includes: a first RFID antenna configured to read the RFID tag of the game coin held on the upper game coin tray; and a second RFID antenna configured to read the RFID tag of the game coin held on the lower game coin tray.

3. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one RFID antenna includes one RFID antenna configured to read the RFID tags of the coins held on the upper coin tray and the RFID tags of the coins held on the lower coin tray.

4. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one RFID antenna is configured to determine the denominations of the two types of gaming coins by reading the RFID tags.

5. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: The double-layered coin tray has a portion where the first coin storage row and the second coin storage row are adjacent to each other.

6. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: The second coin storage row corresponding to the rectangular square coin is configured to support a flat surface of the rectangular square coin.

7. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: Also included is a coin recovery tray configured to temporarily store coins recovered from a player who loses the game.

8. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: Also features: a camera configured to generate an image of a side surface of the gaming coins received in the double-layered gaming coin tray; and A processor is configured to identify the denomination of the gaming chip by analyzing the image generated by the camera.

9. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 8, wherein: The processor is further configured to compare the denomination obtained from the image generated by the camera with the denomination obtained from the RFID tag to check the gaming coin.

10. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 9, wherein: The camera is configured to photograph side surfaces of some of the gaming coins held in the double-layered gaming coin tray.

11. The double-layer game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: The first game coin storage row is configured to vertically support the round game coins, The second game coin storage row is configured to vertically or horizontally support the rectangular square game coins, The at least one RFID antenna is configured to read the circular gaming chips in a vertical position and the rectangular square gaming chips in a vertical position or a horizontal position.

12. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 11, wherein: The at least one RFID antenna is configured to read the RFID tag embedded in either the round game coin or the rectangular square game coin in the double-layer game coin tray, regardless of whether the round game coin or the rectangular square game coin is supported vertically or horizontally.

13. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 12, wherein: The upper game coin tray is configured to receive the round game coins or the rectangular square game coins in a vertical supporting manner, and The at least one RFID antenna is configured to read the RFID tag embedded in the round game coin or the rectangular square game coin vertically supported on the upper game coin tray.

14. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 12, wherein: The lower game coin tray is configured to receive the round game coins or the rectangular square game coins in a vertical or horizontal manner. The at least one RFID antenna is configured to read the RFID tag embedded in the round game coins or the rectangular square game coins vertically or horizontally supported on the lower game coin tray.

15. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 14, wherein: The at least one RFID antenna is configured to read the RFID tag in the round gaming coin or the rectangular square gaming coin horizontally supported on the upper gaming coin tray.

16. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: Based on the reading of the RFID tag, the total amount of each of the round coins and the rectangular square coins accommodated in the double-layer coin tray is determined.

17. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: A link mechanism is also provided, which is configured to connect the upper game coin tray to the lower game coin tray and enable the upper game coin tray to move between a position where the upper game coin tray covers the lower game coin tray from above and a position where the upper game coin tray moves away from the lower game coin tray to open the upper surface of the lower game coin tray.

18. The double-layered game coin tray according to claim 1, wherein: A display is also provided, which is configured to display the number and value of the gaming coins read by the at least one RFID antenna.

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