Image acquisition device for a poker machine

Abstract

The application discloses an image acquisition device for a poker machine and belongs to the field of poker machines. The device comprises a camera for taking a photo of a playing card when the playing card passes below the camera, and a light-emitting element located on the side of the camera for exposure when the camera is taking the photo. The emitted light of the light-emitting element is obliquely incident on the surface of the playing card. The application has the beneficial effect that the light-emitting element is arranged on the side of the camera, and the emitted light of the light-emitting element is obliquely incident on the surface of the playing card, so that the light can irradiate at an angle oblique to the surface of the playing card, effectively avoiding the direct entry of the light reflected vertically from the smooth card surface into the camera. The emitted light of the light-emitting element irradiates the surface of the playing card to produce diffuse reflection, so that the camera obtains soft reflected light, thereby obtaining a complete picture, and the poker machine can clearly take the front and back surfaces of the playing card.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of poker machines, and more specifically, to an image acquisition device for poker machines. Background Technology

[0002] When shuffling cards automatically in a poker machine, it is not only necessary to organize the scattered cards into a neat stack, but also to ensure that all the cards are in the same orientation. This requires the automatic shuffling machine to be able to automatically identify the front and back of the cards.

[0003] In the existing technology, the poker machine is equipped with a camera for taking pictures and recognizing playing cards, as well as LED beads for illuminating the face of the playing cards. When the playing cards pass under the camera, the camera takes a picture, and the LED beads flash to expose the camera. The picture of the playing cards is transmitted to the system microcontroller to determine the front and back of the playing cards. The poker machine arranges the playing cards to the same side based on the recognition result.

[0004] In existing technology, due to the spatial layout design inside the poker machine, LEDs and cameras are generally mounted on the surface of the circuit board (e.g., Figure 3 As shown in the image, when the playing card passes under the camera, the LED light is almost perpendicular to the surface of the card. Because the surface of the card is smooth and the distance is relatively short (generally around 15mm), when the LED lights up, the light is reflected off the card and onto the camera, much like taking a picture of a mirror or glass with a flash. The flash is also captured in the image, but the flash location cannot capture the pattern, affecting the image integrity and resulting in bright spots in the captured image. If the bright spots happen to cover a key area of ​​the card (such as...), the image may contain bright spots. Figure 4 As shown in the image, the poker machine cannot properly recognize the front and back of the playing cards. Utility Model Content

[0005] The summary section of this application is intended to provide a brief overview of the concepts, which will be described in detail in the detailed description section below. This summary section is not intended to identify key or essential features of the claimed technical solutions, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the claimed technical solutions.

[0006] To address the technical problems mentioned in the background section above, some embodiments of this application provide an image acquisition device for a poker machine, comprising: a camera for capturing a photograph of the poker cards as they pass beneath the camera; a light-emitting element located to the side of the camera for exposure during the camera's capture; and light emitted by the light-emitting element being obliquely incident on the surface of the poker cards.

[0007] Furthermore, the image acquisition device also includes: a circuit board and a connector; the camera is mounted on the circuit board; and the light-emitting element is electrically connected to the circuit board via the connector.

[0008] Furthermore, the connector is provided with a connecting end; the circuit board is provided with a connecting hole that penetrates the circuit board; the connecting end is inserted into the connecting hole and connected to the circuit board.

[0009] Furthermore, the light-emitting element is disposed on the connector at one end away from the circuit board.

[0010] Furthermore, two connectors are provided; the distance between the two connectors and the camera is equal.

[0011] Furthermore, a shooting area is formed between the two connectors, and the shooting area covers the corner number area of ​​the playing card.

[0012] Furthermore, the light-emitting element is a lamp bead or a lamp strip.

[0013] Furthermore, three LED beads are provided.

[0014] The beneficial effects of this application are as follows:

[0015] The camera has a light-emitting element on its side, and the light emitted by the light-emitting element is obliquely incident on the surface of the playing card. This allows the light to shine at an angle to the surface of the playing card, effectively preventing the light from directly entering the camera after being vertically reflected by the smooth surface of the card. The light emitted by the light-emitting element produces diffuse reflection on the surface of the playing card, allowing the camera to obtain soft reflected light and thus obtain a complete image, enabling the playing card machine to clearly capture the front and back of the playing card. Attached Figure Description

[0016] The accompanying drawings, which form part of this application, are used to provide a further understanding of the application and to make other features, objects, and advantages of the application more apparent. The illustrative embodiments and descriptions of this application are used to explain the application and do not constitute an undue limitation of the application.

[0017] Furthermore, throughout the accompanying drawings, the same or similar reference numerals denote the same or similar elements. It should be understood that the drawings are schematic, and the elements are not necessarily drawn to scale.

[0018] In the attached diagram:

[0019] Figure 1 This is an overall schematic diagram based on an embodiment of this application;

[0020] Figure 2 This is a structural schematic diagram of a part of the embodiment, mainly showing the structure of the connector, the light-emitting element and some surrounding parts;

[0021] Figure 3This is a schematic diagram showing that LEDs and cameras are typically mounted on the surface of a circuit board in existing technologies;

[0022] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a photo taken by a camera in existing technology;

[0023] Figure 5 This is an illustration of a photograph taken by the camera in this application.

[0024] Figure label:

[0025] 1. Circuit board; 2. Camera; 21. Lens; 3. Connector; 31. Connecting end; 32. Shooting area; 4. Light-emitting element. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Embodiments of this disclosure will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. While some embodiments of this disclosure are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that this disclosure can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided to provide a more thorough and complete understanding of this disclosure. It should be understood that the accompanying drawings and embodiments of this disclosure are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this disclosure.

[0027] It should also be noted that, for ease of description, only the parts relevant to the invention are shown in the accompanying drawings. Unless otherwise specified, the embodiments and features described in this disclosure can be combined with each other.

[0028] It should be noted that the concepts of "first" and "second" mentioned in this disclosure are used only to distinguish different devices, modules or units, and are not used to limit the order of functions performed by these devices, modules or units or their interdependencies.

[0029] It should be noted that the terms "a" and "a plurality of" used in this disclosure are illustrative rather than restrictive, and those skilled in the art should understand that, unless otherwise expressly indicated in the context, they should be understood as "one or more".

[0030] This disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0031] Reference Figure 1-2 ,

[0032] An image acquisition device for a playing card machine includes: a camera 2 for capturing images of playing cards when they pass beneath the camera 2; a light-emitting element 4 located on the side of the camera 2 for exposure during image capture; and light emitted by the light-emitting element 4 obliquely incident on the surface of the playing cards. The light-emitting element 4 is a light bead or a light strip. In this embodiment, a light bead is preferred. The light-emitting element 4 is positioned on the side of the camera 2, and the light emitted by the light-emitting element 4 obliquely incident on the surface of the playing cards, allowing the light to illuminate at an angle inclined to the surface of the playing cards. This effectively avoids the light directly entering the camera 2 after vertical reflection from the smooth card surface. The light emitted by the light-emitting element 4 causes diffuse reflection on the surface of the playing cards, allowing the camera 2 to obtain soft reflected light, thereby obtaining a complete image and enabling the playing card machine to clearly capture both sides of the playing cards (see attached diagram). Figure 5 ).

[0033] Specifically, the image acquisition device also includes: a circuit board 1 and a connector 3; the connector 3 is a plate-shaped structure or a rod-shaped structure, and in this embodiment, a plate-shaped structure is preferred. The camera 2 is mounted on the circuit board 1; the light-emitting element 4 is electrically connected to the circuit board 1 through the connector 3, so that when the circuit board 1 is powered on, the current can be transmitted to the light-emitting element 4 through the connector 3, eliminating the need for additional wires and making the overall design simpler.

[0034] Circuit board 1 has a front and a back. In this embodiment, camera 2 is located on the front of circuit board 1. Camera 2 has a lens 21 for taking pictures of playing cards. Circuit board 1 has a mounting hole that penetrates through it. The lens 21 extends through the mounting hole to the back of circuit board 1, and camera 2 is electrically connected to circuit board 1 on the front. In other embodiments, both camera 2 and circuit board 1 are located on the back of circuit board 1.

[0035] In other embodiments, the light-emitting element 4 is fixedly installed in the mechanical structure inside the poker machine, that is, the light-emitting element 4 and the circuit board 1 are set separately. The light-emitting element 4 is located on both sides of the camera 2, and the light-emitting element 4 and the circuit board 1 are connected by wires to achieve the purpose of side light emission.

[0036] Specifically, the connector 3 has a connecting end 31; the circuit board 1 has a connecting hole that penetrates the circuit board 1; the connecting end 31 is inserted into the connecting hole and soldered to the front of the circuit board 1, thus fixing the connector 3 onto the circuit board 1, which is simple to operate. In particular, the connector 3 has a conductive path, and the light-emitting element 4 is connected to the connecting end 31 through the conductive path, and the light-emitting element 4 is powered by the circuit board 1.

[0037] Specifically, the light-emitting element 4 is positioned on the connector 3 at one end away from the circuit board 1 to prevent the position of the light-emitting element 4 on the connector 3 from being too close to the camera lens 21, which would prevent the emitted light from the light-emitting element 4 from shining onto the surface of the playing card.

[0038] Specifically, two connectors 3 are provided, one on each side of the camera 2. The distance between the two connectors 3 and the camera 2 is equal. Symmetrical light sources can eliminate asymmetrical shadows, preventing one side of the playing card from being too bright and the other too dark, ensuring that the overall brightness of the image obtained by the camera 2 is consistent, thereby improving the accuracy of the playing card machine in recognizing the front and back of the playing cards.

[0039] Specifically, playing cards typically have numbers representing their face value in the corners of the front, while the back usually features patterns. A shooting area 32 is formed between the two connectors 3, covering the corner number areas of the playing cards.

[0040] Specifically, three LEDs are used. These three LEDs are connected in parallel. If one of the three LEDs fails, the remaining LEDs can still provide illumination, preventing a complete loss of the recognition function and improving the reliability of the device.

[0041] The above description is merely a selection of preferred embodiments of this disclosure and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of the invention involved in the embodiments of this disclosure is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the above-described inventive concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above-described features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in the embodiments of this disclosure.

Claims

1. An image acquisition device for a poker machine, characterized in that, include: A camera is used to take a picture of the playing cards as they pass under the camera; A light-emitting element, located on the side of the camera, is used for exposure when the camera takes a picture; the light emitted by the light-emitting element is obliquely incident on the surface of the playing card.

2. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The image acquisition device also includes: a circuit board and connectors; The camera is mounted on the circuit board; the light-emitting element is electrically connected to the circuit board via the connector.

3. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The connector has a connecting end; the circuit board has a connecting hole that penetrates the circuit board; the connecting end is inserted into the connecting hole and connected to the circuit board.

4. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to claim 2, characterized in that: The light-emitting element is disposed on the connector at one end away from the circuit board.

5. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to any one of claims 2-4, characterized in that: Two connectors are provided; the distance between the two connectors and the camera is equal.

6. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to claim 5, characterized in that: A shooting area is formed between the two connectors, and the shooting area covers the corner number area of ​​the playing card.

7. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to claim 1, characterized in that: The light-emitting element is a lamp bead or a lamp strip.

8. The image acquisition device for a poker machine according to claim 7, characterized in that: The lamp beads are set to three.

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