Game system

Abstract

To provide a game system which can determine which of a plurality of stacks of gaming chips placed on the same bet area by a plurality of players is the stack placed by each player.SOLUTION: A game system comprises: a game table 2 which has a bet area 6 in which a plurality of types of bet targets are laid out; a camera 10 which generates a photographed image by photographing the game table 2; and an information processing device 12 which specifies that a stack 80 is bet on which bet target 7 on the basis of a position of the stack 80 of the gaming chips 8 in the photographed image based on the photographed image. The information processing device 12 determines which stack 80 is the stack 80 of a main player 3m, and which stack 80 is the stack 80 of a back bet player 3b on the basis of the photographed image 11 when the gaming chips 8 in the plurality of stacks 80 are bet on the same bet area 6.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a gaming system used for a game played by placing gaming chips on any of a plurality of types of betting objects laid out on a table. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, at a table where a game is played by placing gaming chips on any of the betting objects laid out on the table, a system is known in which the gaming chips on the table are photographed with a camera to obtain a captured image, and the captured image is analyzed with an image analysis device to identify the betting object on which the gaming chips are placed, as well as the type and number of those gaming chips, thereby determining how many gaming chips have been bet on which betting object.

[0003] Such a table has multiple play positions so that multiple players can play simultaneously. A betting area is provided for each play position on the table. Multiple types of betting objects are laid out in each betting area. A player playing at a play position bets with gaming chips on one of the multiple types of betting objects laid out in the betting area assigned to his or her play position by placing the gaming chips on that betting object. When multiple gaming chips are bet on a betting object, the multiple gaming chips are stacked to form a single stack and placed on the betting object.

[0004] Therefore, by designing an image analysis device taking into account the fact that betting areas are divided for each playing position, it is possible to determine how many gaming chips have been bet on which bet object for each playing position. For example, at a table for a baccarat game, at least "PLAYER" and "BANKER" are provided as multiple types of bet objects for each playing position. By analyzing the captured image, the gaming system can determine whether the player at each playing position has bet on "PLAYER" or "BANKER," and further, the amount of the bet (for example, JP 2019-149155 A).

[0005] In addition to this system, by using a player identification system that identifies players, it is possible to determine which player has bet how many gaming chips on which bet target. In addition, by using a game result determination system that determines the outcome of the game, it is possible to determine which player has bet how many gaming chips, how many gaming chips have been redeemed, and how many gaming chips have been collected. DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] Even if there are multiple play positions at a table, players are not necessarily required to take one of the play positions to play the game. In particular, when all play positions available at a table are already in use, players not in play positions may participate in the game by placing their gaming chips in the betting area allocated to the player playing at the play position (hereinafter also referred to as the "main player"). In this way, when a player not in a play position bets on any of the betting targets in the betting area allocated to a player in a play position, this is called "back betting," and a player who makes a back bet is called a "back bet player."

[0007] Such back betting causes multiple players to bet gaming chips on betting areas that should have been separated for each playing position, resulting in multiple stacks of gaming chips being placed on the same betting object or multiple different betting objects in one betting area. In conventional systems, in such cases, it was difficult to determine which of the multiple stacks of gaming chips placed on the same betting area was the main player's stack and which was the back betting player's stack.

[0008] Therefore, the present invention provides a gaming system that can determine which player placed a stack of gaming chips when the stacks are placed in the same betting area by multiple players. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A gaming system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a table having a betting area in which multiple types of betting objects are laid out, a camera that photographs the table to generate a photographed image, and an information processing device that, based on the photographed image and the position of a stack of gaming chips in the photographed image, identifies which bet object the stack is bet on, and the information processing device is configured to determine, when multiple stacks of gaming chips are bet on the same betting area, based on the photographed image, which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

[0010] With this configuration, even when multiple stacks of gaming chips are bet on the same bet area, it is possible to determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

[0011] In the above game system, the information processing device may determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the relative positions of the multiple stacks bet on the same bet area.

[0012] With this configuration, even if multiple stacks of gaming chips are bet on the same betting area, it is possible to determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack from the relative positions of those stacks. For example, if a game is played under a rule set by the casino that the back bet must be placed to the right of the main bet, it is possible to determine that the stack placed to the left is the main player's stack and the stack placed to the right is the back bet player's stack.

[0013] In the above game system, the information processing device may determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the positional relationship between the stack and the bet object on which the stack is bet.

[0014] With this configuration, it is possible to determine which player's stack a stack belongs to from the location where the stack is placed among the betting targets. For example, if a game is played under rules set by the casino that main bets are placed in the center and to the left of the betting targets and back bets are placed at the right end of the betting targets, it is possible to determine that the stacks placed in the center and to the left of the betting targets are the stacks of the main betting player, and that the stacks placed at the right end of the betting targets are the stacks of the back betting player. Furthermore, even if the back betting player has not placed a bet and there is a stack bet on only by the main player among the betting targets, it is possible to determine that the stack belongs to the main player from the location where the stack is placed.

[0015] In the above game system, the camera may photograph players betting stacks of gaming chips, and the information processing device may recognize, in the photographed image, each player who bets the multiple stacks bet in the same betting area, and based on the recognition result, determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

[0016] This configuration makes it possible to recognize the players who bet stacks and from there determine which players are main players and which players are back betting players, as well as which stacks belong to the main players and which stacks belong to the back betting players.

[0017] In the above-mentioned game system, the information processing device may recognize, in the captured image, a part of the body or part of the clothing of each player who bet the multiple stacks bet in the same betting area, and based on the recognition result of the part of the body or part of the clothing, determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

[0018] With this configuration, even if the casino does not set rules regarding where to bet stacks and players freely bet stacks on betting targets to play the game, it is possible to determine which stack belongs to which player from a part of the body or clothing recognized from the captured image.

[0019] In the above game system, the information processing device may identify which player's body part or clothing part the recognized body part or clothing part belongs to, and based on the identification result, determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

[0020] This configuration makes it possible to recognize which body part or piece of clothing belongs to which player, and then determine which stack that body part or piece of clothing has bet.

[0021] In the above game system, the information processing device may determine the direction of the recognized body part or clothing part, and based on the determination result, determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

[0022] With this configuration, even if it is difficult to recognize the faces, body parts, or clothing of the main player and back betting player, it is possible to determine which stack belongs to which player from the extension direction of the body part or clothing part that bet the stack.

[0023] In the above gaming system, the information processing device may determine, based on the captured image, whether or not a plurality of stacks bet on the same betting area belong to the same player.

[0024] This configuration makes it possible to determine which stack belongs to which player, even if, for example, one player bets multiple stacks because the bet amount is large, or if multiple players each bet a stack.

[0025] In the above game system, the information processing device may determine whether the plurality of stacks belong to the same player based on the distance between the plurality of stacks.

[0026] This configuration makes it possible to determine, for example, that if stacks are close to each other, they have been bet on by the same player, and that if stacks are far from each other, they have been bet on by multiple players.

[0027] In the above game system, the information processing device may determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the multiple captured images obtained in chronological order.

[0028] This configuration makes it possible to determine which stack belongs to which player not only from a single captured image, but also from multiple images taken in time series, i.e., something like a video.

[0029] In the above game system, the information processing device may determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the order in which multiple stacks bet on the same bet area were bet.

[0030] With this configuration, for example, if the casino sets a rule that the main player bets first and the back bet player bets later, it becomes possible to determine that the stack bet first belongs to the main player and the stack bet later belongs to the back bet player. [Effects of the Invention]

[0031] According to the present invention, even when multiple stacks of gaming chips are bet on the same bet area, it is possible to determine which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0032] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first example of a game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of a captured image generated by a camera capturing an image of a betting area. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a portion of an image taken by a camera directly above the game table. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a second example of a captured image generated by capturing an image of the betting area with a camera. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third example of a captured image generated by a camera capturing an image of a betting area. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a fourth example of a captured image obtained by capturing an image of the betting area with a camera. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a fifth example of a captured image generated by capturing an image of the betting area with a camera. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a sixth example of a captured image generated by a camera capturing an image of the betting area. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a seventh example of a captured image generated by capturing an image of the betting area with a camera. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 shows six captured images obtained in time series. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a second example game system according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0033] A gaming system according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, a baccarat gaming system will be described as an example of the gaming system, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. Furthermore, the components in the following embodiments include those that can be easily imagined by a person skilled in the art or those that are substantially the same.

[0034] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a gaming system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The gaming system 1 includes a roughly oval-shaped gaming table 2. A main player 3m and a back bet player 3b (hereinafter, the main player 3m and the back bet player 3b are collectively referred to as "players 3") are located on one side of the gaming table 2 (the lower side of FIG. 1), and a dealer (not shown) is located on the opposite side. A plurality of betting areas 6a to 6f (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "betting areas 6") are partitioned on the top surface of the gaming table 2, corresponding to each of a plurality of playing positions. Furthermore, a plurality of types of betting objects are laid out in the betting area 6. Each betting area 6 is provided with betting objects 7, including a PLAYER PAIR area 7a, a BANKER PAIR area 7b, a TIE area 7c, a PLAYER WIN area 7d, and a BANKER WIN area 7e. The main player 3m and the back bet player 3b place gaming chips 8 on any of the bet targets 7 laid out in the betting area 6, thereby betting the gaming chips 8 on the bet target 7 and participating in the game. The gaming chips 8 to be bet may be one or more. When betting multiple gaming chips 81, the gaming chips 8 are stacked to form one or more piles of gaming chips 8. Hereinafter, this pile of gaming chips 8 is referred to as a stack 80. The stack 80 may consist of a single gaming chip 8.

[0035] The gaming system 1 includes a camera 10, which takes a picture of the betting area 6 to generate a photographed image 11. The gaming system 1 further includes an information processing device 12, which determines whether the stack 80 is a stack of the main player 3m (hereinafter also referred to as a "main bet") or a stack of the back bet player 3b (hereinafter also referred to as a "back bet") based on the photographed image 11. Alternatively, the information processing device 12 may identify the position of the stack 80 of gaming chips 8 placed on the betting target 7 without determining whether it is a main bet or a back bet.

[0036] For the sake of convenience, four cameras 10a to 10d are shown in FIG. 1, but the number or locations of the cameras 10 may be any number or locations that can adequately capture images of the betting area 6 and the stack 80 placed thereon. Camera 10b captures images of the betting area 6 of the game table 2 and the gaming chips 8 placed thereon from directly above the game table 2. In the image from camera 10b, only the surface of the top gaming chip 8 of the stack 80 can be observed, but the position of the stack 80 can be determined more easily than in the images from the other cameras 10.

[0037] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing a first example of a captured image 11a generated by the camera 10 capturing an image of the betting area 6. Here, a method for recognizing a stack 80 in the information processing device 12 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The captured image 11a shown in Fig. 2 is composed of a plurality of pixels arranged in two-dimensional coordinates.

[0038] As a premise, the gaming chip 8 is at least partially colored. The color may be a layer of the gaming chip 8, may be applied in the circumferential direction on the side of the gaming chip 8, or may be applied as a predetermined mark on the surface of the gaming chip 8. FIG. 2 shows an example in which color is applied in the circumferential direction on the side of the gaming chip 8. This color represents the type (value) of the gaming chip 8. In other words, the gaming chip 8 is given a color according to its type (value).

[0039] The information processing device 12 detects the stack 80 from within the image using a neural network trained to detect the stack 80. Specifically, the information processing device 12 detects a rectangular region 9 (bounding box) including the stack 80 from within the image (object detection), or extracts the region of the stack 80 (hereinafter referred to as the "stack region") (region segmentation).

[0040] Furthermore, the information processing device 12 extracts an area in which a partially applied color is recorded, and determines the type of each gaming chip 8 based on the partially applied color of each gaming chip 8 included in the detected stack 80. This determination may be made using template matching or a machine learning model such as a neural network. Furthermore, the two may be used in combination, or each may be used to make a step-by-step determination.

[0041] Furthermore, the information processing device 12 may recognize the type of stack 80 or the gaming chips 8 that form the stack 80 by measuring image features such as shape, brightness, saturation, and color tone from the results of image analysis of the captured image 11 without using an artificial intelligence device.

[0042] Next, a method for recognizing which bet object 7 the stack 80 is placed on will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a portion of an image captured by the camera 10b directly above the game table 2. In this image, the top gaming chip 8 of the stack 80 is observed as a circle. The information processing device 12 defines grids arranged two-dimensionally for this image, and defines which bet object 7 each grid corresponds to. The information processing device 12 detects the stack 80 from the image and determines which grid the detected stack 80 (specifically, the center of the top gaming chip 8 of the stack 80) is located in, thereby determining which bet object 7 the stack 80 is placed on. Furthermore, by determining which grid the stack 80 is located in based on the captured image shown in FIG. 3, it is also possible to determine which position within the bet object 7 the stack 80 is placed on.

[0043] The information processing device 12 determines which bet object 7 the stack 80 is placed on based on the photographed image 11a shown in Fig. 2 as follows: That is, when using a photographed image obtained by photographing from diagonally above, like the photographed image 11a in Fig. 2, the information processing device 12 determines the position where the stack 80 is placed (i.e., the bet object 7 or a position within the bet object 7) according to the coordinate value (i.e., the position within the photographed image) of the pixel at the center of the bottom side of the detected rectangular area 9 or the lowest point at the center of the maximum left and right width of the extracted stack area.

[0044] 2, the information processing device 12 determines that the stack 80 is located at the coordinates of the center in the left-right direction of the color applied in the circumferential direction on the side of the bottom gaming chip 8. Alternatively, the position of the stack 80 may be determined by estimating the overall shape of the gaming chip 8 from the arc-shaped shape of the color applied in the circumferential direction and identifying the coordinates of the center of the gaming chip 8 from there.

[0045] The information processing device 12 stores which coordinates correspond to which bet object 7, and by comparing the stored information with the coordinates indicating the centers of the gaming chips 8 determined from the photographed image 11a, it becomes possible to recognize which bet object 7 the stack 80 is placed on. Note that the information processing device 12 may also use a machine learning model such as a neural network to detect or extract each bet object 7 from the photographed image to determine which bet object 7 the stack 80 is placed on.

[0046] Furthermore, the information processing device 12 may recognize the center of the top chip and the number of gaming chips 8 in the stack 80, and based on these, estimate the position of the center of the bottom gaming chip of the stack 80 and use this as the position of the stack 80. In this case, the information processing device 12 calculates the position of the right angle of a right triangle when the line segment connecting the camera 10 and the center of the top chip is used as the slope of the hypotenuse, the height is calculated from the number of gaming chips 8, and the base is set on the table surface as the position of the bottom gaming chip 8, i.e., the position of the stack 80.

[0047] The information processing device 12 converts the coordinates of each pixel in the image obtained by the camera 10 into a table coordinate system set on the table surface. This conversion formula is determined from the relationship between the position and orientation of the table surface and the camera 10, and is known as long as the camera 10 is fixed. By converting the positions of the stack 80 recognized in the images of the multiple cameras 10 into the table coordinate system, the stacks 80 photographed by the multiple cameras 10 can be handled in a unified manner.

[0048] The information processing device 12 has a map of bet objects corresponding to the table coordinate system. The information processing device 12 determines which bet object 7 the stack 80 is located on by mapping the position (coordinates) of the stack 80 converted into the table coordinate system onto a map (first map) on which the bet objects 7 are set.

[0049] The information processing device 12 also has a map (second map) in which some of the bet objects (for example, the TIE area 7c, the PLAYER WIN area 7d, and the BANKER WIN 7e, which have relatively large areas) are further divided into a plurality of small areas. The information processing device 12 determines in which small area of ​​the bet objects 7 the stack 80 is located by mapping the position (coordinates) of the stack converted into the table coordinate system onto this second map. As such a second map, for example, one in which the TIE area 7c is divided into thirds in the longitudinal direction to define three small areas, and the PLAYER WIN area 7d and the BANKER WIN area 7e are each divided into fourths to define four small areas may be used.

[0050] When the positions of the stack 80 captured by the multiple cameras 10 are transformed into a table coordinate system, an error may occur between them. This error may be caused by a shift in the attitude or position of the camera 10, an inaccurate coordinate transformation formula, or an error in recognizing the position of the stack 80. If the positions of the same stack 80 captured by the multiple cameras 10 are shifted when transformed into the table coordinate system, the median of the coordinates may be considered to be the coordinates of the stack 80. Furthermore, when stacks 80 are captured by the multiple cameras 10, if the distance between them in the table coordinate system is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the information processing device 12 may consider the stacks 80 to be the same stack, and if the distance between them is greater than the threshold, may recognize them as two different stacks.

[0051] In the above example, the information processing device 12 converts all of the positions of the stack 80 obtained by each of the multiple cameras 10 into the same table coordinate system, and then determines which bet object or small area the stack 80 is placed in. However, instead of this, a map may be prepared in which each bet object or small area is set in the captured image 11 of each camera 10, and the position of the stack 80 recognized in the captured image 11 of each camera may be mapped onto the map without coordinate conversion, thereby determining which bet object or small area the recognized stack 80 is located in.

[0052] 4 is a diagram showing a second example of a captured image 11b generated by the camera 10 by capturing an image of the betting area 6. The captured image 11b shows a portion of the betting areas 6a and 6b. A specific determination method by the information processing device 12 will be described with reference to FIGS. 1, 4, and 5.

[0053] 4, there are two stacks 80a and 80b in the betting area 6a, with the stack 80a placed in the TIE area 7c and the stack 80b in the PLAYER WIN area 7d. Let us now assume that the casino has established a rule that a back bet is placed to the right of the main bet as the player faces the dealer, and that a game is played based on this rule, resulting in the generation of the photographed image 11b. In this case, the information processing device 12 determines, based on the photographed image 11b, that the stack 80b placed in the PLAYER WIN area 7d is placed to the left, and the stack 80a placed in the TIE area 7c is placed to the right of the stack 80b, and further determines, based on the above rule, that the stack 80b is the main bet and the stack 80a is the back bet.

[0054] Based on the above rules, even when multiple stacks 80 are bet by the main player 3m and the back bet player 3b in the same betting area 6, it is possible to determine whether each stack 80 is a main bet or a back bet. In addition, the casino may set a rule that main bets are placed in the center and to the left of the betting objects 7, and back bets are placed on the right edge of the betting objects 7.

[0055] Based on the above rules, even if the back bet player 3b does not place a bet and only one or more stacks 80 bet on by the main player 3m are among the bet targets 7, it is possible to determine that the stacks 80 belong to the main player 3m, and also even if the main player 3m does not bet and only one or more stacks 80 bet on by the back bet player 3b are among the bet targets 7, it is possible to determine that the stacks 80 belong to the back bet player 3b.

[0056] In the explanation, only two examples of rules set by the casino are given, but these rules do not necessarily have to be used, and the rules set by the casino can be any rules as long as they allow for a distinction between the back bet player 3b and the main player 3m.

[0057] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a third example of a photographed image 11c generated by the camera 10 by photographing the betting area 6. In addition to the photographed image 11b, the photographed image 11c also shows a hand, a part of an arm, or a part of a sleeve (hereinafter simply referred to as "arm 15a") of the main player 3m and a part of a hand, an arm, or a part of a sleeve (hereinafter simply referred to as "arm 15b") of the back betting player 3b (hereinafter, the arms 15a and 15b are also collectively referred to as "arms 15"). The information processing device 12 is configured to be able to recognize the arms 15 in the photographed image 11c. Furthermore, the information processing device 12 can identify whether each arm 15 belongs to the main player 3m or the back betting player 3b. Based on the identification result, the information processing device 12 determines whether each stack 80 placed in the betting area 6 belongs to the main player 3m or the back betting player 3b.

[0058] Here, a method for recognizing the arm 15 of the information processing device 12 will be described. The method for recognizing the area of ​​the arm 15 from the photographed image 11c is basically the same as the method for extracting the area of ​​the gaming chip 8 described above. When recognizing the gaming chip 8, a specific color attached to the gaming chip 8 is used as a criterion, but when recognizing the arm 15, the color or pattern of the clothing and the color of the arm are used as a criterion.

[0059] The information processing device 12 photographs the arms 15 of each player in advance and stores the photographed image of each arm 15 in association with information identifying the player. The information processing device 12 identifies the main player 3m and the back bet player 3b using a player identification system, which will be described later. When the information processing device 12 recognizes a first arm 15 in the photographed image 11c, it determines whether the arm 15 is the arm 15a of the main player 3m or the arm 15b of the back bet player 3b by identifying which of the pre-stored arms 15 the arm 15 corresponds to.

[0060] Alternatively, the information processing device 12 may recognize the arm 15 in the photographed image 11c and determine whether the arm 15 belongs to the main player 3m or the back bet player 3b based on the direction of the recognized arm 15.

[0061] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a captured image 11d of a fourth example obtained by the camera 10 capturing an image of the betting area 6. A method of identification based on arm direction will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The captured image 11d shows the arms 15 of the main player 3m and the back bet player 3b. The information processing device 12 first identifies the tip 14 and the end 16 of the arm 15, and connects these two points with a straight line 17. Furthermore, the straight line 17 is connected to a straight line 18 that is drawn horizontally and passes through the tip 14. The angle 19 formed by the two straight lines 17, 18 is used as a criterion for identifying the player 3.

[0062] In the game, the back bet player 3b plays while standing. Therefore, when placing a bet, he extends his arm 15b toward the game table 2 at a high angle. On the other hand, the main player 3m plays while sitting. Therefore, when placing a bet, he extends his arm 15a toward the game table 2 at a low angle.

[0063] That is, the information processing device 12 determines that the arm 15 with the smallest angle 19 obtained by the above method is the arm 15a of the main player 3m, and the arm 15 with the large angle 19 is the arm 15b of the back bet player 3b. Furthermore, the determination may be based on other factors.

[0064] For the purpose of explanation, the object that the information processing device 12 recognizes in the captured image 11d is the arm 15, but the object to be recognized does not have to be the arm 15 of the player 3, and may be any part of the body or clothing other than the arm.

[0065] As an example of recognizing a body part other than an arm, for example, a photograph may be taken so that the body of the player 3 is also included in the photographed image 11. In this case, the body of the main player 3m sitting in a chair is recognized, and then the arm 15 extending from the body is recognized. Then, the arm 15 recognizes the stack 80 on which the player 3m has bet, and the stack 80 is identified as belonging to the main player 3m. The back betting player 3b is identified in the same way.

[0066] When players 3 bet gaming chips 8 in a game, one player 3 may bet gaming chips 8 in multiple stacks 80. Even in such a case, the game system 1 of this example is capable of determining whether the multiple stacks 80 belong to the same player 3. This will be explained below with reference to FIG. 7.

[0067] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a captured image 11e of a fifth example generated by the camera 10 capturing an image of the betting area 6. The captured image 11e illustrates portions of the betting areas 6a and 6b. The betting area 6 includes two stacks 80c and 80d, both of which are placed in the TIE area 7c. Based on the captured image 11e, the information processing device 12 measures the distance between the stacks 80c and 80d bet on the same betting object 7. This distance may be a distance within the captured image 11e, or may be a distance converted from the distance in the captured image 11e into a distance in real space. Based on the obtained distance, the information processing device 12 determines whether the stacks 80c and 80d belong to the same player 3.

[0068] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a captured image 11f of a sixth example generated by the camera 10 capturing an image of the betting area 6. A specific determination method will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 and 8. In FIG. 7, two stacks 80c and 80d are placed close to each other. In this case, the information processing device 12 determines that the distance between the stack 80c and the stack 80d is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and determines that these two stacks 80c and 80d belong to the same player 3. On the other hand, in the captured image 11f of the sixth example in FIG. 8, two stacks 80 are placed far from each other. In this case, the information processing device 12 determines that the distance between the stack 80e and the stack 80f is larger than a predetermined threshold, and determines that these two stacks 80e and 80f belong to different players 3. That is, the information processing device 12 determines whether multiple stacks 80 belong to the same player 3 based on the distances between the multiple stacks 80. The distance between the stacks 80 that the information processing device 12 uses as a basis for determination may be any distance.

[0069] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a captured image 11g of a seventh example generated by the camera 10 by capturing an image of the betting area 6. A determination method when three stacks 80 are bet on the same betting object 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 9. In FIG. 9, three stacks are placed in the TIE area 7c. Stack 80g and stack 80h are placed close to each other, and stack 80i is placed farther away. In this case, the information processing device 12 uses the distance between stack 80g and stack 80h and between stack 80h and stack 80i as the basis for determination. In other words, the information processing device 12 determines that stacks 80g and 80h have been bet on by one player 3, and stack 80i has been bet on by the other player 3. The distances used as the basis for determination by the information processing device 12 may be any distance.

[0070] Although two stacks 80 are illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 and three stacks 80 are illustrated in FIG. 9, the number of stacks 80 may be four or more.

[0071] In the above-described determination by the information processing device 12, whether multiple stacks 80 are main bets or back bets is determined based on one captured image for each stack. However, the information processing device 12 may make the determination based on multiple captured images. The camera 10 provided in the game system 1 captures images of the betting area 6 at regular intervals to generate captured images. The captured images can be obtained in chronological order. Therefore, when multiple stacks 80 are placed in the same betting area 6, the information processing device 12 can also determine whether the multiple stacks 80 belong to the same player 3 based on the captured images obtained in chronological order.

[0072] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing six photographed images 11h1 to 11h6 obtained in time series, numbered 1 to 6. A specific determination method based on multiple photographed images will be described with reference to FIG. 10. Photographed images 11h1 and 11h2 show a first player 3 about to place multiple gaming chips 8 in the betting area 6. Photographed image 11h3 shows a first player 3 placing multiple gaming chips 8 in the BANKER PAIR area 7b of the betting area 6 and placing a bet on the BANKER PAIR area 7b. Photographed images 11h4 and 11h5 show a second player 3 about to place multiple gaming chips 8 in the betting area 6. Photographed image 11h6 shows a second player 3 placing multiple gaming chips 8 in the TIE area 7c of the betting area 6 and placing a bet on the TIE area 7c. In addition, photographed image 11h6 shows a stack 80 created by a bet made by a first player 3 and a stack 80 created by a bet made by a second player 3, with multiple stacks 80 existing in the same betting area 6.

[0073] For example, if the casino sets a rule that a back bet is placed after a main bet and a game is played under this rule, and six captured images 11h1 to 11h6 are obtained, the information processing device 12 determines that the gaming chips 8 bet by the first player 3 are the stack 80 of the main player 3m, and that the gaming chips 8 bet by the second player 3 are the stack 80 of the back bet player 3b.

[0074] Although one rule has been given in the explanation, the casino may set any rule as long as it is a rule that can distinguish between the back bet player 3b and the main player 3m.

[0075] It should be noted that the main player 3m and the back bet player 3b may each bet multiple stacks 80. In this case, if the bet order is simply considered, the second stack 80 bet by the main player 3m is determined to be a bet by the back bet player 3b. Therefore, in order to determine whether the second or subsequent stacks 80 are bets by the main player 3m or back bets by the back bet player 3b, the information processing device 12 may make the following determination.

[0076] The camera 10 continuously captures a plurality of images and provides the captured images 11 in chronological order to the information processing device 12. If another stack 80 is bet within a predetermined time (for example, within two seconds) after the first stack 80 is bet, the information processing device 12 determines that these stacks 80 are bets made by the same player. In this way, for example, if there are three stacks 80 in the same betting area 6, it can be determined whether the second stack 80 is bet by the main player 3m or by the back bet player 3b.

[0077] Note that even when there are multiple stacks 80 in the same betting area 6, they may all have been bet by the main player 3m. In this case, the information processing device 12 may recognize that the first stack and the second stack have been bet by the same player if the second stack 80 has been bet within a predetermined time after the first stack 80 has been bet, and may recognize that the second stack and the third stack have been bet by the same player if the third stack has been bet within a predetermined time after the second stack has been bet.

[0078] Furthermore, when there are multiple stacks 80 in the same betting area 6, the information processing device 12 may determine whether those stacks 80 have been bet by the same player based on the amounts and numbers of gaming chips 8 in those stacks 80. For example, when there is a stack 80 of ten $10,000 chips (totaling $100,000) and a stack 80 of two $1,000 chips, it may be determined that those stacks have been bet by different players. This is because it is unlikely that a player who bets $100,000 would then bet another $1,000 for a total of $101,000. In this case, the information processing device 12 may recognize the stack 80 with the larger amount as the stack bet by the main player.

[0079] 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of a game system 20 according to a second example of an embodiment of the present invention. In addition to the components of the game system 1 according to the first example (see FIG. 1), the game system 20 according to the second example includes a player identification system 21 that identifies a main player 3m, a database 22 that stores information about the player 3 and the gaming chips 8 in association with each other, and an update device 23 that stores information about the gaming chips 8 determined to be the stack 80 of the main player 3m in association with the player 3 identified as the main player 3m in the database 22.

[0080] With the above configuration, it becomes possible to manage at least the gaming chips 8 of the main player 3m in the database 22. Furthermore, the player identification system 21 may be configured to identify the back bet player 3b.

[0081] The player identification system 21 includes an image recognition system 24 consisting of a camera 10 and an image recognition device, and a card authentication system 25 consisting of a card and a card reader, but may include only one of them.

[0082] The camera 10 captures an image of the face of the player 3 and outputs the captured image to an image recognition device. The image recognition device is equipped with a face recognition engine using a neural network that has learned the face images of multiple pre-registered players 3 (hereinafter, the registered players 3 are also referred to as "members"). The image recognition device inputs the image from the camera 10 into the neural network, thereby identifying which registered member the input face image belongs to. If the image recognition device determines that the image from the camera 10 does not belong to any of the registered members, it outputs a result indicating that the face image belongs to a non-member.

[0083] Furthermore, the camera 10 may capture images other than the face of the player 3, and may be configured to associate, for example, information about the clothing and physical characteristics of the captured image of the player 3 with information about the face of the player 3.

[0084] The card reader scans the member's card handed to the dealer by player 3 and reads the information stored on the member's card. The member's card is a magnetic card with a magnetic stripe that stores at least the user ID of player 3 (member). When the dealer receives the member's card from player 3, he scans the member's card using the card reader and inputs into the card reader the position at which player 3 will play (hereinafter referred to as the "play position"). The card reader outputs the user ID read from the member's card and the area ID of the play position input by the dealer.

[0085] It is also possible to configure the system so that the information on the member's card is linked to whether each player is a main player 3m or a back bet player 3b.

[0086] Note that the player identification system 21 may only identify the player 3 by either the facial authentication system or by reading the member's card. In other words, a registered member does not necessarily need to identify the player 3 by the member's card when he or she reaches a playing position; in that case, the player 3 is identified only by the facial authentication system. Also, even if the face of the player 3 cannot be photographed properly and facial authentication is not possible, the player 3 may be identified by the member's card. Furthermore, the player 3 may be identified by both facial authentication and the member's card.

[0087] The information on the gaming chips 8 may be value information or identification information of the gaming chips 8, or other information. By knowing such information, it becomes possible to know which player 3 has received a certain amount of gaming chips 8 redemption, how many gaming chips 8 have been collected by the dealer, and further how many gaming chips 8 each player 3 possesses (the amount possessed) as a result of the redemption or collection.

[0088] It should be noted that the gaming system described above is intended to be used for baccarat, but may also be used for blackjack in the same manner.

[0089] The above-described embodiments disclose the following. (Appendix 1) a table having a betting area in which a plurality of types of betting objects are laid out; a camera that takes an image of the table and generates a captured image; an information processing device that identifies, based on the photographed image, on which bet object the stack of gaming chips is bet, based on a position of the stack of gaming chips in the photographed image; Equipped with The information processing device further determines in which of a plurality of small areas set within the betting object the stack is located.

[0090] (Appendix 2) a table having a betting area in which a plurality of types of betting objects are laid out; a camera that takes an image of the table and generates a captured image; an information processing device that identifies, based on the photographed image, on which bet object the stack of gaming chips is bet, based on a position of the stack of gaming chips in the photographed image; Equipped with The information processing device has a map that defines the betting objects in a table coordinate system set on the surface of the table, and identifies which betting object the stack is betting on by converting the position of the stack in the captured image to the table coordinate system and mapping the converted position to the map. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 1. Game System 2 Game Tables 3 players 3m Main Player 3b Back Bet Player 6 Betting Area 7 Betting Eligible 7a PLAYER PAIR Area 7b BANKER PAIR area 7c TIE Area 7d PLAYER WIN Area 7e BANKER WIN Area 8 Gaming Chips 80 stacks 10 Camera 11 Photographed images 12 Information processing equipment 15 Arms 15a Main player's arm 15b Backbet Player's Arm 20 Game System 21 Player Identification System 22 Databases 23 Update device

Claims

1. a table having a betting area in which a plurality of types of betting objects are laid out; a camera that takes an image of the table and generates a captured image; an information processing device that identifies, based on the photographed image, on which bet object the stack of gaming chips is bet, based on a position of the stack of gaming chips in the photographed image; Equipped with The information processing device, when multiple stacks of gaming chips are bet on the same betting area, determines, based on the captured image, which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

2. 2. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device determines which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the relative positions of the plurality of stacks bet on the same betting area.

3. 2. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device determines which stack is the stack of a main player and which stack is the stack of a back bet player based on a positional relationship between the stack and the bet object on which the stack is bet.

4. the camera photographs a player betting a stack of gaming chips; 2. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device recognizes, in the captured image, each player who has bet the plurality of stacks bet in the same betting area, and determines, based on the recognition result, which stack is the stack of the main player and which stack is the stack of the back bet player.

5. 5. The gaming system according to claim 4, wherein the information processing device recognizes, in the captured image, a part of the body or a part of the clothing of each player who has bet the plurality of stacks bet in the same betting area, and determines which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the recognition result of the part of the body or the part of the clothing.

6. The gaming system described in claim 5, wherein the information processing device identifies which player's body part or clothing part the recognized body part or clothing part belongs to, and based on the identification result, determines which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

7. The gaming system according to claim 5, wherein the information processing device determines the direction of the recognized body part or clothing part, and based on the determination result, determines which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack.

8. The gaming system according to claim 1 , wherein the information processing device determines whether or not a plurality of stacks bet on the same betting area belong to the same player, based on the captured image.

9. The game system according to claim 8 , wherein the information processing device determines whether the plurality of stacks belong to the same player based on the distances between the plurality of stacks.

10. 2. The gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the information processing device determines which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the plurality of photographed images obtained in time series.

11. The gaming system according to claim 10, wherein the information processing device determines which stack is the main player's stack and which stack is the back bet player's stack based on the order in which multiple stacks bet on the same betting area were bet.

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