System, Chip Tray, and Method

Abstract

To provide a system, chip tray, and method for changing an amount of storage for various kinds of gaming chips.SOLUTION: A chip tray system can include multiple chip tube components. A first chip tube component in the chip tray can include multiple gaming chip storage rows corresponding to a first size of gaming chips. A second chip tube component in the chip tray can include multiple gaming chip storage rows corresponding to a second size of gaming chips. A first edge of the first chip tube component can be coupled to a second edge of the second chip tube component.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Cross - reference to related applications

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62 / 743,451, filed on October 9, 2018, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a novel system having a gaming chip storage row, a chip tray, and a method for storing gaming chips. Background

[0003] A chip tray can be used to store gaming chips used by dealers in gambling games. The chip tray can store gaming chips of different denominations in a safe place. The chip tray can be made from various materials including plastic and metal.

[0004] Over the past 20 years, the casino industry has used RFID technology to protect and track currency products, also called plaques and chips, which are tokens with a face value to enable gambling and payouts. RFID tags provide a unique identifier for each item and typically include ROM memory for storing specific information about the currency product. The chips are stored in some trays on the gaming table. For large gambling games such as baccarat, casinos use two - tier chip trays. By using RFID on the tags, casinos can maintain a live inventory of these floats. The opening and closing mechanism of these two - tier floats is generally based on two handles and is difficult to open when there are many chips in the float (up to 2000 chips) because there is no assistance. Summary

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a system, a chip tray, and a method for changing the storage capacity of various types of gaming chips.

[0006] One aspect of the present disclosure is a system including a first chip tube component including at least one first gaming chip storage row corresponding to a first size of a gaming chip, and a second chip tube component including at least one second gaming chip storage row corresponding to a second size of the gaming chip, wherein a first end of the first chip tube component is coupled to a second end of the second chip tube component.

[0007] One aspect of the present disclosure is a chip tray including a first chip tube component including at least one first gaming chip storage row corresponding to a first size of a gaming chip, and a second chip tube component including at least one second gaming chip storage row corresponding to a second size of the gaming chip, wherein a first edge of the first chip tube component is coupled to a second edge of the second chip tube component.

[0008] One aspect of the present disclosure is a method including coupling a first chip tube component to a second chip tube component, coupling a third chip tube component to the second chip tube component to form a plurality of coupled chip components, and disposing the plurality of coupled chip components within a housing.

[0009] In the case of the two handles, the openings are not synchronized. The present invention consists of providing a mechanism for assisting in the opening of the upper tray in a guided manner without creating a risk of maintenance problems.

[0010] This mechanism is based on three principles. - A single bar that connects the left and right sides of the tray and opens it. Importantly, it has a mechanism that connects the left and right sides to provide a guided opening. - A lever mechanism for reducing the effort when opening. - A spring coupled to the lever system to assist in initiating the movement when opening and closing the tray.

[0011] In such a system, one hand can open the tray and the other hand can remove chips from the bottom tray. This function saves the dealer's time while holding high-value chips in the protected area of the bottom tray.

[0012] The present invention also has a plurality of compartments in the tray and can thus provide the possibility of opening only a part of the upper tray. In this way, access to some compartments can also be blocked by an access control device.

[0013] By integrating sensors, it becomes possible to ensure software control of the opening, traceability, and the safety of the contents of the float.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014] To more fully understand the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages, the following description will be made with reference to the accompanying drawings briefly described below.

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[0036] The drawings show only exemplary embodiments, and since other equally valid embodiments are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure, the scope described herein should not be considered limiting. The elements and features shown in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale; instead, emphasis is placed on clearly showing the principles of the embodiments. Additionally, specific dimensions may be exaggerated to help visually convey specific principles. In the drawings, like reference numerals between figures indicate similar or corresponding, but not necessarily identical, elements.

[0037] In the following paragraphs, embodiments will be described in further detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description, well-known components, methods, and / or processing techniques are omitted or briefly described so as not to obscure the embodiments. As used herein, "the present disclosure" refers to any one of the embodiments described herein and any equivalents thereof. Further, reference to various features of "embodiments of the present disclosure" does not imply that all embodiments must include the referenced features.

[0038] Among the embodiments, some aspects of the present disclosure are implemented by a computer program executed by one or more processors, as described and illustrated. As will be apparent to those 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 intended to be limited to a particular set or sequence of instructions executed by a processor.

[0039] The embodiments described in this specification are not applicable to the details described in the following description or limited to the details illustrated in the drawings. The disclosed subject matter is capable of being implemented in other embodiments and can be practiced or carried out in various ways. Also, the expressions and terms used in this specification are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of "including", "comprising", or "having" and their variations as used in this specification means including the items, additional items, and their equivalents described thereafter. The terms "connected" and "coupled" are used in a broad sense and include both direct and indirect connections and couplings. Further, the terms "connected" and "coupled" are not limited to electrical, physical, or mechanical connections or couplings. As used in this specification, the terms "machine", "computer", "server", and "workstation" are not limited to devices having a single processor, but can include a plurality of devices (e.g., computers) linked within a system, devices having a plurality of processors, special-purpose devices, devices having various peripheral devices and input / output devices, software functioning as a computer or server, and combinations of the above.

[0040] As used herein, the term gaming chip can include any chip, plaque, jetton, or other gaming currency that can be used in a casino, gaming room, or digital game. Each gaming chip can represent a predetermined value or a non-determined value. Gaming chips can be made from a rigid plastic material or clay to obtain a structure strong enough to resist the conditions of use in a casino. Gaming chips can be used throughout the casino. For example, at a gaming table, gaming chips can be received at the end of a play or hand, cash can be received and gaming chips can be paid out (bought in), and gaming chips can be paid out during play. In a cashier area, gaming chips can be received and cash can be paid out (cashed out). Alternatively, cash can be received and gaming chips can be paid out (bought in).

[0041] <First Embodiment> Turning now to the drawings, exemplary embodiments are described in detail. Referring to FIG. 1, shown is a gaming table 100 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Gaming table 100 includes a chip tray 103 among other components. Chip tray 103 can include one or more chip tube components 106, such as chip tube components 106a, 106b, and 106c. The housing of chip tray 103 can include a lockable lid 109.

[0042] The housing of chip tray 103 can include a lockable lid 109 to restrict access to chip tray 103. When the gambling game is operating, lid 109 can be completely removed. Similarly, when the gambling table is open, lid 109 can be unlocked so that an employee can lift the lid if desired. When the gambling game is closed, lid 109 can be locked.

[0043] Referring to FIG. 2, a networked environment 103 according to various embodiments is shown. The networked environment 103 includes a computing environment 203, one or more gaming table devices 206 disposed within 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, a wide area network (WAN), a local area network (LAN), a wired network, a wireless network, or other suitable network, etc., or any combination thereof. For example, such a network may be composed of a satellite network, a cable network, an Ethernet network, and other types of networks.

[0044] The computing environment 203 can include, for example, a server computer or any other system that provides computing capabilities. Alternatively, the computing environment 203 may employ, for example, one or more server banks or computer banks or a plurality of computing devices that may be arranged in other configurations. Such computing devices may be arranged in a single installation location or may be distributed across many different geographical locations. For example, the computing environment 203 may include a plurality of computing devices that may together constitute host computing resources, grid computing resources, and / or any other distributed computing arrangement. In some embodiments, the computing environment 203 may correspond to elastic computing resources where the allocated capacity of processing, network, storage, or other computing-related resources changes over time.

[0045] In accordance with various embodiments, various applications and / or other functions may be executed in computing environment 203. Also, various data is stored in data store 215 accessible to computing environment 203. Data store 215 may be representative of a plurality of data stores 215, as may be understood. The data stored in data store 215 is associated with the operation of various applications and / or functional entities described below, for example. Data store 215 can include currency data 218 and gaming data 221 among other data.

[0046] Components executed on computing environment 203 include, for example, gaming service 227 and other applications, services, processes, systems, engines, or functions not discussed in detail herein. Gaming service 227 is executed to recognize gaming chips used on one or more tables 206. As an example, during a gambling game, a stack of gaming chips can be placed at various positions on gaming table 100. One or more images of gaming table 100 can be taken, and gaming service 227 can identify one or more stacks of gaming chips in the image, count the gaming chips within each stack, and evaluate the denominations of the gaming chips. It will be understood that some or all of the functions described in relation to gaming service 227 can be executed on gaming table device 206, which includes a computing device of gaming table 100.

[0047] Currency data 218 can include a list of all active gaming chips, including any identifiers associated with the gaming chips, such as RFID tag identifiers, barcode identifiers, visual features including color information, and other identifiers. Gaming data 221 can store a history of received sensor inputs and any configuration, calibration, and control settings.

[0048] Gaming table 100 is representative of a plurality of gaming tables that can be coupled to network 212. Gaming table device 206 can include one or more computing devices having a processor-based system such as, for example, a computer system. Such a computer system may be embodied in the form of an embedded computing device or other device having similar capabilities. Gaming table 100 can include one or more cameras 230, one or more sensors 233, chip tray 103, one or more bet spots 239, chip recycling device 242, and bill validator 245.

[0049] Similar to camera 209, camera 230 can capture an image of the surface of gaming table 100. Gaming table device 206 or camera 230 can transmit the image to gaming service 227 via network 212. The 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 cameras 209, 230 from various angles. Sensors 233 can include, for example, RFID antennas, video barcode scanners, weighing scales, and the like. Sensors 233 can be used to identify gaming chips played on the gaming table.

[0050] Gaming service 227 can verify RFID currency based on information read from sensor 233 which is an RFID antenna. The RFID antenna can be disposed at each of chip tray 103, bet spot 239, chip recycling device 242, and other locations. Gaming table device 206 can use the RFID antenna to read an RFID tag from an RFID-enabled gaming chip. Information from the RFID tag can be stored along with data related to the RFID antenna having read the RFID tag. For example, identifiers from one or more RFID-enabled gaming chips can be read by the RFID antenna at a particular bet spot 239.

[0051] Referring to FIG. 3, shown is a chip tray 103 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. The chip tray 103 can include a storage rack for storing gaming chips. The chip tray 103 can be placed on a gaming table for safely storing casino gaming chips. The chip tray 103 can be used by employees such as dealers and managers.

[0052] Gaming chips can have different shapes and sizes for different reasons. As an example, the size and shape of gaming chips can vary based on the denomination. The category of population that the gaming chips are targeted at can affect the size and shape. For example, gaming chips targeted at the mass market, very important persons (VIPs), premium, and other categories can have various sizes and shapes.

[0053] Casino operators can have preferences regarding the layout of the chip tray 103 used. The preferences can depend on various factors including the history and location of the casino. Most casinos adapt or customize the chip tray 103 according to the needs of the gambling games and the currency of the exact location. In the case of injection-molded chip trays 103, if such customization involves changing the layout of the storage areas within the chip tray 103, new injection molds may be required, which can significantly increase the manufacturing cost.

[0054] For a casino, it may be important to know the current amount and number of gaming chips in chip tray 103 in order to manage, for example, the rotation rate of gaming tables, fills and credits at gaming tables, and the opening and closing of gaming tables. A casino operator can visually confirm the number of gaming chips. However, this is unrealistic and may take time. In other embodiments, when RFID-enabled chips and plaques are used, a casino operator can utilize an RFID chip tray.

[0055] Regardless of whether it is equipped with RFID, in the case of chip tray 103, the customization required can include the number of rows and the configuration of each row, and can include specific manufacturing tools such as new designs and molds to accommodate the customized design. The customized configuration can include configurations such as defining the overall capacity of the chip tray, defining the diameter of gaming chips stored in different columns, and defining the shape of the gaming chips. The shape of the gaming chips can be rectangular if the casino operator wants to accommodate larger rectangular plaques.

[0056] A casino operator may store high denominations in the middle column of chip tray 103 and low denominations in the outer column of chip tray 103. Gaming chips with higher denominations can have a larger diameter, for example 45 millimeters (mm) or 48 millimeters (mm). Gaming chips with lower denominations can have a smaller diameter such as 39 millimeters (mm) or 40 millimeters (mm). Such diameter variations help to differentiate the gaming chips and prevent mistakes when stacking the gaming chips.

[0057] To facilitate the customization of the chip tray 103, the configuration of the chip tube component 106 can be made changeable. This chip tube component system can reduce design costs and tooling costs, and can provide a solution for easily and quickly changing the configuration of the trays on a group of tables. The chip tray 103 is developed to be scalable and modular. In some embodiments, the chip tray 103 is RFID-compatible.

[0058] The chip tray 103 can have a fixed width. A housing with a fixed size can also be used. In some embodiments, a set of housings with a fixed width and a fixed size can be used to enable larger and smaller chip trays 103 based on preference. The chip tray 103 can be assembled using the chip tube component 106 that can include the tube 303. Each of the tubes 303 can be configured to hold a specific shape and size of gaming chips, which can include, for example, circular, rectangular, or other shaped gaming chips.

[0059] The chip tray 103 can include a base structure 306 for providing support to the chip tube component 106 and a trim cover 309. In some embodiments, the trim cover 309 can be detachably coupled to the base structure 306 to fix the chip tube component 106 in a predetermined position. As an example, the tabs on the trim cover 309 can click into slots on the base structure 306 to hold the trim cover 309 in a predetermined position. The trim cover 309 can cover the outer edge of the chip tube component 106 to hold the chip tube component 106 in a predetermined position.

[0060] The chip tube component 106 can have one or more tubes 303, and each tube 303 is called a gaming chip storage row. The casino operator can assemble the chip tube component 106 to fill the available space. The chip tray can be customized based on the current needs of the casino. In some embodiments, the weight of the gaming chips can be used to fix the chip tube component 106 in a predetermined position. The ends of the chip tube component 106 can be joined to fix the chip tube component 106 in a predetermined position. In some embodiments, the edges of adjacent chip tube components 106 can be locked together based on the shape of the edges.

[0061] In one embodiment, each chip tube component 106 has two to three gaming chip storage rows 303, and the chip tray 100 can have a total of twelve to sixteen gaming chip storage rows 303 by assembling one or more chip tube components 106. The gaming chip storage row can be configured to store round gaming chips with diameters of 35mm, 40mm, 41mm, 45mm, or other sizes. The gaming chip storage row can be configured to hold rectangular gaming chips with a diameter of 85mm or other sizes. Different gaming tables 100 on the casino floor can have chip tube components 106 with different configurations arranged on their respective chip trays 103. Further, the chip trays 103 of each gaming table 100 can be quickly and easily changed to accommodate different chip tube components 106.

[0062] Referring to FIG. 4, an exploded view of selected components 400 of an exemplary chip tray 103 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The components 400 include chip tube components 106a, 106b, and 106c, spacer components 403 and 406, an RFID antenna 409, a base 412, and potentially other components.

[0063] The chip tube components 106a-c can be assembled together to span the fixed width of the chip tray 103. The spacer parts 403 and 406 can be used to fill the remaining space so as to span the entire fixed width. The width of each chip tube part 106 may be based on the size of the gaming chips housed within each chip tube and the number of chip tubes. In various embodiments, since various chip tube parts 106 of various fixed sizes are selectable, the span of the assembled chip tube parts 106 may not be precisely set to fit within the fixed span of the chip tray 103. Therefore, there may be a gap between the side of the chip tray 103 and the chip tube parts 106. The spacer members 403, 406 can be coupled to the sides of the chip tube parts 106 to facilitate an exact fit.

[0064] One or more RFID antennas 409 can be disposed under the chip tube parts 106. In some embodiments, the RFID antenna 409 is installed within the gaming table 100 under the base 412 of the housing for the chip tray 103. The RFID antenna 409 can be covered to protect the RFID antenna 409 from damage when the chip tray 103 is inserted into the gaming table 100. Also, the RFID antenna 409 may be locked to the gaming table 100 for security reasons to prevent tampering.

[0065] The RFID antenna 409 can be configured to read gaming chips disposed within the chip tube component 106 via the gaming service 227 (FIG. 2). The result of the reading can be displayed to the dealer on a display indicating the quantity and value of the gaming chips in the chip tray 103. The display can also include an authentication result indicating whether all of the read gaming chips were successfully authenticated. In some embodiments, the display can include one or more indicators, such as LED indicators, on the table indicating the success or failure of the reading or authentication. In some embodiments, the chip tray 103 can include a shield when one or more RFID antennas are being used.

[0066] Referring to FIG. 5, an exploded view of selected components 500 of an exemplary chip tray 103 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The components 500 include chip tube components 106d, 106e, and 106f, spacer components 403 and 406, and potentially other components. The chip tube component 106 can have a coupling edge on a first side and a coupling edge on a second side opposite the first side. The coupling edges can be configured to mate with each other at the junction 503. In some embodiments, the coupling edges can prevent the adjacent chip tube components 106 from being severed unless the chip tube components 106 slide in opposite directions along the coupling edges facing each other. The shown coupling edges correspond to a hook mechanism, but in other embodiments, other types of edge joints, such as a tong and groove joint, a finger joint, or other types of edge joints, can be used. As shown, the spacer members 403, 406 can also include coupling edges for edge coupling with adjacent chip tube components 106.

[0067] Referring to FIG. 6, an exemplary chip tube component 106 according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The chip tube component 106 can include one or more tubes 303a - 303c. The chip tube component 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 a coupling edge for coupling to front and rear spacer components, similar to spacer components 403 and 406.

[0068] The chip tube component 106 can be created using a 3D printer or any other manufacturing process for plastic and metal materials. By way of example, material removal or machining can be used to form the chip tube component 106. Also, the chip tube component 106 may be molded or injection molded.

[0069] To facilitate the configuration of each chip tray 103, a catalog of chip tube components 106 can be provided to the casino operator. When RFID is utilized, one or more RFID antennas and potentially a shielding plate can be placed under the chip tube component 106. The RFID antennas and the shielding plate can be made to cover the full width away from the tray, regardless of the configuration of the chip tube component 106.

[0070] Referring to FIG. 7, a top view of a portion 700 of an exemplary gaming chip storage row 303d according to various embodiments of the present disclosure is shown. The chip tube component 106 can include one or more gaming chip storage rows 303d. The gaming chip storage row 303d can hold one or more rectangular plaques within a space 703. The edge 706 can provide a space for a finger to reach out and grasp the plaque while providing horizontal support for the plaque.

[0071] Turning to FIG. 8, an exemplary hardware diagram of a computing device 800 is shown. The gaming service 227 may be partially implemented using one or more elements of the computing device 800. The computing device 800 can include one or more of a processor 810, a random access memory (“RAM”) 820, a read only memory (“ROM”) 830, a memory device 840, a network interface 850, and an input / output (“I / O”) interface 860. The elements of the computing device 800 are communicatively coupled via a bus 802.

[0072] Processor 810 can include a computing processor, an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), or other types of hardware or software processors. RAM and ROM 820 and 830 can include memory for storing computer-readable instructions executed by processor 810. Memory device 830 stores therein computer-readable instructions that, when executed by processor 810, direct processor 810 to perform various aspects of the present disclosure described herein. If processor 810 includes an ASIC, the processes described herein may be performed by the ASIC, by firmware of the ASIC, or by both the integrated circuit design and firmware of the ASIC, in accordance with the integrated circuit design of the ASIC. As a non-limiting exemplary group, storage device 830 can comprise one or more of an optical disk, a magnetic disk, a semiconductor memory (i.e., semiconductor, floating gate, or similar flash-based memory), magnetic tape memory, removable memory, combinations thereof, or any other known storage means for storing computer-readable instructions. Network interface 850 can include a hardware interface for communicating over a data network. I / O interface 860 can include device input / output interfaces such as a keyboard, a pointing device, a display, a communication, and other interfaces. Bus 802 can electrically and communicatively couple processor 810, RAM 820, ROM 830, memory device 840, network interface 850, and I / O interface 860, enabling data and instructions to be communicated therebetween.

[0073] In operation, the processor 810 is configured to obtain computer-readable instructions stored in the memory device 840, the RAM 820, the ROM 830, or another storage means, and copy the computer-readable instructions to the RAM 820 or the ROM 830 for execution, for example. The processor 810 is further configured to execute computer-readable instructions to implement various aspects and features of the present disclosure. For example, the processor 810 may be adapted and configured to execute the processes described above with reference to FIG. 2, including the processes described as being executed by the gaming service 227. Also, the storage device 840 may store the data stored in the database 215.

[0074] <Second Embodiment> FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the chip tray 104 according to the second embodiment. The chip tray 1004 is a double chip tray composed of an upper tray 1041 and a lower tray 1042. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of the chip tray 104 with the lower tray 1042 open, and FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view of the chip tray 104 with the upper tray 1041 housed in the lower tray 1042.

[0075] The lower chip tray 1042 has a rectangular parallelepiped shape with an open upper surface, and chip tube parts 106 are arranged side by side on the lower surface inside thereof. The upper chip tray 1041 has a tray shape with an open upper surface, and chip tube parts 106 are arranged side by side on the bottom surface inside thereof. The upper chip tray 1041 can be housed in the lower chip tray 1042 from above the chips housed in the lower chip tray 1042.

[0076] 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 obliquely upward from the lower tray 1042 while maintaining the posture of the upper tray 1041, and the upper surface of the lower tray 1042 can be opened.

[0077] Although illustration is omitted, an RFID antenna for reading an RFID tag embedded in a gaming chip stored in the upper tray 1041 is provided on the lower surface of the upper tray 1041, and an RFID antenna for reading an RFID tag embedded in a gaming chip stored in the lower tray 1042 is also provided on the lower surface of the lower tray 1042. Note that, in order to prevent the RFID antenna of the upper tray 1041 from reading the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the lower tray 1042, or the RFID antenna of the lower tray 1042 from reading the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the upper tray 1041, a shield for blocking electromagnetic waves from the RFID antenna, or a jamming antenna for generating electromagnetic waves for partially canceling or weakening the electromagnetic waves from the RFID antenna may be used.

[0078] FIG. 12 is a perspective view of a chip tube component (for small circular chips) according to the present embodiment, FIG. 13 is a perspective view of a chip tube component (for large circular chips) according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 14 is a perspective view of a chip tube component (for plaques) according to the present embodiment. Each chip tube component is constituted by one gaming chip storage row. The chip tube component 106 for small circular chips, the chip tube component 106 for large circular chips, and the chip tube component 106 for plaques have different widths corresponding to the sizes of the gaming chips stored therein, respectively.

[0079] One side of the side surface of each chip tube component 106 is a flat surface. When the chip tube components 106 are joined, these flat surfaces contact each other, and no gap is formed between the side surfaces. As described above, when adjacent chip tube components 106 are joined to each other at the right and left ends, the chip tube components 106 adjacent in the vertical direction at the joint portion do not overlap each other. Therefore, by removing the fixing L-shaped angle 1051 described later, each chip tube component 106 can be independently attached to and detached from the upper tray 1041 or the lower tray 1042 separately from other chip tube components 106, and each chip tube component 106 can be attached to and detached from the upper tray 1041 or the lower tray 1042.

[0080] In each of the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042, the chip tube components 106 are arranged in a slightly inclined state such that the front end is on the upper side and the rear end is on the lower side. Further, the chip tube components 106 for the upper tray 1041 are formed to be shorter in the longitudinal direction than the chip tube components for the lower tray 1042.

[0081] At the front end portion and the rear end portion in the longitudinal direction of the chip tube component 106, holding flanges 1061 and 1062 are respectively formed. The holding flange 1062 at the rear end fits into the lock grooves 1045 and 1046 respectively formed in the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042. The front end portion of the chip tube component 106 is fixed to the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042 by a fixing L-shaped angle 1051 that holds the flange 1061 at the front end portion from above. Also, the fixing L-shaped angle 1051 is fixed to the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042 respectively by screws 1052.

[0082] The front end portion and the rear end portion of the chip tube component 106 are open. In a state where the chip tube component 106 is mounted on the upper tray 1041 or the lower tray 1042, the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042 support the plane of the gaming chip in the inclined direction.

[0083] <Third Embodiment> FIG. 15 is a perspective view of the chip tray 108 according to the third embodiment. Similar to the second embodiment, the chip tray 108 of this embodiment is a double chip tray including an upper tray 1081 and a lower tray 1082. The chip tray 108 further includes a recovered chip tube component 107. The recovered chip tube component 107 is a kind of chip tube component 106 and has a plurality of (two) tubes 303. The recovered chip tube component 107 is a tray for temporarily storing chips recovered from a player who lost the game.

[0084] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the chip tray 108. As shown in FIG. 16, the recovered chip tube component 107 is fitted into the lower tray 1082 so as to be horizontal with the upper tray 1081 accommodated in the lower tray 1082. A space is provided below the recovered chip tube component 107, and a camera (not shown) is arranged in the space.

[0085] As shown in FIG. 16, spacer members 407 are provided at both ends in the arrangement direction of the chip tube component 106 of the lower tray 1041. By using such spacer members 407, chip tube components 106 with different widths, such as the chip tube component 106 for circular gaming chips and the chip tube component 106 for plaques, can be combined in any number and arranged in the lower tray 1081. Also, in the upper tray 1081, by using the spacer members 407, the chip tube component 106 for circular gaming chips and the chip tube component 106 for plaques can be combined in any number and arranged in the same manner.

[0086] FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the recovery chip tube component 107, and FIG. 18 is a cross-sectional view of the recovery chip tube component 107. Each tube 303 of the recovery chip tube component 107 is formed with a slit 1071 in the tube longitudinal direction (i.e., the stacking direction of the gaming chips). A camera disposed below the recovery chip tube component 107 photographs the side surface of the gaming chip exposed from the slit 1071. A plurality of mirrors are provided between the camera and the slit 1071, and illumination light for illuminating the slit 1071 is also provided. The plurality of mirrors guide the reflected light from the slit 1071 illuminated by the illumination light to the lens of the camera.

[0087] The gaming chips used in this embodiment have stripe-shaped patterns formed on their side surfaces in the thickness direction. The stripe patterns are formed by sandwiching a colored layer with a common color layer. The color of the colored layer is set for each denomination (value) of the gaming chip. More specifically, the color of the colored layer represents the denomination of the gaming chip. The common color is commonly used for chips having different denominations. According to the above configuration, when the gaming chips are stacked, the colored layers for discriminating the denominations are not adjacent to each other, and the denomination of each gaming chip can be discriminated for each gaming chip.

[0088] The arithmetic unit 800 specifies the denomination of each of the gaming chips stored in the recovery chip tube component 107 by performing image analysis on the captured image of the camera. Note that an RFID antenna may be provided in the recovery chip tube component 107, and the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the recovery chip tube component 107 may be read by the RFID antenna. At this time, the arithmetic unit 800 may compare the denomination obtained from the captured image of the camera with the denomination obtained by reading the RFID tag, and inspect the gaming chips stored in the recovery chip tube component 107.

[0089] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of a chip tube component (for circular gaming chips) according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a chip tube component (for plaques) according to the present embodiment. Each chip tube component is composed of one gaming chip storage row. The chip tube component 106 for small circular chips and the chip tube component 106 for plaques have different widths corresponding to the size of the gaming chips.

[0090] The chip tube component 106 according to the present embodiment has its front end open, but has a rear end wall 1063 that supports the gaming chip at the rear end. As a result, even when the chip tube component 106 is removed from the upper tray 1081 or the lower tray 1082 with the gaming chip stored in the chip tube component 106, the gaming chip can be stably held in the chip tube component 106.

[0091] FIG. 21 is a perspective view of a spacer member according to the present embodiment. Flanges 4071 and 4072 are formed at the front end and the rear end of the spacer member 407, similar to the chip tube component 106. As a result, the spacer component 407 is also fixed to the upper tray 1081 or the lower tray 1082 by the L-shaped angle 1081 (see FIG. 15), similar to the chip tube component 106. Note that FIG. 20 shows an example of the spacer member 407, but a plurality of types of spacer members 407 with different widths may be prepared and used corresponding to the type and number of chip tube components 106 to be used.

[0092] The camera installed under the recovery chip tube component 107 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera used only to detect the number of gaming chips in the recovery chip tube component 107.

[0093] When recognition by the camera installed under the recovery chip tube component 107 is not required, the camera may not be installed, and the recovery chip may be detected independently of other chips in the chip tube component 106 only by RFID.

[0094] In order to reduce the thickness of the chip tray, an RFID antenna may be provided only on the lower surface of the upper tray 1041. In this case, the RFID antenna may be configured to read both the RFID tag embedded in the circular gaming chip or plaque stored in the upper tray 1041 and the RFID tag embedded in the circular gaming chip or plaque stored in the lower tray 1042. Further, when the upper tray 1041 is housed in the lower tray 1042, all the RFID tags housed in the upper tray 1041 and the lower tray 1042 may be read by a single RFID antenna. When the upper tray 1041 is detached from the lower tray 1042, the RFID tag housed in the upper tray 1041 may be read by a single RFID antenna. In this case, it is preferable to design the lower tray 1042 such that the distance between the RFID tag in the gaming chip and the RFID antenna provided on the lower surface of the upper tray 1041 is constant.

[0095] When RFID antennas are provided on the lower surface of the upper tray 1041 and the lower surface of the lower tray 1042 respectively, the upper antenna may be configured to read only the gaming chips of the upper tray 1041, and the lower antenna may be configured to read the gaming chips of the lower tray 1042 and some or all of the gaming chips of the upper tray 1041. Alternatively, the upper antenna may be configured to read some or all of the gaming chips of the upper tray 1041, and the lower antenna may be configured to read only the gaming chips of the lower tray 1042. In any of these cases, by verifying the collective relationship of the reading results from the upper antenna and the lower antenna, it is possible to determine each of the gaming chips in the upper tray 1041 and the gaming chips in the lower tray 1042.

[0096] Unless otherwise specified, phrases such as "at least one of X, Y, or Z" should be understood in the context in which they are commonly used to indicate that an item, term, etc. can be any one of X, Y, or Z, or any combination thereof (e.g., X, Y, and / or Z). Similarly, "at least one of X, Y, and Z" should be understood, unless otherwise specified, to indicate 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 phrasing generally does not imply, in a particular embodiment, that at least one of any one of X, Y, or Z is required, for example, that one X and one Y are required, and such phrasing should not imply that in a particular embodiment, each of at least one of X, at least one of Y, and at least one of Z is required.

[0097] Embodiments have been described in detail herein, but the description is for illustrative purposes. The features of the embodiments described herein are representative, and in alternative embodiments, certain features and elements may be added or omitted. Further, modifications to aspects of the embodiments described herein can be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the disclosure as defined in the following claims, and the scope should be given the broadest interpretation to include modifications and equivalent structures.

Claims

1. A lower tray for accommodating a gaming chip embedded with an RFID tag, An upper tray for accommodating a gaming chip embedded with an RFID tag, which is movable between a state of being stacked on the lower tray and a state of opening the upper surface of the lower tray, An upper RFID antenna for reading the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the upper tray, A lower RFID antenna for reading the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the lower tray, A gaming table device for determining the gaming chips stored in the upper tray and the gaming chips stored in the lower tray based on the reading result of the upper RFID antenna and the reading result of the lower RFID antenna, Limiting means for limiting the electromagnetic wave from the lower RFID antenna, Comprising, In a state where the upper tray is stacked on the lower tray, The upper RFID antenna reads the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the upper tray, and also reads the RFID tag of some or all of the gaming chips stored in the lower tray, and The limiting means limits the electromagnetic wave from the lower RFID antenna so that the lower RFID antenna does not read the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the upper tray, The gaming table device individually determines the gaming chips stored in the upper tray and the gaming chips stored in the lower tray based on the collective relationship between the reading result of the upper RFID antenna and the reading result of the lower RFID antenna, Double chip tray.

2. A lower tray for accommodating a gaming chip embedded with an RFID tag, An upper tray for accommodating a gaming chip embedded with an RFID tag, which is movable between a state of being stacked on the lower tray and a state of opening the upper surface of the lower tray, An upper RFID antenna for reading the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the upper tray, A lower RFID antenna for reading the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the lower tray, A gaming table device that determines the gaming chips stored in the upper tray and the gaming chips stored in the lower tray based on the reading results of the upper RFID antenna and the reading results of the lower RFID antenna, Limiting means for limiting the electromagnetic waves from the upper RFID antenna, Comprising, In a state where the upper tray is stacked on the lower tray, The lower RFID antenna reads the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the lower tray, reads the RFID tag of some or all of the gaming chips stored in the upper tray, and The limiting means limits the electromagnetic waves from the upper RFID antenna so that the upper RFID antenna does not read the RFID tag of the gaming chip stored in the lower tray, The gaming table device individually determines the gaming chips stored in the upper tray and the gaming chips stored in the lower tray based on the collective relationship between the reading result of the upper RFID antenna and the reading result of the lower RFID antenna, Double chip tray.

3. The double chip tray according to claim 1, wherein the limiting means is a shield that blocks the electromagnetic waves from the lower RFID antenna.

4. The double chip tray according to claim 1, wherein the limiting means is a jamming antenna that generates electromagnetic waves for partially canceling or weakening the electromagnetic waves from the lower RFID antenna.

5. The double chip tray according to claim 2, wherein the limiting means is a shield that blocks the electromagnetic waves from the upper RFID antenna.

6. The double chip tray according to claim 2, wherein the limiting means is a jamming antenna that generates electromagnetic waves for partially canceling or weakening the electromagnetic waves from the upper RFID antenna.

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