Card-Handling Device with Imaging and Flipping Apparatus

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing card-handling devices face challenges in efficiently handling flipped cards, which can cause delays and errors in automatic shufflers, as they often require manual reorientation or lead to the abortion of shuffling processes.

Innovation Solution

A card-handling device equipped with a card imaging system to identify flipped cards and a card-flipping apparatus to reorient them automatically, ensuring that all cards are in the expected orientation before shuffling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If manual reorientation of flipped cards is performed, then card orientation accuracy is improved, but shuffling time and operational efficiency deteriorate

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecard orientation accuracyVSAvoidshuffling time

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces manual mechanical reorientation with an automated card-flipping apparatus that uses imaging technology to detect flipped cards and mechanical flipping elements to reorient them. This substitution eliminates manual intervention while maintaining orientation accuracy and reducing shuffling time.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The card-handling device performs self-correction of flipped cards through its integrated imaging and flipping apparatus. The system automatically detects and corrects orientation errors without external intervention, enabling continuous operation and improving efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Productivity

If automatic card shuffling is implemented, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to flipped cards causing errors and process abortion

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshuffling speedVSAvoidshuffling process continuity

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent incorporates an imaging device that provides feedback on card orientation before shuffling. This feedback mechanism allows the system to identify and correct flipped cards, ensuring reliable operation and preventing process abortion while maintaining high shuffling speed.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Solution Approach 2:

The system performs preliminary detection and correction of flipped cards using the imaging device and card-flipping apparatus before the shuffling process begins. This preliminary action prevents errors during shuffling, ensuring both high productivity and reliability.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

3Reliability

If card-flipping apparatus is added to correct flipped cards, then reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshuffling process continuityVSAvoiddevice structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The card-flipping apparatus is integrated into the existing card-handling device, allowing the same mechanical elements to serve multiple functions: card feeding, imaging, flipping, and shuffling. This multi-functionality approach improves reliability without proportionally increasing device complexity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20250032894A1Card-handling devices and related methods, assemblies, and components

Publication Date: 2025.01.30 LNW GAMING INC

AI summary

A card-handling device may include a card intake, a card output, a card imaging device positioned between the card intake and the card output. The card imaging device may be configured to identify a non-conforming card. The card-handling device may be configured to store the non-conforming card in a designated location and/or to reorient the non-conforming card with a card-flipping apparatus configured to reorient flipped cards identified as non-conforming cards.