Flatbed Scanner Dice Recognition for Electronic Gaming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for verifying dice results in electronic gaming, such as online betting and casino games, are prone to manipulation and lack real-time accuracy, often requiring specialized dice or cumbersome scanning setups that obscure the throwing field and are not ergonomically practical.
Innovation Solution
A real-time dice tray system using a flatbed scanner with a processor that recognizes the shape and number of dice by scanning the surface without a moving head, incorporating security measures like gesture recognition, light curtains, and encryption to prevent tampering and ensure accurate results.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a camera is placed above the throwing area to capture dice images, then dice results can be read, but the throwing field is obscured for onlookers at certain angles and the camera needs precise positioning
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a top-down camera view (vertical dimension) to a side-view scanner approach (horizontal dimension). The scanner reads dice results from the side as dice roll across the table, eliminating the need for overhead camera positioning that blocks player view while maintaining accurate reading capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical camera positioning system with a linear scanner that moves horizontally along the table edge. This substitution eliminates the need for precise vertical positioning and allows continuous reading along the throwing field without obscuring it from above.
2Measurement precision
If a scanning device with movable parts is used beneath a transparent board, then dice can be scanned, but the device becomes thick and not practical for throwing dice and body ergonomics
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of placing the scanning device beneath the playing surface (inversion of conventional scanner placement), the patent positions the scanner at the side of the table, reading dice as they roll across. This inverts the scanning approach from bottom-up to side-view, eliminating the need for a thick transparent board construction.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the scanning function from beneath the playing surface and relocates it to the table edge. This separation removes the need for a thick transparent board and movable scanning components underneath, reducing device volume and improving ergonomics while maintaining scanning capability.
3Measurement precision
If a scanner head is used to read dice, then dice results can be captured, but there is a time lag that allows players to manipulate and falsify dice results
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements continuous scanning along the table edge as dice roll, rather than discrete point-by-point scanning. This continuous reading action eliminates time lags between scanning different dice, capturing all results simultaneously and preventing manipulation during scanning intervals.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical scanner head that moves back and forth with a linear array of sensors that read all positions simultaneously. This substitution eliminates the sequential scanning time lag, allowing instant capture of all dice results across the table.
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a device for assisting in electronic gaming, the device comprising a flatbed scanning device. The flatbed scanning device comprises a scanning surface, wherein the scanning surface is arranged for throwing a die or dice thereon, the flatbed scanning device being configured for scanning instantaneously an image of the scanning surface. The device also comprises a processor configured for receiving scanning information regarding the image of the scanning surface upon which a die or dice are thrown and programmed for deriving, based on said image, data regarding the dice thrown.