Gaming System Using Recognition Codes and Invisible Light

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Solution Overview

Problem

Traditional card games face challenges in gathering multiple players due to busy lifestyles, and online games lack the interaction of physical cards, such as drawing and discarding, which reduces the gaming experience.

Innovation Solution

A gaming system and table that utilize gaming cards with recognition codes, an invisible light source, and an image capturing device to generate game data and screens, allowing for interactive multiplayer experiences while preventing cheating by only revealing card faces to authorized players.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If online card games are used to enable anytime and anywhere play, then accessibility and convenience are improved, but the interaction experience with physical cards deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveaccessibilityVSAvoidinteraction experience
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges online gaming accessibility with physical card interaction by using a camera to capture images of physical cards and transmitting them to a server for game processing. This combination allows players to use real physical cards while playing online games anytime and anywhere, thus improving both accessibility and interaction experience simultaneously.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

2Reliability

If multiple players are gathered for traditional card games, then interaction experience is improved, but difficulty in gathering players increases due to busy lifestyles

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinteraction experienceVSAvoidgathering difficulty
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables the gaming system to serve multiple functions: it can handle physical cards from different players, process various card games, and accommodate different player combinations. The server can match players and manage games flexibly, allowing anyone with physical cards to participate in online card games, thus improving accessibility while maintaining interaction quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Loss of information

If card faces are revealed to all players for transparency, then fairness is improved, but game integrity deteriorates due to cheating possibilities

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation transparencyVSAvoidgame integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a server as an intermediary that receives card images from players, identifies the cards, and manages game information centrally. The server acts as a trusted mediator that processes card information without requiring players to physically see each other's cards, thus maintaining game integrity while ensuring fairness through centralized control and verification.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

4Reliability

If physical cards are used for interaction, then interaction experience is improved, but accessibility deteriorates due to the need to gather players at the same location

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinteraction experienceVSAvoidaccessibility
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical requirement of physical card exchange between players with an electronic system. Players take photos of their physical cards with a camera, and the server processes these images to determine game actions. This substitution eliminates the need for players to be physically present together while preserving the interaction experience with real cards, thus improving accessibility without sacrificing interaction quality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Applied Scientific Principles

This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.

Function Achieved in This Case

Enables interactive multiplayer card games with physical cards, enhancing user experience by allowing anytime and anywhere play while maintaining game integrity through secure card face revelation.

Implementation Method 1

The invisible light source is configured to emit an invisible light towards the recognition area

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight emission: Light

Implementation Method 2

capture a recognition code image of the gaming card formed by a reflected light of the invisible light

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectLight reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentUS11684845B2Gaming system and gaming table
Publication Date: 2023.06.27 COMPAL ELECTRONICS INC
  • US11684845B2 patent drawing
  • US11684845B2 patent drawing
  • US11684845B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A gaming system for card games is provided. The gaming system includes a plurality of gaming cards and a processor. Each of the gaming cards has a recognition code. The processor is configured to: generate a correspondence between the recognition codes of the gaming cards and a plurality of card faces; obtain an image of the gaming card placed in a recognition area captured by an image capturing device; recognize the recognition code in the image to generate game data according to a recognition result and the correspondence; and generate a game screen to be displayed by a display according to the game data. In addition, a gaming table is also provided.