Gaming Table Progressive System with Optical Wager Tracking

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing table gaming systems lack a comprehensive solution to prevent fraud and ensure fair play, particularly in high-stakes progressive games where the potential for cheating increases due to large payouts.

Innovation Solution

An enhanced security progressive system that integrates multiple gaming tables with dealer terminals, card handling devices, and token sensors connected to a centralized progressive game controller/server. This system identifies and records progressive side wagers, tracks cards dealt to players and the dealer, and issues alerts for potentially winning hands, thereby enhancing security and excitement.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If physical wagers are placed on gaming tables, then players can make bets, but fraud risk increases due to late placement, alteration, and side bet manipulation

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewager placementVSAvoidfraud prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical chip placement with an automated optical recognition system. Cameras and image processing algorithms automatically detect, identify, and record wager placements, eliminating the need for manual verification and preventing fraud through automated monitoring of the entire wagering process from placement to resolution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates digital copies of physical wagers through image capture and processing. The optical recognition system captures images of chips, tokens, and cards, converts them into digital data, and uses this copy for tracking and verification, ensuring accurate record-keeping without physical handling.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Reliability

If automated wager recognition systems are implemented, then fraud prevention improves, but system complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvefraud preventionVSAvoidsystem architecture

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a universal gaming table system that performs multiple functions: wager detection, card tracking, game outcome determination, and player identification. This multi-functional approach consolidates what would otherwise require separate systems into a single integrated platform, managing complexity through consolidation rather than proliferation of components.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system merges previously separate functions (wager recognition, card tracking, and game management) into a unified automated system. By combining these functions into one integrated platform with centralized control, the patent reduces overall system complexity compared to having multiple independent systems that would need to communicate and coordinate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Reliability

If card tracking systems are integrated, then security against card fraud improves, but manufacturing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecard fraud preventionVSAvoidsystem integration

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The card tracking system operates autonomously without requiring manual intervention. The optical recognition system automatically detects card placements, tracks card movements, identifies card values, and records game outcomes. This self-service capability eliminates the need for dealer input or manual verification, simplifying the integration process as the system handles all card-related tracking independently.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

4Reliability

If real-time alert systems are implemented for winning hands, then player excitement and security monitoring improve, but information processing requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecurity monitoringVSAvoiddata processing load

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary processing of game data in real-time, continuously analyzing card combinations and wager outcomes as they develop. By preparing and pre-processing this information during gameplay, the system can immediately generate alerts when winning conditions are met, reducing the information processing burden at the moment of outcome determination and enabling faster response times.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS20250078613A1Gaming table high-value progressive system with anticipation signals and enhanced security

Publication Date: 2025.03.06 LNW GAMING INC

AI summary

An enhanced security progressive system for table games and a related method are disclosed. The disclosed system can include multiple gaming tables each with various components connected to a centralized progressive game controller/server. The system identifies and records progressive side wagers as they are placed and tracks cards as they are dealt to each player and to the dealer. The system issues alerts when potentially winning hands of sufficient magnitude are forming and indicates when such winning hands are actually achieved. Drawing the attention of players, the dealer, casino pit personnel, and/or automated table surveillance systems or surveillance personnel to winning hands as they are formed leads to both enhanced excitement for players and enhanced security for the casino. Such a system is particularly suited to the operation of high-stakes progressive games with primary progressive awards reaching levels of millions of dollars, non-limiting examples of which are also disclosed.