Method, apparatus and article employing multiple machine-readable indicia on playing cards
View Patent ↗A stacked set of playing cards are supported to expose an information bearing portion bearing a first machine-readable indicia and an information bearing portion bearing a second machine-readable indicia, such that each of the first and second machine-readable indicia from a number of cards are read by at least one reader. The second machine-readable indicia may provide redundancy, or may be related to the first machine-readable indicia to allow the authentication of the playing card.
1. A device for identifying playing cards in a stack of playing cards, the device comprising:
a first card support surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a long edge of each of a number of playing cards in the stack of playing cards, a second card support surface extending at an angle to the first card supporting surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a short edge of each of the number of playing cards in the stack of playing cards, and a third card support surface for engagingly supporting a surface of an outermost one of the playing cards in the stack of playing cards, the third card support surface forming a first obtuse angle with the first card support surface and a second obtuse angle with respect to the second card support surface, the first, the second and the third card support surfaces forming a receptacle sized and dimensioned for receiving at least a portion of the stack of playing cards; and
a reading mechanism positioned to read a first indicia extending along a long edge of the playing cards and a second indicia extending along a short edge of the playing cards.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is carried by a gaming table having a horizontal table surface and the first, the second, and the third card support surfaces are each angled with respect to the horizontal table surface of a gaming table.
3. The device of claim 1 wherein the device is installed in a gaming table, below a horizontal table surface of the gaming table, and the first, the second, and the third card support surfaces are each angled with respect to the horizontal table surface of a gaming table.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the angle between the first card support surface and the second card support surface is obtuse.
5. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading mechanism comprises:
a first optical imager having a first field-of-view; and
a second optical imager having a second field-of-view.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading mechanism comprises:
a first scanner having a first scan field-of-view; and
a second scanner having a second scan field-of-view.
7. The device of claim 1 wherein the reading mechanism includes a single two-dimensional imager array, a first portion of the imager array having a first field-of-view and a second imager array having a second field-of-view.
8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor coupled to the reading mechanism to receive data therefrom and configured to interpret the received data as an ordered sequence of playing cards.
9. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a processor coupled to the reading mechanism to receive data therefrom and configured to compare data the received data.
10. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:
a communications port coupled to the reading mechanism to couple data received from the reading mechanism externally from the device.
11. A gaming table for playing a card game, comprising:
a playing surface;
a receptacle mounted in the playing surface of the gaming table, the receptacle sized and dimensioned for receiving at least a portion of a set of playing cards, the receptacle having a first card support surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a first edge of each of a number of playing cards in the set of playing cards, a second card support surface extending at an angle to the first card supporting surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a second edge of each of the number of playing cards in the set of playing cards and a third playing card support surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a surface of one of the playing cards when the set of playing cards are stacked in the receptacle, a first window formed in the first card support surface to expose at least a portion of the first edge of each of at least some of the number of playing cards and a second window formed in the second card support surface to expose at least a portion of the second edge of each of at least some of the number of playing cards; and
at least a first reader having a first field-of-view, at least a portion of the first field-of-view aligned with at least the first window.
12. The gaming table of claim 11 , further comprising:
a second reader having a second field-of-view, at least a portion of the second field-of-view aligned with at least the second window.
13. The gaming table of claim 11 , further comprising:
a processor coupled to the first reader and configured to interpret data received from the first reader.
14. A method of reading information from playing cards, comprising:
supportingly engaging a first edge of the set of playing cards at a first angle with respect to a horizontal table surface;
supportingly engaging a second edge of the set of playing cards at a second angle with respect to the horizontal table surface;
supportingly engaging a surface of an outermost one of the playing cards at a third angle with respect to the horizontal table surface to expose a first information carrying portion along the first edge of each of the playing cards and to expose a second information carrying potion along the second edge of each of the playing cards; and
reading at least one of the first and the second information carrying potions of at least one of the playing cards.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein reading at least one of the first and the second information carrying potions of at least one of the number of playing cards includes concurrently reading the first and the second information carrying portions from one of the playing cards.
16. The method of claim 14 wherein reading at least one of the first and the second information carrying potions of at least one of the number of playing cards includes concurrently reading the first and the second information carrying portions from at least two of the playing cards.
17. The method of claim 14 wherein reading at least one of the first and the second information carrying potions of at least one of the number of playing cards includes concurrently imaging the first and the second information carrying portions from at least two of the playing cards.
18. A device for identifying playing cards, the device comprising:
a receptacle sized and dimensioned for receiving at least a portion of a set of playing cards, the receptacle having a first card support surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a first edge of each of a number of playing cards in the set of playing cards, a second card support surface extending at an angle to the first card supporting surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a second edge of each of the number of playing cards in the set of playing cards and a third playing card support surface to supportingly engage at least a portion of a surface of one of the playing cards when the set of playing cards are stacked in the receptacle, a first window formed in the first card support surface to expose at least a portion of the first edge of each of at least some of the number of playing cards and a second window formed in the second card support surface to expose at least a portion of the second edge of each of at least some of the number of playing cards; and
at least a first reader having a first field-of-view, at least a portion of the first field-of-view aligned with at least the first window.
19. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a second reader having a second field-of-view, at least a portion of the second field-of-view aligned with at the second window.
20. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a reflector positioned along an optical path between the second window and the first reader to align at least another portion of the first field-of-view with the second window.
21. The device of claim 18 wherein the first reader is one of an optical imager and an optical scanner.
22. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a processor coupled to the first reader and configured to interpret data received from the first reader.
23. The device of claim 18 wherein the receptacle is mounted for axial movement with respect to the first reader.
24. The device of claim 18 , further comprising:
a rail;
at least one roller coupling the receptacle to the rail; and
a spring biasing the receptacle toward a first position.