The present invention relates to the technology of recognizing and reading each game chip although game chips are stacked. The present invention is a game chip storing data readable by a reader/writer having an antenna which emits an electromagnetic wave and available in a stack of game chips, and includes: an IC device for communicating data at a request from the reader/writer, an antenna coil which is connected to the IC device, gets into electromagnetic coupling with an antenna of the reader/writer, can provide electric power to the IC device, is configured to enter a resonant state through an electromagnetic wave, and can transfer data to the reader/writer by load modulation, and a booster coil for configuring a resonant circuit by electromagnetic coupling through an electromagnetic wave from the reader/writer.
1. A game chip storing data readable by a read device having an antenna which emits electromagnetic waves, the game chip comprising:
a circuit for supplying data stored in the circuit to the read device in response to a request from the read device;
an antenna connected to the circuit and coupling electromagnetically with the antenna of the read device, to provide electric power to the circuit from the read device, and to supply the stored data to the read device through the antenna of the read device; and
an electromagnetic field resonant member for resonant electromagnetic coupling with the antenna of the read device in response to electromagnetic waves received from the read device, wherein, when the game chip is in a stack of a plurality of the game chips and is outside effective communication range of the read device, electric power is provided to the game chip from the read device and data stored in the game chip is supplied to the read device, through the electromagnetic field resonant members of the other game chips in the stack, by electromagnetic coupling of the electromagnetic field resonant members in the stack.
2. The game chip according to claim 1 , wherein the game chip has a body member housing the circuit, the antenna of the game chip, and the electromagnetic field resonant member.
3. The game chip according to claim 2 , wherein
the circuit is cylindrical, the antenna of the game chip includes a hollow coil, and the electromagnetic field resonant member includes a hollow coil, and
the circuit, the antenna of the game chip, and the electromagnetic field resonant member are coaxial.
4. The game chip according to claim 3 , wherein the game chip further comprises a substrate on which the circuit, the antenna of the game chip, and the electromagnetic field resonant member are located.
5. The game chip according to claim 1 , wherein the electromagnetic field resonant member resonates with the antenna of the game chip by electromagnetic induction.
6. The game chip according to claim 5 , wherein the electromagnetic field resonant member includes a hollow coil surrounding the antenna of the game chip.
7. The game chip according to claim 5 , wherein the game chip has a body member housing the circuit, the antenna of the game chip, and the electromagnetic field resonant member.
8. The game chip according to claim 7 , wherein
the circuit is cylindrical, the antenna of the game chip includes a hollow coil, and the electromagnetic field resonant member includes a hollow coil, and
the circuit, the antenna of the game chip, and the electromagnetic field resonant member are coaxial.
9. The game chip according to claim 8 , wherein the game chip further comprises a substrate on which the circuit, the antenna of the game chip, and the electromagnetic field resonant member are located.
10. The game chip according to claim 1 , wherein
the antenna of the game chip includes an antenna coil surrounding the circuit,
the electromagnetic field resonant member includes a booster coil surrounding the antenna coil of the game chip,
the game chip includes a substrate having opposed first and second faces and disposed within the game chip,
the circuit and the antenna coil are disposed on the first face of the substrate, and
the booster coil is disposed on both of the first and second faces of the substrate.
11. A gaming apparatus comprising:
a gaming apparatus main body including a plurality of contiguous bet areas on a first side of the gaming apparatus main body;
a plurality of read devices located on a second side of the gaming apparatus main body and arranged in correspondence with respective bet areas, the read devices generating electromagnetic waves propagated only in the corresponding bet area for reading information;
a plurality of game chips which can be stacked in the respective bet areas and which store ID information and chip information for reading by the read device for the corresponding bet area where the game chips are placed, wherein each game chip includes
a circuit for supplying data stored in circuit to one of the read devices in response to a request from the read device,
an antenna connected to the circuit and coupling electromagnetically with the antenna of one of the read devices, to provide electric power to the circuit from the read device, and to supply the stored data to the read device through the antenna of the read device, and
an electromagnetic field resonant member for resonant electromagnetic coupling with the antenna of one of the read devices in response to electromagnetic waves received from the read device, wherein, when the game chip is in a stack of a plurality of the game chips and is outside effective communication range of the read device, electric power is provided to the game chip from the read device and data stored in the game chip is supplied to the read device, through the electromagnetic field resonant members of the other game chips in the stack, by electromagnetic coupling of the electromagnetic field resonant members in the stack; and
a controller controlling the read devices, the controller
receiving ID information read from game chips placed on the bet areas and read by the corresponding read device, including from game chips in stacks placed on respective bet areas,
specifying a player placing a bet in one of the bet areas by placing at least one game chip in the bet area from the ID information read by the corresponding read device, and
determining a payment to a player in response to a game result, based on game chips placed on a respective bet area by the player.
12. A gaming apparatus comprising:
a gaming apparatus main body including a plurality of contiguous bet areas on a first side of the gaming apparatus main body;
a rotatable roulette wheel having a plurality of pockets, and a plurality of sensors, each sensor corresponding to a respective bet area and a respective pocket;
a ball which may come to rest in any one of the pockets of the roulette wheel and which is detectable in position by the sensors;
a plurality of read devices located on a second side of the gaming apparatus main body and arranged in correspondence with respective bet areas, the read devices generating electromagnetic waves propagated only in the corresponding bet area for reading information;
a plurality of game chips which can be stacked in the respective bet areas and which store ID information and chip information for reading by the read device for the corresponding bet area where the game chips are placed, wherein each game chip includes
a circuit for supplying data stored in the circuit to one of the read devices in response to a request from the read device,
an antenna connected to the circuit and coupling electromagnetically with the antenna of one of the read devices, to provide electric power to the circuit from the read device, and to supply the stored data to the read device through the antenna of the read device, and
an electromagnetic field resonant member for resonant electromagnetic coupling with the antenna of one of the read devices in response to electromagnetic waves received from the read device, wherein, when the game chip is in a stack of a plurality of the game chips and is outside effective communication range of the read device, electric power is provided to the game chip from the read device and data stored in the game chip is supplied to the read device, through the electromagnetic field resonant members of the other game chips in the stack, by electromagnetic coupling of the electromagnetic field resonant members in the stack; and
a controller controlling the read devices, the controller
receiving ID information read from game chips placed on the bet areas and read by the corresponding read device, including from game chips in stacks placed on respective bet areas,
controlling rotation of the roulette wheel,
receiving from the sensors game result information indicative of which of the pockets contains the ball, and
determining a payment to a player placing a bet using at least one of the game chips in a bet area corresponding to the pocket containing the ball and based upon the ID information received from the read devices and the game result information received from the sensors.