Inspection system, inspecting device and gaming chip
An inspection system inspects gaming chips, each having a color or a display indicating a value on an outer surface and having an embedded radio tag storing gaming chip information, while the gaming chips are stored in a case in which a maximum number of gaming chips to be stored is limited. The case is capable of containing a row of gaming chips stacked in a thickness direction. The inspection system includes a reading device that reads the radio tag of the gaming chip in the case and acquires gaming chip information of the gaming chip; and a determining unit that compares the gaming chip information with a maximum number of gaming chips storable in the case and determines an abnormality of the gaming chip in the case when the number of gaming chips obtained from the gaming chip information is different from a maximum number of storable gaming chips.
1. An inspection system that inspects gaming chips, the inspection system comprising:
an area in which can be placed, in a stacked manner, a plurality of gaming chips that include (a) first gaming chip information and (b) second gaming chip information, the first gaming chip information included in respective RFID tags of the gaming chips, the second gaming chip information provided in an optically readable form on respective side surfaces of the gaming chips; and
an inspecting device configured to inspect the gaming chips placed in the area, the inspecting device includes:
a first reader configured to read the first gaming chip information of the RFID tags of the gaming chips placed in the area;
a second reader configured to optically read the side surfaces of the gaming chips placed in the area; and
a processor configured to compare, for the plurality of gaming chips placed in the area, a first reading result of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader for the plurality of gaming chips with a second reading result of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader for the plurality of gaming chips to thereby detect a presence of an abnormal gaming chip whose RFID tag is abnormal or which does not include the RFID tag and specify which of the plurality of gaming chips is the abnormal gaming chip.
2. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the first gaming chip information and the second gaming chip information of respective ones of the gaming chips include common information portions for inclusion of respective common information of the respective gaming chips, and the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when the common information portions of a plurality of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader do not coincide with corresponding common information portions of a plurality of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader.
3. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein one or both of the first gaming chip information and the second gaming chip information includes individual identification information individually identifying respective ones of the gaming chips.
4. The inspection system according to claim 3 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when the individual identification information of a plurality of pieces of first gaming chip information read by the first reader does not coincide with the individual identification information of a plurality of pieces of second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader.
5. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the second gaming chip information includes information indicated by designated colors that indicate respective values of the gaming chips.
6. The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured to store respective individual identification information of at least the first or second gaming chip information of the gaming chips authorized to be placed in the area, and
wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of the respective first gaming chip information of the respective gaming chips read by the first reader or a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of the respective second gaming chip information of the respective gaming chips optically read by the second reader do not coincide with a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of the first and second gaming chip information stored in the storage unit.
7. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a number of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader or a number of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader is not a predetermined number.
8. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gaming chips include color information indicating respective values of the gaming chips as the second gaming chip information, and include respective value information identifying respective values of the gaming chips as the first gaming chip information; and
the processor is configured to detect the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when the color information does not coincide with the value information of the first gaming chip information.
9. The inspection system according to claim 8 , wherein:
the second gaming chip information further includes respective value information of the respective gaming chips in addition to the color information; and
the inspection system further includes a display via which the inspection system is configured to display a result of detection of the presence of the abnormal gaming chip so that the abnormal gaming chip can be identified when a value of the respective gaming chip indicated by the color information in the second gaming chip information of the respective gaming chip does not coincide with the value information of the second gaming chip information, the value information of the first gaming chip information of the respective gaming chip, or a combination thereof.
10. The inspection system according to claim 8 , wherein:
the second gaming chip information further includes respective value information of the respective gaming chips in addition to the color information; and
the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a value of a respective one of the gaming chips indicated by the color information in the second gaming chip information of the respective gaming chip does not coincide with the value information of the second gaming chip information, the value information of the first gaming chip information, or a combination thereof.
11. The inspection system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to determine a respective number of the gaming chips placed in the area for each of the values or a total amount of the values of all of the gaming chips based on the color information or the value information of the first gaming chip information or the second gaming chip information.
12. The inspection system according to claim 10 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when the color information does not coincide with (a) the value information of the first gaming chip information or the second gaming chip information, (b) common information, or (c) individual identification information of the first gaming chip information or the second gaming chip information.
13. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the first gaming chip information, the second gaming chip information, or both the first and second gaming chip information includes group information indicating respective groups to which respective ones of the gaming chips belong, and the groups are classified in accordance with respective values of the gaming chips, manufacturing times, manufacturers, use game halls, or a combination thereof.
14. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second gaming chip information includes respective designated colors indicating respective values of the gaming chips on respective side surfaces of the gaming chips; and
the second reader comprises:
a camera configured to capture an image of the side surfaces of the gaming chips placed in the area; and
a processor that is configured to:
perform an analysis of the image captured by the camera;
identify and output the respective designated colors of each of the plurality of gaming chips based on the analysis; and
identify and output the respective values of the plurality of gaming chips in accordance with the identified designated colors.
15. The inspection system according to claim 14 , wherein the designated colors are respectively interposed, in a thickness direction of the side surfaces of the gaming chips, between a set of colors, the set of colors used on the gaming chips having different respective values and not indicating the respective values of the gaming chips.
16. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the second gaming chip information is notation information inscribed on the side surfaces to be optically readable; and
the second reader comprises:
a camera that is configured to capture an image of the side surfaces of the gaming chips stacked and placed in the area; and
a processor configured to:
perform an analysis of the image captured by the camera;
based on the analysis, identify the respective notation information of each of the gaming chips; and
identify and output the second gaming chip information of each of the gaming chips in accordance with the identified notation information.
17. The inspection system according to claim 16 , wherein:
the notation information is inscribed using infrared reaction ink that emits in response to infrared rays or using infrared absorption ink that absorbs infrared rays; and
the camera includes an infrared camera.
18. The inspection system according to claim 16 , wherein:
the notation information is inscribed using ink that emits light in response to ultraviolet rays; and
the inspecting device further includes an ultraviolet irradiator that is configured to irradiate the side surfaces of the gaming chips with ultraviolet rays.
19. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the area is a case that has a seal which is broken when the case is opened to allow the gaming chips to be withdrawn from the case;
the inspecting device further comprises a sensor that is configured to detect whether the seal is unbroken; and
the processor is configured to determine presence of an abnormal gaming chip among the gaming chips contained in the case when the unbroken seal is not detected by the sensor.
20. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a number of the read first gaming chip information does not coincide with a number of the optically read second gaming chip information.
21. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a number of the read first gaming chip information for a respective value does not coincide with a number of the optically read second gaming chip information for the respective value.
22. The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising a display via which the inspection system is configured to display a result of detection of the presence of the abnormal gaming chip so that the abnormal gaming chip for which there is a lack of correspondence between the respective acquired first gaming chip information and the respective acquired second gaming chip information are identifiable.
23. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
both of the first gaming chip information and the second gaming chip information includes individual identification information individually identifying respective ones of the gaming chips; and
the inspection system further comprises a display via which the inspection system is configured to display a result of detection of the presence of the abnormal gaming chip so that the abnormal gaming chip are identifiable when a plurality of piece of individual identification information of a plurality of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader and a plurality of piece of individual identification information of a plurality of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader do not coincide with each other.
24. The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit, wherein the storage unit is configured to store respective individual identification information of at least the first or the second gaming chip information of the gaming chips authorized to be placed in the area, and
wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of a plurality of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader or a plurality of piece of individual identification information of a plurality of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader do not coincide with a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of the first or the second gaming chip information stored in the storage unit.
25. The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit, wherein the storage unit is configured to store a correspondence relation between the first gaming chip information and the second gaming chip information, and wherein the processor is configured to determine the presence of the abnormal gaming chip when a plurality of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader and a plurality of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader do not coincide with the correspondence relation stored in the storage unit.
26. The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a display; and
a storage unit;
wherein:
both of the first gaming chip information and the second gaming chip information include individual identification information individually identifying respective ones of the gaming chips;
the storage unit is configured to store respective individual identification information of at least the first or the second gaming chip information of the gaming chips authorized be placed in the area; and
the inspection system is configured to display a result of detection of the presence of the abnormal gaming chip so that the abnormal gaming chip can be identified when a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of the plurality of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader or a plurality of pieces of individual identification information of the plurality of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader does not coincide with the individual identification information of the first or the second gaming chip information stored in the storage unit.
27. The inspection system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a storage unit configured to store a correspondence relation between the first gaming chip information and the second gaming chip information; and
a display via which the inspection system is configured to display a result of detection of the presence of the abnormal gaming chip so that the abnormal gaming chip can be identified when a plurality of pieces of the first gaming chip information read by the first reader and a plurality of pieces of the second gaming chip information optically read by the second reader do not coincide with the correspondence relation stored in the storage unit.
28. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the gaming chips include color information indicating respective values of the gaming chips as the second gaming chip information and include respective value information identifying respective values of the gaming chips as the first gaming chip information; and
the inspection system further comprises a display via which the inspection system is configured to display a result of detection of the presence of the abnormal gaming chip so that the abnormal gaming chip can be identified when the respective color information of the gaming chips does not coincide with the respective value information of the first gaming chip information of the gaming chips.
29. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the area is a case that has a light transmitting part through which light transmits; and
the second reader is configured to optically read the side surfaces of the gaming chips contained in the case through the light transmitting part.
30. The inspection system according to claim 29 , wherein the light transmitting part is made of transparent material.
31. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the area is a case; and
the inspecting device further includes a receiving portion in which the case is received.
32. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the area is a portable case.
33. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the area comprises a two-tiered chip float or chip tray configured to hold the gaming chips at a game table.
34. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compare, for the plurality of gaming chips placed in the area, the first reading result and the second reading result and detect, based on the comparison, the abnormal gaming chip whose RFID tag is abnormal.
35. The inspection system according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to compare, for the plurality of gaming chips placed in the area, the first reading result and the second reading result and detect, based on the comparison, the abnormal gaming chip which does not include the RFID tag.