Granted Patent B2

US 12,456,347 · App. 18/222,076 · Granted Oct 28, 2025

Inventor: Yasushi Shigeta (Shiga, JP)

Assignee: ANGEL GROUP CO., LTD.

G07F17/3241A63F1/18A63F3/00157G06Q50/34G07F17/3206G07F17/322G07F17/3223G07F17/3234G07F17/3248G07F17/3251G07F17/3293A63F2001/001A63F1/14A63F2250/58

Abstract

Claims (66)

1. A game management system for management of one or more games played on a game table using a plurality of playing cards, the game management system comprising:

a card distribution device configured to house the plurality of playing cards, detect drawing of a playing card of the plurality of playing cards from the card distribution device, and detect an input operation provided to the card distribution device;

a controller configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, based on the detected drawing of the playing cards, the detected input operation, or a combination thereof:

a betting phase during which one or more gaming chips associated with the game are bet by a player, and

a gaming phase during which one or more playing cards of the plurality of playing cards is drawn from the card distribution device by a dealer; and

a recording device configured to, for each game of the one or more games, store:

time data associated with a betting time based on the determined betting phase, and

second time data associated with a gaming time based on the determined gaming phase.

2. The game management system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a chip tray configured to store a plurality of gaming chips and output an indication that one or more payouts of a previous game have been completed, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine that betting has been started for a first game based on the indication by the chip tray, the first game is a next game after the previous game.

3. The game management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, that the betting phase has been completed based on detection of an initial playing card associated with the game being drawn from the card distribution device.

4. The game management system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a discard box configured to receive, for each game of the one or more games, at least one playing card used in the game to be discarded, and

wherein:

the discard box is coupled to a sensor configured to detect, for each game of the one or more games, the at least one playing card to be discarded, and

the controller is further configured to determine that betting has been started for a first game of the one or more games based on an indication from the sensor that at least one playing card is discarded for a previous game.

5. The game management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that betting has been started for a first game of the one or more games based on detection at the card distribution device of the input operation to indicate a start of betting.

6. The game management system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a camera configured to capture an image of at least one gaming chip on the game table,

the controller is further configured to determine that betting has been started for a first game of the one or more games based on detection of the at least one gaming chip in the image.

7. The game management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that a first game of the one or more games has started based on detection of an initial playing card associated with the first game being drawn from the card distribution device.

8. The game management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine that a first game of the one or more games has ended based on detection at the card distribution device of the input operation to indicate an end of the first game.

9. The game management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, a chip collection phase during which at least one gaming chip associated with a losing player of the game is collected.

10. The game management system according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a chip tray configured to store a plurality of gaming chips and output an indication that the at least one gaming chip associated with the losing player is collected, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine that the chip collection phase is completed based on the indication.

11. The game management system according to claim 9 , further comprising:

a camera configured to capture one or more images of the game table,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the chip collection phase based on the one or more images.

12. The game management system according to claim 9 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, a chip payout phase during which gaming chips are paid out to one or more winning players of the game.

13. The game management system according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a chip tray configured to store a plurality of gaming chips and output, for each game of the one or more games, an indication that one or more payouts of the game have been completed, and

wherein the controller is configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, that the chip payout phase of the game is ended based on the indication.

14. The game management system according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a camera configured to capture one or more images of the game table,

wherein the controller is configured to determine the chip payout phase based on the one or more images.

15. The game management system according to claim 12 , further comprising:

a discard box configured to receive, for each game of the one or more games, at least one playing card used in the game to be discarded, and

wherein:

the discard box is coupled to a sensor configured to detect, for each game of the one or more games, the at least one playing card to be discarded, and

the controller is configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, that the chip payout phase has been completed based an indication from the sensor that at least one playing card is discarded for the game.

16. The game management system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to determine, for each game of the one or more games, a settlement phase during which at least one gaming chip from each losing player of the game is collected, at least one gaming chip is paid out to each winning player of the game, or a combination thereof.

17. A method of operation of a game management system for management of one or more games played on a game table using a plurality of playing cards, the method comprising:

receiving, by a controller coupled to a card distribution device configured to house the plurality of playing cards, a first indication of detection of a playing card of the plurality of playing cards being drawn from the card distribution device, a second indication of detection of an input operation received at the card distribution device, or a combination thereof;

determining, by the controller and based on the first indication or the second indication:

a duration of a betting phase of a game of the one or more games during which one or more gaming chips associated with the game are bet by a player;

a duration of a gaming phase of the game during which one or more playing cards of the plurality of playing cards is drawn from the card distribution device; and

initiating, by the controller, storage of a betting time of the game at a recording device, the betting time associated with the duration of the betting phase of the game; and

initiating, by the controller, storage of a game time of the game at the recording device, the game time associated with the duration of the gaming phase of the game.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein determining the duration of the betting phase includes:

determining a start of the betting phase based on:

receipt of a third indication of chip tray that that one or more payouts of a previous game have been completed,

receipt of a fourth indication of a sensor coupled to a discard box that one or more cards of the previous game have been received by the discard box,

the second indication in which the input operation is associated with a start of the gaming phase,

detection of at least one chip included in an image of the game table captured by a camera, or

a combination thereof;

determining an end of the betting phase based on the first indication, the playing card associated with an initial playing card of the game; or

a combination thereof.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein determining the duration of the gaming phase includes:

determining a start of the gaming phase based on a determined end of the betting phase, the first indication, or a combination thereof;

determining an end of the gaming phase based on the second indication, the input operation associated with an end of the gaming phase; or

a combination thereof.

20. The method according to claim 17 , further comprising:

determining, by the controller, a settlement phase of the game,

wherein the settlement phase includes a chip collection phase during which at least one gaming chip from each losing player of the game is collected, a chip payout phase during which at least one gaming chip is paid out to each winning player of the game, or a combination thereof.

Assignments (2)

Priority Claims (1)

Continuity (4)

References Cited (118)