 shuffling either a single deck or two decks of cards to be used in hand pitched games such as poker, single deck blackjack and double deck blackjack.
The device of an embodiment of the invention collection surface receiving cards in a manner such that that all cards are inserted into the collection area below the top surface of the device. An elevator is provided for raising and lowering the collection surface during shuffling, and elevating the shuffled (alternatively referred to as ‘randomized’)). A card suspension mechanism such as a pair of oppositely spaced grippers the attendant or dealer and used for dealing. While cards are being dealt, a second group of cards is being randomized. The use of two separate groups of cards on one gaming table eliminates any waiting on the part of the dealer or the casino patrons between rounds of play, because one group of cards is shuffled while the other group of cards is used in play of a game.
There are a number of special features that combine to make the present invention a significant advance over previously described card shuffling systems and card shuffling processes. Among entire group of shuffled cards to the playing table surface. The same elevator advantageously assists in accomplishing shuffling within the card collection and/or card mixing area.
The card collection area in one example of the invention has a plurality of vertical supports (e.g., 2 or 3 walls, or four walls with a manually accessible area where the lowest card may be gripped), and a moveable lower surface. The elevator supports this moveable lower surface (also referred to herein as the collection surface) and causes the surface to move back and fourth (relatively up and down) in a substantially vertical direction. One function of the movement of the second elevator (during the shuffling or randomizing sequence)) card).
In a preferred mode of operation of the shuffler of the present invention, a picking, gripping or separating system is provided for suspending all of or segments of the stack of cards present in the card collection area, creating an opening in the group of cards, so that a next card or cards can be inserted in specific locations relative to other cards in the stack. A variant of this system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,651,981 (assigned to Shuffle Master, Inc. and which is incorporated herein by reference). According to that invention, the picking, gripping or card suspending system is fixed in the vertical direction. By randomly selecting a vertical position for the.
Offset rollers are the preferred mechanism provided for moving the individual cards from the card receiving area into the card collection area, although air jets, belts, injection plates, injection blades and the like may also be used for moving individual cards or small numbers of cards (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5. A single belt drive is provided in one example of the invention for driving two spaced apart and opposed vertically disposed picking elements in a card segment picking system. The picking elements are vertically disposed along the path of movement of the collection area of cards in the collection area, and are horizontally disposed or opposed with respect to each other. The picking elements are preferably fixed with respect to the vertical. same microprocessor (in the shuffling device or in an associated game device) or a separate or parallel microprocessor is used to direct the calibration steps. In one example of the invention, the picking elements move horizontally to grasp opposite edges of a group of cards. Other suspension systems are contemplated, such as inserting a flat or pointed member between the cards above the point of separation.. Preferably a card feed mechanism is stationary and feeds cards individually into a gap created in the stack.
The device may have one or more card supporting elements comprising at least one vertically disposed element. Or, a horizontally disposed flat member such as a pair of forks or a flat plate may be inserted between the cards, so that when the elevator is lowered, an insertion point or gap is formed. The substack may be defined as all cards within the ‘dead’ areas within the collection stack of cards..
In one example of the invention, the microprocessor instructs the device to feed a first single horizontal.
The microprocessor is communicatively connected to the device and is most preferably located within the exterior shell of the device. The microprocessor may be programmed to lower the card collection surface within the card collection area a specified distance after the at least one card supporting element has contacted and supported cards, suspending a group of cards within the card collection area, and leaving other cards on the card collection surface, thereby known sensing methods.. This method, including measurement of card thickness, will be described in more detail below. In the alternative, the microprocessor may be programmed to select a specific card position below or above a certain card, and then creating the gap. When the card supporting element moves to contact cards within the card collection area, and the elevator moves the card supporting surface downwardly, a gap is created for receiving the next card.
The elevator operates in a unique manner to position cards relative to the pickers or grippers within the shuffling chamber. This unique operation offers significant benefits that remove the need for human intervention in the set up or continuing operation of the shuffling device. Among the alternative and optional unique features of the operation of the shuffling device of the present invention are included the following sequence of events. These events need not necessary be combined within a single process to represent inventive steps, as individual steps and combinations of two or more steps may be used to define inventive processes.
According to one method,. Calibration is typically called for (either manually or automatically) when a new deck or group of cards is inserted into the machine, and prior to shuffling.pper successfully grips the card(s), a sensor identifies either that the card(s) have been gripped by the grippers or the card(s) remain on the.
The offset position (i.e., in a horizontal direction) of the gripping arms is first set. The grippers move inwardly a predetermined distance initially and in repeated testing. For example, in the first coarse gripping attempt, the grippers may move in 10 or 15 or other number of steps. A larger number than one step or unit is desirable initially to assure finer gripping steps are added to the gripper movement to assure gripping even when there is slight elastic bending of the card by the grippers so that more cards can be supported and so that cards will not slip. This may be 1, 2, 4, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15 or any other number of steps to assure.
Next, the platform height offset is to be set (i.e., in a vertical direction). coarse series of a number of steps (again, in the initial gripping attempt, using larger numbers of steps is desirable to speed up the overall process, while during a more refined positioned identification/calibration sequence, smaller numbers of steps (i.e., finer steps), even single steps, would be used) and the grippers are activated after each step, until the card (or set of cards) is caught by the gripper for the first time. The number of steps moved each time for the first gripping action is preferably larger than single steps to assure that this card will be gripped at the lowermost edge of the grippers. Again this may be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,... 8,... 10, 15 etc. steps (or any number in between or larger number of steps). Once the calibration set of card(s) (typically one card) is gripped, this is an indication that the platform has now raised the cards to an elevation that is at least the elevation of the bottom of the grippers. Once gripping has occurred, the elevator is then lowered by a smaller number of incremental stop positions (a finer adjustment) and a new position evaluated as to whether the grippers would then grip the calibration card or cards..
Once the card has been lowered just below the gripper, a second calibration card is added to the card collection surface. The elevator position is registered) determined that one card has been gripped and lifted off the support plate and another card(s) remains on the support plate. To this position is added a number of steps equal to a card thickness, and this final position is defined as the platform offset and identifies the position where the bottom-most card would be lifted off of the support plate. are counted and this number is recorded.
The processor uses both pieces of information to calculate an average card thickness, and to associate the number of motor steps to one card thickness. This information is then used in positioning the elevator for precise placement in the next shuffle. one or more cards, or one or more cards fall back into the shuffling chamber, the gripper action may be automatically or manually (by an operator signal) adjusted to provided greater force on the cards (i.e., in a horizontal direction), entitled “Method and Apparatus for Automatically Cutting and Shuffling Playing Cards”, the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference. The display may then indicate information relating to the state of the shuffler, such as the indication “AUTO ADJUST COMPLETE” and the operator may proceed with normal shuffling procedures, with or without further instruction on the display panel.
The calibration process described above is preferably repeated periodically to compensate for swelling and bending of the cards. The process may be repeated after a specified number of shuffling cycles, after a specified period of time, after a specified amount of use, when a new group of cards is inserted into the machine, at the request of the user or by any other means. In a preferred form of the invention, two cards are initially fed into the device and separated prior to each new shuffle to verify that the device is still calibrated properly. If the cards do not separate, the calibration sequence is initiated. The device of the present invention includes a jam recovery feature similar to that described in Breeding