Bet sensing apparatuses and related devices and methods

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10290178-B2
Application number	US-201815933074-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2018
Priority date	Jan 11, 2013
Publication date	May 14, 2019
Grant date	May 14, 2019

Abstract

A bet sensor for sensing values of gaming tokens may include a bet placement surface configured and oriented to support a stack of gaming tokens thereon and an image sensor located and oriented to capture an image of a lateral side surface of at least one gaming token located on the bet placement surface. The image may depict the lateral side surface in a radial format. The bet sensor may include a processor in communication with the image sensor. The processor is configured to acquire image data from the image and analyze the image data to determine a wager value of the at least one gaming token. A gaming table may include such a bet sensor. The disclosure includes methods of operating such a gaming table.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A bet sensor, comprising:
a bet placement surface configured and oriented to support a stack of gaming tokens;
an image sensor located and oriented to capture at least one color image of at least a portion of a circumference of at least one gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens located on the bet placement surface; and
a processor in communication with the image sensor, the processor configured to:
acquire image data from the at least one color image; and
analyze the image data to determine a wager value of the at least one gaming token based, at least in part, on the image data.

2. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to capture the at least one color image of the at least a portion of the circumference the at least one gaming about a majority of a circumference of the at least one gaming token.

3. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the image sensor is configured to capture the at least one color image of the at least a portion of the circumference of the at least one gaming token comprising a colored pattern of the at least one gaming token extending around the circumference of the at least one gaming token.

4. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the wager value of the at least one gaming token where the at least one color image is the same as at least one color image of at least another gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens.

5. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the wager value of the at least one gaming token where a colored portion of the at least one gaming token is the same as a colored portion of each gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens.

6. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
acquire image data from the at least one color image and analyze the image data to determine wager values from each gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens; and
sum the wager values to determine a total wager value of the stack of gaming tokens.

7. The bet sensor of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the wager values from each gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens where the wager values comprise a common wager value.

8. The bet sensor of claim 6 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the wager values from each gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens where the wager values comprise differing wager values.

9. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to individually determine a wager value of each gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens utilizing at least one image of colored portions of each gaming token.

10. The bet sensor of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine the wager value of the at least one gaming token based on a colored portion comprising a colored pattern on a lateral side surface of the at least one gaming token.

11. The bet sensor of claim 1 , further comprising memory associated with the processor, the memory containing stored values of colored portions of gaming tokens, wherein the processor is configured to compare a colored portion of the at least one gaming token with the stored values of colored portions of gaming tokens.

12. A bet sensor, comprising:
an image sensor configured to capture at least one image of a lateral side surface of at least one gaming token from a position below the at least one gaming token, wherein the image sensor is configured to capture a pattern on the lateral side surface of the at least one gaming token about a majority of a circumference of the at least one gaming token; and
a processor in communication with the image sensor, the processor configured to acquire image data from the at least one image and analyze the image data to determine a wager value of the at least one gaming token.

13. The bet sensor of claim 12 , further comprising memory associated with the processor, the memory containing a plurality of pattern match candidates, each of the plurality of pattern match candidates comprising a depiction of a pattern on a lateral side surface of an associated template gaming token, each associated template gaming token having an associated wager value stored in the memory.

14. The bet sensor of claim 12 , wherein the image sensor is configured to capture the pattern on the lateral side surface of the at least one gaming token comprising a pattern of colors.

15. The bet sensor of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a another pattern of another gaming token of a stack of gaming tokens where the another pattern of the another gaming token is the same as the pattern of the at least one gaming token.

16. The bet sensor of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a pattern of each gaming token of a stack of gaming tokens where the pattern of each gaming token is the same as the pattern of the at least one gaming token.

17. A gaming device, comprising:
a gaming device having a surface for performing at least one gaming-related act; and
bet sensors located proximate the surface of the gaming device, the bet sensors each comprising the bet sensor of claim 1 .

18. A method of determining a wager value with a bet sensor, the method comprising:
capturing, with an image sensor, a colored pattern about an outermost lateral boundary of at least one gaming token;
analyzing image data of the colored pattern with at least one processor; and
determining a wager value of the at least one gaming token with the at least one processor based on the colored pattern.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein determining a wager value of the at least one gaming token with the at least one processor comprises determining the wager value of the at least one gaming token in a stack of gaming tokens with the at least one processor where a wagering value of at least another gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens is the same as the wager value of the at least one gaming token.

20. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining a wager value of at least another gaming token with the at least one processor based on a colored pattern of the at least another gaming token, wherein the wager value of at least another gaming token is the same as the wager value of the at least one gaming token.

21. The method of claim 18 , further comprising determining a wager value of each gaming token of a stack of gaming tokens with the at least one processor, wherein the wager value of each gaming token of the stack of gaming tokens is the same as the wager value of the at least one gaming token.

Assignees

• Bally Gaming Inc

Inventors

• Czyzewski Zbigniew
• Wadds Nathan J
• Bajorins David
• Fox Daniel
• Jakuc Maciej

Classifications

• G07F17/3248

  involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value · CPC title

• G07F17/322 Primary

  Casino tables, e.g. tables having integrated screens, chip detection means · CPC title

• G07F17/3232

  wherein the operator is informed · CPC title

• Y10T29/49826

  Assembling or joining · CPC title

• G07F17/3288

  Betting, e.g. on live events, bookmaking · CPC title