Table game management system with performance metrics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10366576-B2
Application number	US-201415535238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 12, 2014
Priority date	Dec 12, 2014
Publication date	Jul 30, 2019
Grant date	Jul 30, 2019

Abstract

In a table game system provided by the present invention, a card shoe used in a table game can be used to calculate periods associated with the progress of the game handled by a dealer, particularly periods from the time when a card is drawn from a card accommodating section to the time when a result of the game is displayed, such as a game play period, and other periods excluding the play period which includes a bet period and a bet settlement period.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A table game system comprising:
a card shoe including:
a card accommodating section that accommodates a set of cards formed by a plurality of decks of playing cards;
an opening through which the cards of the set are drawn one by one from the card accommodating section onto a game table;
a card sensor that senses that one of the cards is drawn and outputs a signal;
a card reading section that reads at least a rank of the drawn card;
a win/loss evaluating section that performs a win/loss evaluation of a card game based on information on the rank of the card read by the card reading section;
a win/loss evaluation result output section that outputs a result of the win/loss evaluation performed by the win/loss evaluating section; and
a result output start control section that controls start of the win/loss evaluation result output performed by the win/loss evaluation result output section; and

a management control section that:
includes an error sensing section that memorizes a predetermined rule of the card game and senses an error state that is against the rule of the card game; and
is configured to:
receive from the card sensor a signal representing that a card has been drawn and sensed;
determine how many cards have been drawn in the card game;
receive a signal from the result output start control section;
memorize a time when the win/loss evaluation result output starts;
identify a recovery from the error state by identifying at least one of:
(1) a drawing of a subsequent card from the card shoe in a course of the game; and
(2) the win/loss evaluation result output by the win/loss evaluation result output section;

measure, as a play period, a time between (a) when a first of the cards is drawn in the game and (b) when the win/loss evaluation result output starts; and
measure, as an error recovery period, a time between (a) when the error state is sensed and (b) when the recovery from the error state is identified.

2. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the card shoe further includes a result output stop control section that controls stop of the win/loss evaluation result output performed by the win/loss evaluation result output section; and
the management control section is configured to:
receive a signal from the result output stop control section;
memorize a time when the win/loss evaluation result output stops; and
at least one of:
measure, as a bet settlement period, a time (a) from when the win/loss evaluation result output starts (b) to when the win/loss evaluation result output stops; and
measure, as a bet period, a time between (a) when the win/loss evaluation result output in a first game stops and (b) when a first card is drawn in a second game that follows the first game.

3. The table game system according to claim 2 , wherein the management control section adds a result of the measurement of the bet settlement period to a result of the measurement of the bet period and memorizes a result of the addition as a period excluding play.

4. The table game system according to claim 3 , wherein the management control section adds the play period to a result of the measurement of the period excluding play and memorizes a result of the addition as a game period.

5. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein the management control section is further configured to at least one of:
measure, as a dealing period, a time between (a) when the first card of the card game is drawn and (b) when a fourth card of the card game is drawn; and
measure, as a player's period of the play period, a time between (a) when the fourth card is drawn and (b) when the win/loss evaluation result output starts.

6. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein the management control section is configured to for each of at least one of (a) the measured play period and (b) one or more other measured periods:
set a respective standard guideline period corresponding to the respective measured period; and
when the respective measured period exceeds its corresponding standard guideline period, output an indication that the respective measured period exceeds the respective standard guideline period.

7. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein the management control section is configured to, for each of at least one of (a) the measured play period and (b) one or more other measured periods:
calculate an average of the respective measured period as measured in each of a plurality of games.

8. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein the management control section is configured to calculate a ratio of one of a plurality of periods measured by the management control section to another of the plurality of periods measured by the management control section.

9. The table game system according to claim 1 , further comprising bet area sensing means for sensing whether or not a respective bet is present in a respective one of a plurality of bet areas on the game table, wherein the plurality of bet areas includes a player's area and a banker's area, and the management control section further:
evaluates, based on information sensed by the bet area sensing means, whether (1) a bet has been placed in the player's area, and (2) a bet has been placed in the banker's area; and
memorizes or outputs a result of the evaluation in relation to at least one of the measured play period and one or other measured periods.

10. The table game system according to claim 1 , further comprising bet area sensing means for sensing whether or not a bet is present in a bet area on the game table, wherein the management control section is configured to:
calculate, based on information sensed by the bet area sensing means, data on a number of players at the table game, and
memorize or output the calculated number of players in relation to at least one period measured by the management control section.

11. The table game system according claim 1 , wherein the table game system further comprises dealer ID sensing means for sensing a dealer ID given to a dealer responsible for the game table in use, and the management control section memorizes or outputs the sensed dealer ID in relation to at least one period of the card game measured by the management control section.

12. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein the management control section further includes output means for outputting results of a measurement of at least one period measured by the management control section to an apparatus external to the card shoe in a wired or wireless manner.

13. The table game system according to claim 1 , wherein the management control section is accommodated in the card shoe.

14. A table game system comprising:
a card shoe including:
a card accommodating section that accommodates a set of cards formed by a plurality of decks of playing cards;
an opening through which the cards of the set are drawn one by one from the card accommodating section onto a game table;
a card sensor that senses that one of the cards is drawn and outputs a signal;
a card reading section that reads at least a rank of the drawn card;
a win/loss evaluating section that performs a win/loss evaluation of a card game based on information on the rank of the card read by the card reading section;
a win/loss evaluation result output section that outputs a result of the win/loss evaluation performed by the win/loss evaluating section; and
a result output start control section that controls start of the win/loss evaluation result output performed by the win/loss evaluation result output sec

Assignees

• Angel Playing Cards Co Ltd

Inventors

• Shigeta Yasushi

Classifications

• G07F17/3288

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

• G07F17/3276

  wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament · CPC title

• G07F17/3293

  Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack · CPC title

• A63F1/14 Primary

  Card dealers · CPC title

• G07F17/3269 Primary

  Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine · CPC title