RFID-enabled systems for facilitating table games

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10967246-B2
Application number	US-201916257014-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 24, 2019
Priority date	Jun 7, 2010
Publication date	Apr 6, 2021
Grant date	Apr 6, 2021

Abstract

A gaming table provides for use of RFID technology to track chip movement on a table game and to infer an association between a wager and a player position based on a chip identifier of a chip placed on a particular position of the table. In some embodiments, previous position history of the chip is also taken into account in determining a player position associated with a wager.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for facilitating a card game, wherein the method is performed based on data received from an RFID-enabled gaming system that comprises a table apparatus, the table apparatus (i) having positioned thereon a plurality of player positions, each player position for association with a respective player position RFID antenna; and (ii) comprising a memory storing (a) information about RFID-enabled chips usable on the table apparatus for a card game; and (b) information about remote players that are not physically present at the table apparatus yet placing wagers on a card game conducted on the table apparatus, the method comprising:
receiving a first indication, the first indication being that a first RFID-enabled chip has been acquired at an RFID antenna associated with a particular player position, the indication including an identifier of the particular RFID antenna that acquired the first RFID-enabled chip and a unique identifier of the first RFID-enabled chip, thereby determining a first specific RFID-enabled chip and a first acquiring antenna;
registering, for a current event of the card game, a first wager as corresponding to at least one of a player position or a player associated with the first acquiring antenna;
receiving a selection of the current event of the card game from a remote player via a user interface of a remote wagering device,
wherein the remote wagering device is configured to output to the remote player a second indication, the second indication being of at least one of a game event and at least one table apparatus which the remote player may remotely join, and
wherein the second indication comprises at least one of an alert and a location service that assists the remote player in finding at least one game event and at least one table apparatus available for joining remotely based on at least one characteristic;

receiving, for the current event of the card game, data defining a second wager placed by the remote player that is not seated at a player position of the table apparatus;
registering, for the current event of the card game, the second wager as corresponding to the remote player; and
resolving a result for the current event of the card game based on at least the first wager and the second wager.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein registering the first wager comprises registering a type and a magnitude of the first wager based on at least one of a denomination and a placement of the first specific RFID-enabled chip.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
automatically configuring betting options output to the remote player via the remote wagering device to accurately reflect live events of the card game at the table apparatus.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one characteristic comprises at least one of trend information, wager information and number of bettors information.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adding a virtual player position to a representation of the table apparatus based on the data defining the second wager.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote player is a player located within an area of a casino in which the table apparatus is located but not seated at a player position of the table apparatus.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the remote wagering device is a device that is physically attached to a chair, cabinet, wall, podium or other physical element in the casino.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the remote wagering device comprises at least one of a tablet computer, a laptop or a smartphone.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the first wager and the second wager comprises a re-characterization wager.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
recognizing a plurality of distinct wagers as having been placed on a wager type identified in a particular area of a surface of the table apparatus.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
identifying that at least one of the wagers of the plurality of wagers corresponds to the remote player.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein recognizing the plurality of distinct wagers comprises recognizing, based on data received from at least one of RFID and an optical camera associated with the system, at least two distinct stacks of RFID-enabled chips as having been placed within the particular area.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the table apparatus further comprises, as associated with the particular area, two RFID antennas, one RFID antenna of the two RFID antennas being designated for recognizing wagers of a first player and the other RFID antenna of the two RFID antennas being designated for recognizing wagers of a second player.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the particular area is at least one player position of the plurality of player positions, the first player is a player that is seated at the player position, and the second player is a remote player that is not seated at the at least one player position.

15. A system for facilitating a card game, comprising:
a table apparatus, the table apparatus having positioned thereon
a plurality of player positions, each player position for association with a respective player position RFID antenna; and
a processor operable to communicate with each of the respective player position RFID antennas; and
a memory accessible to the processor, the memory storing (i) information about RFID-enabled chips usable on the table apparatus for a card game; (ii) information about remote players that are not physically present at the table apparatus yet placing wagers on a card game conducted on the table apparatus; and (iii) a program, wherein the processor is operable with the program to:
receive a first indication, the first indication being that a first RFID-enabled chip has been acquired at an RFID antenna associated with a particular player position, the indication including an identifier of the particular RFID antenna that acquired the first RFID-enabled chip and a unique identifier of the first RFID-enabled chip, thereby determining a first specific RFID-enabled chip and a first acquiring antenna;
register, for a current event of the card game, a first wager as corresponding to at least one of a player position or a player associated with the first acquiring antenna;
receive a selection of the current event of the card game from a remote player via a user interface of a remote wagering device,
wherein the remote wagering device is configured to output to the remote player a second indication, the second indication being of at least one of a game event and at least one table apparatus which the remote player may remotely join, and
wherein the second indication comprises at least one of an alert and a location service that assists the remote player in finding at least one game event and at least one table apparatus available for joining remotely based on at least one characteristic;

receive, for the current event of the card game, data defining a second wager placed by the remote player that is not seated at a player position of the table apparatus;
register, for the current event of the card game, the second wager as corresponding to the remote player; and
resolve a result for the current event of the card game based on at least the first wager and the second wager.

16. The system of claim 15 ,
wherein the processor being operable with the program to register the first wager comprises the processor being operable with the program to register a type and a magnitude of the first wager based on a denomination and placement of the firs

Assignees

• Walker Digital Table Systems Llc

Inventors

• Moore Stephen
• Besterman Brian
• Bischoff Jeff

Classifications

• A63F2009/2429

  IC card, chip card, smart card · CPC title

• A63F2009/2489

  by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID · CPC title

• A63F9/24

  Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for · CPC title

• A63F3/00157 Primary

  Casino or betting games (horse races A63F3/00082) · CPC title

• A63F1/06

  Card game appurtenances · CPC title