Discard rack with card reader for playing cards

Abstract

A card verification station moves and reads suit and rank of individual cards. The cards are provided to a card in-feed area and moved individually to a card collection area. A device may comprise a) a card in-feed area with card moving elements that move only a bottom card from a set of cards in the card in-feed area, b) a card collection area that receives cards from the card moving area in the same order as cards are received in the card in-feed area, c) an image capture device that captures data from a card while the card is between the card in-feed area and the card collection area, d) a processor capable of controlling the operation of the card verification station, and e) an elevator that lowers to maintain a level at which cards are received in the card collection area. A method of verifying a group of playing cards is also disclosed.

1 . A card verification station that moves playing cards and reads suit and rank of individual playing cards between a card in-feed area and a card collection area, the card verification station comprising: 
 a card in-feed area with playing card moving elements that move individual playing cards from a set of cards in the card in-feed area,    a card collection area that receives playing cards from the card moving area in the same order as playing cards are received in the card in-feed area,    an image capture device that captures data from a playing card before the playing card is received in the card collection area, wherein the image capture device is capable of sending signals to an image-capture processor    a card verification station processor capable of controlling the operation of the card verification station, and    an elevator that raises and lowers to maintain a level at which playing cards are received in the card collection area.    
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the elevator raises playing cards to an upper surface of the card verification station to assist in manual playing card removal.  
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the card moving elements move only a bottom playing card, and wherein the card moving elements comprise rollers.  
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the image capture device operates in a manner selected from the group consisting of: continuously and discontinuously.  
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 4  wherein the image capture device is triggered to capture an image by a sensor that senses card location.  
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 5  wherein the sensor that senses card location senses passage or presence of a card edge.  
     
     
         7 . The device of  claim 1  wherein a jam recovery program is in memory communicating with the card verification station.  
     
     
         8 . The device of  claim 7  wherein jam recovery is initiated by a command entered on the card verification station.  
     
     
         9 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the card verification station processor is internal to the device.  
     
     
         10 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the image capture device sends signals to an external image capture processor, and wherein the external processor compares a rank and suit of the read cards to data representing a complete deck or complete multiple decks of cards.  
     
     
         11 . The device of  claim 1  wherein the image capture device sends signals to at least one of the group consisting of an external processor, a microprocessor and a G-Mod.  
     
     
         12 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the image capture processor and the card verification station processor is a single processor.  
     
     
         13 . A card verification device that moves individual playing cards from a card in-feed area to card collection area and reads both suit and rank of each playing card before the individual playing card is deposited in the card collection area, the device comprising: 
 a card in-feed area with card moving elements that move only a bottom playing card from a set of playing cards in the card in-feed area,    a card collection area that receives playing cards from the card moving area in the same sense as playing cards are received in the card in-feed area,    an image capture device that captures data from each playing card as the card moves from the card in-feed area to the card collection area,    a communication port to send out captured data to a processor, and    an elevator that raises or lowers to maintain a level at which playing cards are received in the card collection area.    
     
     
         14 . A method of verifying a group of playing cards at a casino card table comprising: providing a card verification station on a live gaming table, feeding a set of playing cards into a hand in-feed area, moving playing cards one at a time from a bottom of the set of playing cards in the in-feed area, reading the suit and rank of each playing card before the playing card is deposited into a card collection area, depositing each playing card in the card collection area in the same order as the cards are fed and sensing that playing cards had been fed into the card in-feed area.  
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the card collection area comprises an elevator with a support surface, and the support surface is lowered as playing cards are fed into the card collection area.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13  wherein images of symbols representing suit and rank are taken discontinuously.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein snapshot images of symbols are triggered by cards being sensed by trigger sensors.  
     
     
         18 . A method of verifying a deck of playing cards, comprising: 
 providing a deck verification device capable of reading playing cards individually to determine rank and suit;    feeding in a group of playing cards selected from the group consisting of: a deck of playing cards, plural decks of playing cards, special decks of playing cards and plural special decks of playing cards;    reading rank and suit of each playing card;    forming a stack of read playing cards, wherein the playing cards are in the same order as they were in prior to reading;    comparing the rank and suit of the read playing cards to stored values for a complete deck or decks of playing cards; and    providing a visual indication of deviations between the rank and/or suit of read playing cards and stored values.    
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the stack of read playing cards is lifted to a top surface of the deck verification device after reading.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein reading of the rank and suit is made on standard playing cards.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein playing cards are read using machine vision software.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the stored values of a complete deck of playing cards are stored in a computer external to the card verification station.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the card verification station is located proximate the gaming table.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the card verification station is flush mounted into an upper surface of the gaming table.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein data collected from the reading of the playing cards is date stamped by at least one of a microprocessor and a G-Mod prior to transmission to an external database.  
     
     
         26 . A system for verifying at least one deck of cards, the system comprising: 
 a card reading station having a card input tray, a card feeder, a receiving tray, an elevator and a card-reading imager;    an external computer with memory and stored data representing a complete at least one deck in memory;    an operator input interface for activating the card reading station;    wherein read cards are compared with stored data and deviations between the stored values and read values are displayed.    
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 26  and further comprising a printer for printing displayed durations.  
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 26  wherein the operator input interface is selected from the group consisting of a keyboard and touchpad controls.  
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 26  wherein an order of cards prior to reading is identical to an order of cards after feeding.  
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 26  wherein multiple decks of cards are verified.  
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein eight standard decks are verified in a cycle.  
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one deck is verified prior to use in a casino game.  
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 30 , wherein the at least one deck is verified as part of decommissioning cards.