Hand-forming card shuffler and method of operation thereof

Abstract

A card handling device is configured to arrange one or more cards into sets or hands. The card handling device may have a card receiving area, a card infeed mechanism for delivering cards from the receiving area to a receiver for forming the card sets or hands, and an ejector for ejecting cards to a card dispensing area. The card handling device may utilize a first controller to generate a virtual card structure and correlate read card information therewith for generating hand information, and may utilize a secondary controller to generate card location information for each card for placement of each card in the generated location of the card receiver.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of shuffling cards comprising:
 generating a virtual deck structure, said virtual deck structure defining a virtual card assignment for a plurality of cards;   feeding cards one at a time from a bottom of a card receiving area of a shuffling device;   reading card information from each of said cards fed from said card receiving area;   generating information regarding an assigned location for each of said cards fed from said card receiving area;   utilizing said information regarding said assigned location for each of said cards to move a card receiver comprising a plurality of vertically arranged dividers defining a plurality of card receiving locations to a position in which the assigned location from said plurality of card receiving pockets is arranged to receive said card;   delivering said cards into said assigned locations of said card receiver; and   associating said card information for each card to each virtual card assignment of said virtual deck structure.   
     
     
         2 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein each card location comprises a card pocket of said card receiving area. 
     
     
         3 . The method in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said virtual deck structure is generated by first controller and is stored in a first memory and said information regarding an assigned location is generated by a second controller. 
     
     
         4 . The method in accordance with  claim 3 , wherein said secondary controller generates output signals for causing said card receiver to move in order to deliver said cards into said assigned locations. 
     
     
         5 . The method of shuffling in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising storing information regarding said assigned location for each card separately from said virtual deck structure and said associated card information and virtual card assignment. 
     
     
         6 . The method in accordance with  claim 5 , wherein said information regarding said assigned location is stored in a memory which is associated with a secondary controller and said information regarding said virtual deck structure and said associated card information and virtual card assignment is stored in a memory associated with a main controller. 
     
     
         7 . The method of shuffling in accordance with  claim 1 , comprising delivering more than one of said cards to at least one card location, thereby forming at least one group of cards in at least one of said card location. 
     
     
         8 . The method of shuffling in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said step of delivering comprises moving a card towards said card receiver, causing an edge of said card to impact a ramp of one of said dividers to direct said card into said assigned location. 
     
     
         9 . The method of shuffling in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein said step of delivering comprises changing a vertical position of said card receiver. 
     
     
         10 . The method of shuffling in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising ejecting cards associated with each of said card locations at different times. 
     
     
         11 . A card shuffler comprising:
 a housing, said housing defining a card receiving area for receiving one or more cards;   a movable card receiver located in said housing, said card receiver defining a plurality of card locations;   a card infeed mechanism configured to feed cards from said card receiving area and deliver said cards to said movable card receiver;   a card reader configured to read card information corresponding to each card being delivered to said movable card receiver;   a card ejector configured to move cards out of said card receiver and into a card dispensing area;   a main controller and a first memory, said main controller configured to generate a virtual deck structure and to store information regarding said virtual device structure in said first memory and to receive said read card information from said card reader and associate said read card information with the virtual deck structure; and   a secondary controller and a second memory, said secondary controller configured to generate card location information for each card delivered to said movable card reader and to cause each card delivered to said movable card reader to be delivered to said generated card location thereof.   
     
     
         12 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said card receiver comprises a plurality of card pockets. 
     
     
         13 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said card receiver is movable on an elevator. 
     
     
         14 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein said elevator is movable by a belt which is driven by a motor which is activated by said second controller. 
     
     
         15 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said first memory and said second memory are part of a common memory device. 
     
     
         16 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said first controller is configured to generate hand information based upon said associated read card information and virtual deck structure. 
     
     
         17 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 16 , further comprising a display and wherein said first controller is configured to cause said hand information to be displayed by said display. 
     
     
         18 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said card reader is configured to read said card information as each card is moved from said card receiving area to said movable card receiver. 
     
     
         19 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein said virtual deck structure comprises a virtual card position for each of said one or more cards. 
     
     
         20 . The card shuffler in accordance with  claim 19 , wherein said virtual card positions are randomly selected.