Card arranging device

Abstract

A card arranging device for arranging, in particular shuffling a set of cards, for example one or more decks of playing cards used in the game of Poker, Blackjack, Baccarat, Bridge or Skat by executing a card arranging procedure. The card arranging procedure includes repeatedly executing a position change procedure. In the position change procedure, a card is removed from the set of cards as change position card and re-inserted into the set of cards at a different position. The movement of the change position card for removing from the set of cards and reinsertion into the set of cards may be a movement along a primary lateral axis. Apart from shuffling, the card arranging device may be used for sorting the cards of a set of cards. An integrity checking device to determine if a set of cards is fit for being used.

1 . A card arranging device for arranging a set of cards, the set of cards including a number of playing cards in a target card order,
 wherein the cards each have a proximal card front and a distal card front, the proximal and the distal card front being parallel to each other, wherein the cards each further have a circumferential card edging, the circumferential card edging extending between and connecting the proximal and the distal card front of the respective card,   the card arranging device including:
 a set receptacle, the set receptacle having a proximal receptacle wall, a distal receptacle wall and a receptacle ground, the distal receptacle wall being spaced apart with respect to the proximal receptacle wall in a distal direction along a normal axis by a receptacle clearance, the proximal receptacle wall, the distal receptacle wall and the receptacle ground delimiting a receptacle room in which the set of cards can be accommodated with the proximal card front of a most proximal card facing the proximal receptacle wall and the distal card front of a most distal card facing the distal receptacle wall and with a base section of the circumferential card edging of each card resting on the receptacle ground, 
 a first and second pusher, the first and second pusher being arranged spaced apart with respect to each other along a primary lateral axis, the primary lateral axis extending transverse to the normal axis and opposed second lateral direction, the first and second pusher being arranged to project into the receptacle room, 
 a receptacle-pusher moving unit, the receptacle-pusher moving unit being arranged to vary a relative position between the set receptacle and second pusher along the normal axis and along the primary lateral axis, 
 a card transfer unit, the card transfer unit being configured to move a change position card along the primary lateral axis between the set receptable and an auxiliary card position, 
   wherein the card arranging device is configured to execute a card arranging procedure, the card arranging procedure including repeatedly executing a position change procedure, the position change procedure including:
 a) controlling the receptacle-pusher moving unit to move the first pusher and the set receptacle with respect to each other along the normal axis into a removal position, wherein, in the removal position, the first pusher covers along the normal axis a proximal removal subset of the set of cards and does not cover along the normal axis a distal removal subset of the set of cards, the proximal and distal removal subset being adjacent to each other, 
 b) controlling the receptacle-pusher moving unit to move the first pusher and the set receptacle with respect to each other along the primary lateral axis, thereby pushing the proximal removal subset by the first pusher in the first lateral direction from a standard set configuration into a removal offset set configuration were the proximal removal subset is offset with respect to the distal removal subset in the first lateral direction in an overlapping manner, wherein a most distal card of the proximal removal subset is the change position card, 
 c) controlling the card transfer unit to move the change position card from the set receptacle into the auxiliary card position, thereby removing the change position card from the proximal removal subset, 
 d) controlling the receptacle-pusher moving unit to move the second pusher and the set receptacle with respect to each other along the primary lateral axis, thereby pushing the proximal removal subset by second pusher in a second lateral direction, the second lateral direction being opposed to the first lateral direction, into the standard set configuration, 
 e) controlling the receptacle-pusher moving unit to move the first pusher and the set receptacle with respect to each other along the normal axis into an insertion position different from the removal position, wherein, in the insertion position, the first pusher covers along the normal axis a proximal insertion subset of the set of cards and does not cover along the normal axis a distal insertion subset of the set of cards, the proximal and distal 
 f) controlling the receptacle-pusher moving unit to move the first pusher and the set receptacle with respect to each other along the primary lateral axis, thereby pushing the proximal insertion subset by the first pusher in the first lateral direction from the standard set configuration into an insertion offset set configuration were the proximal insertion subset is offset with respect to the distal insertion subset in the first lateral direction in an overlapping manner, 
 g) controlling the card transfer unit to move the change position card from the auxiliary card position into the set receptacle, thereby inserting the change position card into the set of cards at a position corresponding to an interface between the proximal and the distal insertion subset, 
 h) controlling the receptacle-pusher moving unit to move the second pusher and the set receptacle with respect to each other along the primary lateral axis, thereby pushing the cards of the set of cards by the second pusher into the standard set configuration. 
   
     
     
         2 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second pusher are rigidly coupled by being formed integral with each other. 
     
     
         3 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the set receptacle is movable with respect to a support structure of the card arranging device by the receptacle-pusher moving unit along the normal axis only, and wherein the first and second pusher are movable with respect to the support structure by the receptacle-pusher moving unit along the primary lateral axis only. 
     
     
         4 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle-pusher moving unit includes a receptacle displacement actuator to move the set receptacle with respect to the first and second pusher along the normal axis, and a pusher displacement actuator, being a linear motor, distinct from the receptacle displacement actuator, to displace the first and second pusher with respect to the set receptacle along the primary later axis. 
     
     
         5 . The card arranging device according to  claim 4 , wherein the receptacle displacement actuator is a voice coil actuator. 
     
     
         6 . (canceled) 
     
     
         7 . The card arranging device according to any  claim 1 , wherein the receptacle clearance is variable. 
     
     
         8 . The card arranging device according to  claim 7 , wherein one of the proximal and the distal receptacle wall is a movable wall and the other of the proximal and distal receptacle wall is a reference wall, wherein the card arranging device further includes a wall moving device, the wall moving device including either a retraction solenoid and a biasing spring member or a wall moving voice coil actuator, wherein the movable wall is changeable via the wall moving device between a biasing configuration where the movable wall is biased towards the reference wall and an alternative clearance configuration where the receptacle clearance is larger than an extension of the set of cards along the normal axis. 
     
     
         9 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the card transfer unit is configured to interact with the change position card by way of friction. 
     
     
         10 . The card arranging device according to  claim 9 , wherein the card transfer unit includes a pickup roller, the pickup roller being rotatable about a pickup roller axis by a pickup roller drive, wherein the pickup roller axis extends transverse to the normal axis, parallel to a secondary lateral axis, the secondary lateral axis being transverse to the primary lateral axis, wherein the proximal removal subset can be clamped between the pickup roller and the proximal receptacle wall. 
     
     
         11 . The card arranging device according to  claim 10 , wherein a card-contacting circumferential surface of the pickup roller includes a number of pickup roller flat sections and at least one pickup roller cylindrical section. 
     
     
         12 . The card arranging device according to  claim 10 , wherein the card transfer unit includes a number of transport rollers, the transport rollers being each rotatable about a respective transport roller axis by a transport roller drive, wherein the transport roller axes extends in each case parallel with the pickup roller axis, wherein the transport rollers are arranged offset with respect to the pickup roller in the primary lateral direction. 
     
     
         13 . The card arranging device according to  claim 12 , wherein the transport rollers includes a number of card contact members, the card contact members being axially distributed and spaced apart along the pickup roller axis respectively transport roller axis. 
     
     
         14 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein an outer side of the second pusher, pointing away from the first pusher, is chamfered or bevelled. 
     
     
         15 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the card transfer unit and/or the auxiliary receptacle are designed such that a peripheral region of the change position card is bent in an S-shaped manner in the auxiliary card position. 
     
     
         16 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the target card order is a generally random card order. 
     
     
         17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . (canceled) 
     
     
         19 . The nard arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the card arranging device is configured to execute a card arranging planning procedure,
 wherein the card arranging planning procedure includes determining, based on the target card order and an initial card order, the initial card order corresponding to an order of the cards prior to executing the card arranging procedure, a sequence of card position changes, wherein each card position change corresponds to an altering of a card position of one of the cards within the set of cards.   
     
     
         20 . The card arranging device according to  claim 1 , wherein the card arranging device includes an initial card order determination device, the initial card order determination device including a camera unit and an image processing unit, wherein the initial card order determination device is configured to execute an initial card order determination procedure, the initial card order determination procedure including capturing at least one card image of at least part of proximal card front or distal card front of each card of the set of cards one after the other with the camera unit and determining by the image processing unit the initial card order from the captured images. 
     
     
         21 . The card arranging device according to  claim 20 , the initial card order determination device including:
 a tilting member, wherein the tilting member is configured to project into the receptacle room with a tilting member end being positioned within the receptacle room,   a receptacle tilting member moving unit, the receptacle tilting member moving unit being arranged to vary a relative position between the tilting member and the set receptacle along the normal axis, wherein the receptacle tilting member moving unit is integral with the receptacle-pusher moving unit,   
       wherein the cards of the set of cards may in each case assume a levelled card configuration and an alternative tilted card configuration, wherein the base section of the circumferential card edging of each card rests on the receptacle ground in its levelled configuration, and wherein each card is in its tilted card configuration tilted around a tilting axis parallel to the normal axis with respect to the levelled card configuration by the tilting member pushing against the base section of its circumferential card edging, 
       wherein the initial card order determination procedure includes: staring from an initial set configuration where all cards of the set of cards are in their respective tilted card configuration, controlling the receptacle tilting member moving unit to displace the set receptacle and the tilting member with respect to each other along the normal axis such that the cards pass the tilting member end and lose contact with the tilting member one after the other, thereby moving from their tilted card configuration into their respective levelled card configuration, and capturing the at least one card image of each card before, while or subsequent to moving into its respective levelled card configuration. 
     
     
         22 . The card arranging device according to  claim 21 , wherein the initial card order determination device is configured to determine from the captured images an actual set composition of the set of cards, to compare the actual set composition with a given expected set composition and to provide an indication if the actual set composition does not match the expected set composition. 
     
     
         23 . A method for arranging a set of cards, the set of cards including a number of playing cards in a target card order using a card arranging device, the method including executing a card arranging procedure, the card arranging procedure including repeatedly executing a position change procedure, the position change procedure including:
 removing a change position card from the set of cards, the change position card having an initial card position within the set of cards, the removing of the change position card including moving the change position card along a primary lateral axis j in a first lateral direction and   inserting the change position card into the set of cards at a target card position within the set of cards, the inserting of the change position card including moving the change position card in a second lateral direction, the second lateral direction being opposite to the first lateral direction,   
       wherein the target card position within the set of cards is different from the initial card position within the set of cards. 
     
     
         24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . The card arranging device according to  claim 10 , wherein the pickup roller includes a number of card contact members, the card contact members being axially distributed and spaced apart along the pickup roller axis respectively transport roller axis. 
     
     
         26 . An integrity checking device for checking the integrity of a set of cards, the set of cards including a number of playing cards,
 wherein the cards each have a proximal card front and a distal card front, the proximal and the distal card front being parallel to each other, wherein the cards each further have a circumferential card edging, the circumferential card edging extending between and connecting the proximal and the distal card front of the respective card,   the integrity checking device including:
 a set receptacle, the set receptacle having a proximal receptacle wall, a distal receptacle wall and a receptacle ground, the distal receptacle wall being spaced apart with respect to the proximal receptacle wall in a distal direction along a normal axis by a receptacle clearance, the proximal receptacle wall, the distal receptacle wall and the receptacle ground delimiting a receptacle room in which the set of cards can be accommodated with a proximal card front of a most proximal card facing the proximal receptacle wall and the distal card front of a most distal card facing the distal receptacle wall and with a base section of the circumferential card edging of each card resting on the receptacle ground, 
 a tilting member, the tilting member being configured to project into the receptacle room with a tilting member end being positioned within the receptacle room, 
 a receptacle tilting member moving unit, the receptacle tilting member moving unit being arranged to vary a relative position between the tilting member and the set receptacle along the normal axis, 
 a camera unit and an image processing unit, 
   wherein the cards of the set of cards may in each case assume a levelled card configuration and an alternative tilted card configuration, wherein the base section of the circumferential card edging of each card rests on the receptacle ground in its levelled configuration and wherein and wherein in its respective tilted card configuration, each card is tilted around a tilting axis parallel to the normal axis with respect to the levelled card configuration by the tilting member pushing against the base section of its circumferential card edging,   wherein the integrity checking device is configured to execute an integrity checking procedure, the integrity checking procedure including:
 staring from an initial set configuration where all cards of the set of cards are in their respective tilted card configuration, 
 controlling the receptacle tilting member moving unit to displace the set receptacle and the tilting member with respect to each other along the normal axis such that the cards pass the tilting member end and lose contact with the tilting member one after the other, thereby moving from their tilted card configuration into their respective levelled card configuration, 
 capturing at least one card image of at least part of the proximal card front or distal card front of each card of the set of cards one after the other with the camera unit, 
   the integrity checking procedure further including: determining from the captured images an actual set composition of the set of cards, comparing by the image processing unit the actual set composition with a given expected set composition and providing an indication if the actual set composition does not match the expected set composition.