Automatic card shufflers and related methods of automatic jam recovery

Abstract

Automatic card shufflers may include a card input mechanism for inputting cards into the card shuffler, a card storage device for receiving cards from the card input mechanism and temporarily storing cards within the card shuffler, and a card output mechanism for outputting cards from the card shuffler. The automatic card shufflers may randomly select an internal compartment to be an overflow compartment for inserting cards when a failure of insertion of a card to a selected primary card position occurs.

1 . A method of handling cards, the method comprising:
 randomly determining at least one compartment of a card shuffler to be an overflow compartment;   randomly determining a primary card position for each card of a number of cards; and   transferring a card of the number of cards into the overflow compartment responsive to failing to insert the card in its randomly defined primary card position.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising inserting a card into the primary card position. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising identifying a failure to insert the card after at least two failed attempts to insert the card into the primary card position and transferring the card into the overflow compartment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein randomly determining the primary card position for each card comprises:
 randomly selecting a compartment of the card shuffler; and   randomly determining a position within the compartment of the card shuffler.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising positioning the compartment of the card shuffler that was randomly selected adjacent to a card input mechanism. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 positioning the compartment in an offset location with a center of compartment offset from the card input mechanism in a direction away from the position within the compartment that was randomly determined;   inserting the card into the compartment; and   moving the compartment from the offset location toward a centered location with the center of the compartment centered on the card input mechanism as the card is inserted into the compartment.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein randomly determining the primary card position for each card comprises ignoring positions associated with the overflow compartment. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising adjusting one or more of the primary card positions responsive to randomly determining the at least one compartment of the card shuffler to be the overflow compartment. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising randomly determining at least two compartments of the card shuffler to be overflow compartments. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 attempting to insert a card in the primary card position;   responsive to failing to insert the card in the primary card position, incrementally moving compartments of the card shuffler relative to the card;   after incrementally moving the compartments of the card shuffler, attempting to insert the card in the primary card position.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein transferring the card into the overflow compartment responsive to failing to insert the card in its randomly defined primary card position comprises transferring the card into the overflow compartment after a pre-determined number of failed attempts to insert the card in the primary card position. 
     
     
         12 . A method of handling cards, the method comprising:
 randomly determining a primary card position in a rack for each card of a number of cards;   moving a card of the number of cards to the primary card position in the rack associated with the card;   attempting to insert the card in the primary card position in the rack;   responsive to failing to insert the card in the primary card position the rack, incrementally moving the rack;   after incrementally moving the rack, attempting to insert the card in the primary card position in the rack.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising repeating a process of incrementally moving the rack and attempting to insert the card in the primary card position in the rack until the card moves into the primary card position in the rack. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising calibrating a home position of the rack, wherein attempting to insert the card in the primary card position comprises attempting to insert the card beneath the rack. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein calibrating the home position of the rack further comprises setting the home position when the card moves into a space beneath the rack. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising moving the card into the space beneath the rack without losing a grip on the card. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein setting the home position comprises recording a position measurement from an encoder operatively coupled to the rack. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 randomly selecting a card storage compartment as an overflow compartment; and   moving the card to the overflow compartment after a predetermined number of attempts to insert the card in the primary card position in the rack.   
     
     
         19 . An automatic card shuffler, comprising:
 a card input mechanism for receiving a number of cards;   a number of card storage compartments; and   a control system configured to:
 randomly select a primary card position within the number of card storage compartments for a card of the number of cards; 
 move the card of the number of cards to the primary card position; 
 attempt to insert the card in the primary card position; 
 responsive to failing to insert the card in the primary card position, incrementally moving the number of card storage compartments relative to the card; and 
 after incrementally moving the number of card storage compartments, attempting to insert the card in the primary card position. 
   
     
     
         20 . The automatic card shuffler of  claim 19 , wherein the control system is further configured to:
 randomly select at least one card storage compartment of the number of card storage compartments as an overflow compartment; and   move the card to the overflow compartment after a predetermined number of failed attempts to insert the card in the primary card position.