DK181435B1 - Method conducted on a computer to verify legal bids in the card game bridge. - Google Patents

Abstract

System and method for using virtual message cards in the card game bridge Classification: G06K Graphical data reading Recognition of data; presentation of data; record carriers; action record carriers. System and procedure in the card game bridge (Fig. 2) using virtual message cards. A virtual bridge message box is designed and constructed in a database. Data about bridge games is collected and registered from all reporting boxes during a reporting round. Messages that are submitted through the usual use of the message cards from physical message boxes are registered in the database, including through the use of pattern recognition. When making illegal messages, a technical signal is sent from the database's control system to the players at the table with the option of correction. The control system in the software platform's database uses a "digital twin" of a reporting box, so that 1 virtual reporting box in the database is updated from all 4 physical reporting boxes. Relevant information and instructions from the control system are presented to the people at the table by means of a graphical user interface on a technical device which has access to the control system in the software platform via computer.

Description

Method conducted on a computer to verify legal bids in the card game bridge.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method conducted on a computer to verify bids in the card game bridge in the bidding round, where the players use physical bridge bidding boxes with physical bidding cards to submit bids.

The present invention requires a computer to register data and information in the card game bridge, where the described method functions together with said bidding boxes and bidding cards.

A technical device helps the bridge players to avoid making illegal bids when using the bidding cards in the bidding round.

DESCRIPTION OF PRIOR ART

The relevant known technique is mentioned in the following documents: (D1) WO 2009/135903 Al (BRIDGESPINNER AS [DK]) 2009.11.12 See page 5, line 5-23; page 23, line 27 - page 24, line 26; claim 9; Fig. 1a, 1b and 6. (D3) CN 104874173 A (UNIV XIAMEN) 2015.09.02 which is closest prior art.

Summary from news survey. (D1) describes the use of a bidding box with bidding cards, where the bidding box is specially equipped with optical means to detect bidding cards taken out and to communicate wirelessly with a central server.

Analysis made by the central server can be transmitted to players to be displayed on a so-called scoring module Fig. 6, Ref. 602 common to the players. (D3) describes the use of a signalling box with an associated signalling card, where the bidding box is designed in such a way that a single camera can photograph the entire playing surface. The camera is set up to send image data to a computer in real time. The computer uses image processing technology to locate the playing surface and deep learning technology to recognise bidding cards.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

After the distribution of the 52 playing cards with 13 playing cards to each of the 4 players in the card game bridge, the players conduct a bidding round and each player uses a bidding box with 35 different bidding cards and Pass, Double and Redouble cards to bid visually instead of pronouncing bids. At the end of the bidding round the contract and the declarer are determined.

Bidding cards are placed in 4 individual bidding boxes with bidding cards (one bidding box with bidding cards to cach player). There is an auction at the table, where the 4 players one after another in clockwise direction make bids visually without verbally pronouncing their bids, by taking out bidding cards from their own bidding box and placing them on the table in front of the player's own place at the table.

Bridge tournament laws regulate the consequences in case of illegal bids from the players. The tournament director may be called upon to take the appropriate sanctions depending on whether errors are discovered immediately after the bid, later in the bidding round or at the end of the bidding round. An illegal bid may never be discovered.

A bidding round finishes when there have been 4 bids in a row with the last 3 bids being Pass. The contract is the last bid in the bidding round before the 3 Pass, eventually doubled or redoubled. The declarer will be the player who made this bid or his partner if the partner earlier in the bidding round did the first bid in the contract on a lower level.

It is the responsibility of all players during the bidding round to observe the bids of other players and, subject to the rules in the game, always make legal bids. Analysis of the bids can only happen during the bidding round. When a bidding round has ended, each player collects the bidding cards and put them back into the bidding box.

According to the news survey (D1), there is a known technique of an electronic scoreboard, where analysis of bids can be made after the end of the bidding round by communicating wirelessly with a central server, where a bid can subsequently be displayed on a so-called scoring module common to the players.

According to the news survey (D3), there is a known technique of photographing the whole playing surface (bridge table) where the bidding cards are placed. A camera above the playing surface sends image data in real time to a computer that uses image recognition technology to recognise bidding cards for later viewing.

None of these two mentioned known techniques describe the use of 4 technical units with camera capable of photographing the bidding cards in the bidding box or a method to avoid illegal bids.

THE TECHNICAL PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED

— The use of physical bidding cards instead of pronouncing the bids can result in illegal bids. In national and international bridge laws, the rules regulate such situations happening during a bidding round. Errors might occur because players do not pronounce the bids. Using bidding cards in a bidding round can be the reason for errors due to bad eyesight in people.

The bidding cards taken out from the bidding box will be placed on the table. The next player in the bidding round can make an illegal bid, as this player's bidding box provides the technical possibility of taking out an illegal bidding card in relation to the previous bid in the bidding round.

The bidding box and the design of the bidding cards ensures that a player cannot make an illegal bid in relation to players own previous bid in the bidding round, as such bidding cards with illegal bids in an ongoing bidding round are now hidden on the table under the most recently used bidding cards. Correct use of other bidding cards, including Pass, Doubler and Redouble bidding cards according to bridge rules, must be observed by bridge players. The arrangement of the existing bidding system using 4 bidding boxes and bidding cards allows for illegal bids.

Example of illegal bid.

An "insufficient bid", also called an illegal bid, can be submitted by a player during the bidding round.

Example: An illegal bid "2 Hearts" is made if the previous bid is "2 Spades. In that case, the bidding round will continue based on the insufficient bid.

The bid "Double" can legally only be made by an opponent to the submitted bid in question. The bid "Redouble" can legally only be made after the bid "Double" given by an opponent.

A player can make an out-of-turn bid.

Most often, there is a need to call upon the tournament director to determine the consequences for the bidding round including how the result in the final contract can be influenced by the illegal bid. In some circumstances the opponents can accept the illegal bid and the bidding round continues based on the illegal bid.

Problem: How can the bidding system be technically improved, so that the bidding system using bidding boxes and bidding cards helps bridge players to avoid making illegal bids.

THE NEW TECHNOLOGY

Each bidding box is associated with a technical device, which is located at a player’s bidding box with bidding card. Visual access is required from the technical device to the bidding cards in the bidding box.

The technical device can photograph as well as transmit data using a computer.

The technical device can register submitted bids. In this way, players can avoid submitting illegal bids because a warning, using a technical signal about the started bidding, appears to the player before the bidding is completed by placing the bidding card on the table in front of the player.

The possibility of avoiding illegal bids is achieved by using 4 technical devices to photograph the removal of bidding cards from bidding boxes, so that bids submitted during the bidding round can be digitally registered in a shared virtual bridge bidding box. The comparison is made possible by detection of a bid by photographing the remaining bidding card in the bidding box, transmission of image data and the use of pattern recognition technology, together with the use of a special algorithm for checking data in a shared — virtual bridge bidding box as well as real-time information about illegal bids in the form of a signal to the technical device, so that correction can be made.

The closest known technique is document CN 104874173 A, where a camera, located over the bridge table photographs the playing surface at the table. The earliest point in time a bid can be registered here is when the bids has been completed by placing the bidding card visible to all players. Furthermore, there is no comparison of submitted bids.

THE TECHNICAL EFFECT

Bidding rounds will be conducted more efficiently for the benefit of all players by using the technical device. The technical devices detect the illegal bids and by signalling this information on the devices the players can avoid making illegal bids.

A player will immediately receive a warning when taking a bidding card from the bidding box if the bid in question is not legal. A warning from the technical device in the form of a light signal and/or speech synthesis will happen, when an attempt to submit an illegal bid is detected in the control system. The player can now correct the bid and a legal bidding card can be placed on the table.

The bridge laws allow in some situations an illegally submitted bid can be maintained if the next player in the bidding round has not yet submitted a bid. This requires the acceptance by the opponent for the bidding round to continue without correcting the bid.

On the computer's graphical user interface, the illegal bidding can be displayed together with information about the illegal bid. In the computer's database, all the biddings in the bidding round will be registered in a shared virtual bridge bidding box.

HOW CAN THE INVENTION BE USED INDUSTRIALLY

This invention can be used in the card game bridge to support the bridge players when submitting bids using bridge bidding boxes with bidding cards.

The method of using a technical device can be used as a supplement to existing bidding boxes for the card game bridge, as the design of the bidding cards is uniform. There is an existing market globally for bridge bidding boxes. The estimation is that more than 1 million physical bidding boxes for the card game bridge are used globally both in bridge tournaments and in the majority of the estimated 20.000 bridge clubs.

In bridge clubs in average more than thousand games of bridge are played annually using a bridge bidding box. In each game of bridge using bidding cards from a bidding box, a technical device can be assigned to control for submitting legal bids.

EXPLANATION OF FIGURES

Figure 1. Bidding box with bid card (Claim 1, line 3)

Figure I shows a bridge bidding box with bidding cards. All 35 different bids can be seen on the tiles at the bidding cards when the bidding cards are placed in a bidding box. Different versions of bidding boxes have 5 in common that there are two separate containers for storing respectively the 35 bidding cards for showing 35 different bids and the bidding cards Pass, Doubler and Redouble.

Figure 2. Registration of bids using a technical device (Claim 1, line 10)

Figure 2 shows a picture of the appearance of the bidding box after taking out a bid. The extracted bid, which leaves the displayed image, is shown as an image on a smartphone.

Figure 3. Pattern recognition and algorithm (Claim 1, line 18)

A) Shows an image of a bidding box, where the most recently submitted bid leaves the bidding box with the displayed cards.

B) Shows the numbers on the bidding box's remaining bidding card for use in pattern recognition. Character recognition or the technology "Optical Character Recognition" (OCR) is applied. Other methods can be applied.

The optical character recognition (OCR) here does not include the symbols for the card suits clubs, diamonds, hearts, and spades respectively NT. The numbers 1 to 7 alone are sufficient for use in identifying the given bid, as the structure of the bidding cards can be used for this simpler form of character recognition.

C) Shows the detection applied to all 35 different submitted bids, calculates the bid just submitted. The structure of the bidding cards makes it possible to detect the bids based on numbers alone without using the card symbols. This table detects all 35 different bids

Forres

RT

Nodigts | N

Figure 4. Detection of illegal bids (Claim 1, line 17)

A) Shows a bidding box belonging to one of the 4 players with all bidding cards, here placed at the table in position North.

B) Player in position North bids an illegal bid as his second bid, as the player is not aware that the last bid from an opponent requires a higher bid than the one given. Use of the technical device results in signalling the error to the player in position North.

C) Player in position North receives the signal and immediately corrects his illegal bid as shown, after which the bidding round continues.

A transmission is made via a software program to a database using WIFI technology, where one virtual bidding box has been established in the database, which in a complete bidding round can register all 38 bids, including the 35 different bids from 1 Club to 7 NT as well as Pass, Double and Redouble per player.

When receiving a bid in the virtual bidding box, a control is made for an increasing bid in relation to the previously received bid in the bidding round. In the event of an illegal bid (Insufficient bid), the error is registered by the control system in the virtual bidding box and information is immediately sent to the technical device. Players can now correct the bid immediately before further bids are made by the next player. Legal bids are finally registered in the virtual bidding box.

Figure 5. Signals from the database's control system. (Claim 1, line 21)

A) Shows the bidding cards placed in order with the illegal bid from Figure 4 as well as the possibility of issuing a light signal. A red or yellow light indicates that a submitted bid is illegal. Other colours or signals are possible.

B) Shows numerical values associated with the 35 bids as well as numerical values associated with the bids

Pass, double and redouble, respectively. The numerical values could be different, but must be available for coding and programming, partly to ensure controlling functions in connection with signals, partly to collect submitted bids in a virtual bridge bidding box.

Control functions:

Checking Bids: The value of a bid must be greater than the value of the last bid.

Checking the bid "Double": Value 0.2 Previous bid must be a Bid (Value 1 to 35) made by an opponent.

Checking bid "Redouble" (Value 0.4): Previous bid must be "Double" (value 0.2) belonging to an opponent.

The virtual bidding box can register up to 38 different bids, including bids from 1 club to 7 NT, as these bids can and must only be bid one time in a bidding round. The bids Pass, Double and Redouble can be made more times in a bidding round by a player. Compared to a physical bidding box, the virtual bidding box also registers which of the 4 players making the bid.

The virtual bidding box controls each bid, including the correct order of players committing the bids.

Controlling the bid Pass with value 0.1: It will be checked whether the bidding round has ended with 3 bids of Pass in a row. The contract will then be determined.

Figure 6. Execution of bridge bidding rounds (Claim 1. Line 19-23 & claim 4)

The figure shows the process at a bridge table with 4 players and the use of a technical device.

A) Illustrates bridge players with playing cards in hand and in the process of making bids in the usual way using bridge bidding boxes, which use a technical device for use in controlling bids.

B) Illustrates tournament bridge, where players meet physically and participate in tournaments, where card decks with numbered decks of cards circulate between the tables, so that a given deck of cards is played more times by different partner pairs in turn during a tournament.

C) Ilustrates given bids in a completed bidding round.

D) Illustrates the possibility of alerting an illegal bid using a voice signal (Speech synthesis)

E) Illustrates a player making a bid at the table.

F) Illustrates a player's light signal in connection with a bid at the table.

G) Illustrates a player's placement of playing cards on the table after a round of play has ended.

H) Illustrates a smartphone with a graphical user interface.

Figure 7. Database structure (Claim 1, line 24)

This figure shows the detailed elements in coding a database when using 4 technical devices, so that relevant information is registered and communicated between the players at the table and the control system with data and information about bridge games.

Figure 8. Virtual bridge bidding box (Claim 1, line 7)

A) Each physical bidding box with bidding cards at the bridge table is matched by a digital bidding box, which functions as a digital twin. Data about bids must be transmitted from and between the 4 digital twins to create output signals.

B) The detection of bids, described in figure 3, sends information to the bridge table.

Using the algorithm detects an illegal bid and sends a signal to the table. Only when legal bid is received is the legal bid registered.

C) Bids from all 4 physical bidding boxes registered in one digital bidding box, which functions as one digital twin for all 4 physical bidding boxes. This streamlines data processing in the database and provides faster feedback of information to the table.

Figure 9. Virtual bidding box and bids in the database (Claim 1, line 24)

The virtual bidding box registers all submitted legal bids with the identification of the bidding box from which the bid has been transmitted.

IOS application can function as a platform. C++, Swift and Android application Java, Kotlin can function.

Other platforms can function. For pattern recognition technology can TensorFlow Lite, OpenCV, Docker compose, Google platform or similar function.

Figure 10. Overview data and information (Claim 1, line 1)

For use in central registration of all bids in the bidding round, there is access to a Cloud solution (Fig 10A), where some calculations are made locally at the bridge table near the players (Fig 10C) and others are made via the server in the Cloud solution and communicated (Fig 10B) using a protocol using a user interface for the table's technical devices.

Fig 11. Using a computer. (Claim 1, line 5)

System overview with 4 technical devices, a computer, and a graphical user interface.

Fig 12. Using a Graphical User Interface. (Claim 3)

User interface for use in communication between the control system's virtual bridge bidding box and the players' technical devices.

Fig. 13. Contract and declarer determination. (Claim 5)

Flowchart explaining the determination of contract and bidding round.

Claims (1)

REQUIREMENT I Method for checking legal announcements in the card game bridge, carried out on a computer, where completing the announcement round involves: - use of 4 physical message boxes with message cards (fig. 1), - use of 4 technical units for the 4 physical reporting boxes with reporting cards, thus each physical reporting box is connected to its own technical unit (fig. 11), and where each technical unit includes: - a camera in front of the reporting box, which can photograph the reporting box during the reporting round, when the players take out reporting cards from the reporting box (fig. 8 C), - means for the wireless transfer of data to the computer, where the data is "image data" with photographs of the message box and the message cards (fig. 2), - means for wirelessly receiving data from the computer, where the data contains information about illegal messages that a player has submitted from the current message box (fig. 4 B), - means for indication in the form of light and/or sound when the control system in the computer registers an illegal message (fig. 5 A), where the computer performs the following method: - receives image data from the four technical units (fig. 2), - uses a special algorithm and pattern recognition technology and/or optical character recognition technology to analyze image data in order to register messages based on the image data received from the technical units (Fig. 3), - checks the legality of messages (Fig. 4 C) on the basis of the currently detected message cards and rules applicable to message rounds in the card game Bridge using a special algorithm (Fig. 5 B), - informs about illegal messages using a graphic user interface on the computer in the form of a technical signal to the technical unit at the current reporting box, where the technical unit receiving the technical signal reports the rejection of the message in the form of a light signal and/ or speech synthesis (Fig. 6), - registers the legal messages submitted in the reporting round in a common virtual bridge message box on the computer (figs. 7 and 8), - determines the contract and referee when a reporting round has been completed (fig. 13). CLAIM 2 Method according to claim 1, where the technical unit functions as an integral part of the bridge alarm box (fig. 10). REQUIREMENT 3 Method according to claims 1-2, where a "graphical user interface" (fig. 12) functions as a communication platform between the bridge players and the virtual bridge message box (fig. 9). REQUIREMENT 4 Method according to claims 1- 3, where the special algorithm for checking the legality of messages is arranged to detect illegal messages immediately after removing a message card from the message box (Fig. 4 B), send a signal (Fig. 13) to the current technical unit and generate a light signal and/or speech synthesis on the technical unit in the event of an illegal message. REQUIREMENT 5 Method according to requirements 1-4, where messages in the reporting round as well as contract and game manager (fig. 13) are determined in the virtual bridge reporting box at the end of the reporting round and are reported on the "graphical user interface".