EP2108414B1 - Method for producing a database of a random sequence of playing cards and a device for carrying out the method - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves mixing playing cards (131) in random sequence by a cards mixing device (101). The sequence of the cards is detected by a data detection device i.e. scanner (133). The detected sequence of the cards is transferred to an electronic data processing device e.g. computer. The playing cards are provided with optically detectable codes and a transponder. A database of the sequence of the cards is processed in the data processing device and is provided for virtual cards play i.e. online-poker. An independent claim is also included for a device for producing a database of a random sequence of playing cards in an electronic data processing device.

Description

The invention relates to a method for generating a record of a random sequence of playing cards and to an apparatus for carrying out this method.

For mixing playing cards, card mixing devices are known. Such a device is used for example in US2005 / 0093231 A1 described. In this device, the playing cards are mixed by means randomly controlled by microprocessors.

Card games with playing cards are increasingly carried out today computer-aided. In such a virtual card game, no material playing cards are used; Rather, in an electronic data processing device virtual playing cards generated and the card players displayed on a monitor connected to this electronic data processing device.

A particularly popular, virtual card game is online poker. Here are several electronic data processing devices connected to a network, and the card players sit on different, connected to this network monitors and play against each other.

A critical point of any card game is the game's initial mixing of the playing cards. For the course of the card game is crucial that the playing cards are brought by mixing in a random, by any card player predictable order.

In virtual card games based solely on electronic data processing devices, the order of the virtual playing cards is randomized by an algorithm of software.

For the card players, however, it is in no way comprehensible whether the game cards were actually mixed by the software or by the electronic data processing device in a random order. In fact, a manipulation of the algorithm or even the order of the playing cards after the virtual mixing process would be easily traversable and virtually invisible to third parties.

The invention has for its object a method for generating a record of a random sequence of playing cards in an electronic data processing device to provide; in which the randomness of the order of the playing cards granted during mixing and much easier to understand than in the prior art presented above. Furthermore, the record of the random order of playing cards produced by this method should not be manipulatable after the mixing process.

Another object of the invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out such a method.

According to the invention, the first object is achieved by the provision of a method for generating a record of a random sequence of playing cards in an electronic data processing device having the following features according to claim 1.

The basic idea of the invention is first to mix real, physical playing cards by a card shuffling apparatus in a random order, to detect this sequence of playing cards by a data acquisition device and to record those concerning the randomly mixed order of the playing cards from the data acquisition device Transfer data to an electronic data processing device.

A significant advantage of this method is that a manipulation of the playing cards, the randomness of mixing the playing cards and mixing order can be virtually eliminated. For example, the playing cards can be entered under supervision into the card shuffling apparatus, and the card shuffling in the shuffling apparatus can also be done under supervision, for example. For example, after the playing cards have been entered into the card shuffling apparatus, the card shuffling apparatus can be protected from unauthorized access, for example, stored in a lockable container, so that manipulation of the cards and the blending operation is precluded. For example, it can be provided that the random mixing order in which the cards have been mixed by the card shuffling device is maintained until the end of a card game, so that after completion of the card game, the mixing order of the playing cards can optionally be checked again.

In principle, the playing cards in the method according to the invention can be mixed in a random order by any mechanical card mixing device known from the prior art. For example, a mechanical card shuffling device is off WO 01/78854 A2 known.

It is a particular advantage of the method according to the invention that the method according to the invention can be carried out on the basis of any card mixing device known from the prior art. For a known card mixing device is solely a device for data acquisition, by the order of the playing cards is detected, and means for forwarding the data acquired by the data acquisition device to an electronic data processing device.

In the method according to the invention, the cards mixed by the card mixing device in a random order are preferably stored in a fixed order, so that the mixing order of the playing cards, as already shown above, can optionally be checked again after completion of the card game. For example, the playing cards are stored in a fixed order in the form of a deck of cards. Preferably, the order of the playing cards is detected by the data acquisition device just before the playing cards are deposited by the card shuffling device in this fixed order. The advantage of this method step is, inter alia, that the random order of the cards is then no longer changed after the order of the playing cards has been detected by the data acquisition device.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the playing cards are each detected individually by the device for data acquisition. For example, the playing cards of the data acquisition device are each presented individually by the card mixing device, that is, for example, individually guided past the data acquisition device. As a result, the playing cards or the sequence of playing cards are particularly easy and reliable detected by the device for data acquisition.

Basically, the order of the playing cards can be detected by any device for data acquisition. The device for Data acquisition alone has to be capable of detecting the individuality of each individual playing card, so that the order of the playing cards, after being mixed by the card shuffling apparatus, can be detected by the data acquiring apparatus.

According to one embodiment, for example, a device for data acquisition may be provided in the form of a device for optoelectronic data acquisition. By such a device for optoelectronic data acquisition, the visual appearance or an optical component of each game card can be detected and converted into electronic or digital data. In particular, for example, a device for data acquisition in the form of a device for optoelectronic data acquisition of playing card symbols of the playing cards can be provided. The playing-card symbols of the individual playing cards, that is to say for example "PIK-AS", can then each be detected by the device for optoelectronic data acquisition and converted into electronic or digital data.

According to a preferred embodiment, a device for optoelectronic data acquisition in the form of a scanner is provided. For example, immediately before the card shuffling apparatus deposits the playing cards mixed in a random order in a fixed order, the playing cards are passed and thereby detected by the scanner, so that the order of the playing cards as a whole is detected by the data acquiring apparatus.

The playing cards can also have, for example, an optically detectable code, for example a barcode. In this case can For example, a device for data acquisition in the form of a device for optoelectronic data acquisition of the codes, for example a bar code reader may be provided.

The playing cards can also have any other means which individualize the respective playing card and which can be detected by a device for data acquisition. For example, the playing cards may have electronic or digital transmitting means that can be received and detected by the data acquisition device.

According to a preferred embodiment, the playing cards are each provided with a transponder, wherein the device for data acquisition is designed for reading out the signals transmitted by the transponders and detects the corresponding received signals. Particularly preferably, the playing cards can each be provided with passive transponders, since they do not require their own power supply and can therefore be arranged particularly simply and favorably on the playing cards.

The order of the playing cards is detected by the data acquisition device and the corresponding detected data is forwarded to an electronic data processing device. This electronic data processing device, for example a computer or a server, may be part of a network, for example a computer network, for example also the "World Wide Web".

According to a further method step, the data forwarded to the electronic data processing device is the order of the playing cards in the electronic data processing device processed and made available for a virtual card game. In this case, for example, a virtual card game can be carried out on the basis of the data of the order of the playing cards. Card players can be shown the game sales via monitors connected to the electronic data processing device; Through data input devices connected to the electronic data processing device, the card players can influence the course of the game.

• eine Kartenmischvorrichtung, durch die Spielkarten in eine zufällige Reihenfolge mischbar sind;
• eine Vorrichtung zur Datenerfassung, durch die die Reihenfolge der Spielkarten erfassbar ist;
• Mittel zur Übertragung der durch die Vorrichtung zur Datenerfassung erfassten Reihenfolge der Spielkarten an eine elektronische Datenverarbeitungsvorrichtung.

The invention further relates to an apparatus for carrying out the method described above. This device can have the following features:

• a card shuffling device by which playing cards are miscible in a random order;
• a data acquisition device by which the order of the playing cards can be detected;
• Means for transmitting the order of playing cards detected by the data acquisition device to an electronic data processing device.

The card mixing device and the data acquisition device may be configured as described above.

The means for transmitting the sequence of playing cards detected by the data acquisition device to an electronic data processing device may be any means known in the art. For example, it may be data cables and / or means for Radio transmission of corresponding data act. It may, for example, also be provided to provide portable storage means for transferring data to electronic data processing devices. For example, provision may be made for forwarding data having a sequence of playing cards acquired by the data acquisition device to a portable storage means, this storage means initially not connected to an electronic data processing device. For transferring the data recorded on the portable storage device, the storage device can then be connected to an electronic data processing device. By way of example, such a portable storage medium may be a digital memory stick or a portable hard disk storage.

An embodiment of the method according to the invention and the device according to the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to the following description of the figures.

Figur 1

ein Ablaufdiagramm eines Ausführungsbeispiels des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens und

Figur 2

ein Ausführungsbeispiel einer Vorrichtung zur Durchführung des erfindungsgemäßen Verfahrens.

It shows, each highly schematized,

FIG. 1

a flowchart of an embodiment of the method according to the invention and

FIG. 2

An embodiment of an apparatus for performing the method according to the invention.

In carrying out the method according to FIG. 1 Playing cards 1 are mixed by a card shuffling device 3 in a random order and stored in this random order in a deck of cards 2.

Immediately before the filing of the mixed playing cards 1 to the card stack 2, the order of the playing cards 1, in which they are stored to the card stack 2, detected by a device for data acquisition 5. For this purpose, the playing cards 1, indicated by the arrow 7, past the device for data acquisition 5.

The card mixing device 3 and the data acquisition device 5 embodied as an integral part thereof are arranged in a closable container 9. The detected by the device for data acquisition 5 order of the playing cards 1 in the card stack 2 is, indicated by the arrow 10, transmitted to an electronic data processing device 11. This data transmission takes place via a data cable, which is connected to the device for data acquisition 5 and leads out of the container 9.

In the electronic data processing device 11, the record of the order of the playing cards is processed and made available for a virtual card game. For this purpose, a monitor 13 and a data input device 15 are connected to the electronic data processing device 11. About the monitor 13, a card player can track the gameplay and take over the data input device 15 influence on it.

In the embodiment of the method according to FIG. 1 the data processing device 11 is part of a network of several data processing devices, indicated by the dashed outline of another electronic data processing device 17. In this network of several electronic data processing devices 11, 17 several card players can participate in a virtual card game, in which the record of a random sequence of playing cards for this card game has been generated by the inventive method.

This in FIG. 2 illustrated embodiment of a device 101 for carrying out the method according to the invention has a central box 103 for receiving playing cards. On two opposite sides of the middle box 103 two side boxes 105, 107 are arranged for receiving game cards. On the two sides of the middle box 103, which are adjacent to the two side boxes 105, 107, the middle box 103 each have a bottom slot 109, 111 for performing one or more playing cards.

The middle box 103 and the two side boxes 105, 107 can be raised and lowered by a lifting / lowering device in each case in an upper and in a lower position. In the in FIG. 2 illustrated position, the middle box 103 is raised to the upper position and lowered the two side boxes 105, 107 in the lower position. The middle box 103 and the two side boxes 105, 107 are arranged in a closable by a lid 113 container 115. The middle box 103 and the two side boxes 105, 107 are open at the top, wherein the middle box 103 is disposed below a closable by the lid 113 opening of the container 115.

To mix playing cards in a random order playing cards with the lid open 113 first in the middle box 103, which in this case in the in FIG. 2 is in the upper position, with its playing card symbol facing downwards, and the lid 113 of the container 115 is then closed. Then, one or more playing cards are ejected alternately into the side boxes 105, 107 through the bottom-side slots 109, 111 of the middle box 103, respectively. For this purpose, the middle box 103 in the region of the bottom-side slots 109, 111 each have two rollers 117 which slightly project beyond the bottom of the middle box 103 upwards, so that these rollers 117 take one or more playing cards during a rotary movement and out of the bottom slots 109, 111 lead out. The side boxes 105, 107 are each arranged so slightly below the bottom-side slots 109, 111 that the playing cards carried out of the slots 109, 111 fall into the side boxes 105, 107 with the playing-card symbols still pointing downwards.

After all playing cards have been conveyed from the middle box 103 in the two side boxes 105, 107, the middle box 103 are moved by the lifting / lowering device in the lower and the two side boxes 105, 107 in the respective upper position , In this position, the playing cards from the side boxes 105, 107 are transported back into the middle box 103. For this purpose, the side boxes 105, 107 on the bottom side each have a slot 119, 121 on their side facing the middle box 103, through which the playing cards can be conveyed back into the middle box 103. The transport of the playing cards takes place in accordance with the transport out of the middle box 103, in turn, in each case via rollers 123, 125 which project beyond the bottom of the lateral boxes 105, 107 in the region of the bottom-side slots 119, 121. The middle box 103 is in this position correspondingly slightly below the bottom-side slots 119, 121 of the side boxes 105, 107 arranged, so that the out of the slots 119, 121 out promoted playing cards with the down pointing playing card symbols fall into the middle box 103. Subsequently, the middle box 103 are again moved into the upper and the two side boxes 105, 107 in the respective lower position. The mixing process shown above can be carried out one or more times.

The randomness of the playing cards ejected by the rollers 117, 123, 125 out of the slots 109, 111, 119, 121, respectively, is produced by the rollers 117, 123, 125 not having a round but a non-circular cross section. For example, the rollers may have a nonuniform serrated or otherwise non-uniform cross section. As a result, in each case an unpredictable number of playing cards is taken with a rotation of the rollers 117, 123, 125.

The rollers 117, 123, 125 may for example be rubberized and / or spring-loaded rollers, so that the playing cards can be easily gripped by these rollers 117, 123, 125 and moved out of the respective bottom-side slots 109, 111, 119, 121.

After completion of the mixing process described above, all game cards are in a random order in the middle box 103. To capture the order of these cards this card stack is first raised by a located at the bottom of the middle box 103 Hubteller 127 until this stack of cards against on the underside of the lid 113 arranged transport rollers 129 is pressed. These transport rollers 129 are then driven, whereby the respective top card of the card stack is detected and moved away laterally. This movement carries the respectively acquired playing card, in FIG. 2 denoted by the reference numeral 131 Outline indicated by a remaining between the lid 113 and the upper edge 104 of the side wall of the middle box 103 slot. In the area of the upper edge 104 of this side wall of the middle box 103, a device for data acquisition in the form of a scanner 133 is arranged, which detects the card symbol of the respective playing card 131, which is moved through this slot. The moving through this slot game cards then fall into one of the side boxes 105, 107th

It may be provided that the scanner 133 detects not only the order, but also the number of playing cards that are passed to it. This makes it possible to control whether all cards of the card game were actually mixed in a random order by the card shuffling apparatus 101.

The scanner 133 is connected to an electronic data processing device via a data cable 135, so that the sequence of the playing cards detected by the scanner 133 can be transmitted to this electronic data processing device.

For better management of the playing cards in the slot between the cover 113 and the upper edge 104 of the side wall of the middle box 103, the cover 113 and the wall opposite, rubberized rollers 137, so that the playing cards in this slot during transport through the transport rollers 129 safely become.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 2 the middle box 103 has a second, correspondingly formed slot between its side wall opposite the aforementioned side wall and the cover 113. In such an embodiment, for example, a first part of the playing cards are passed through the one slot and the remaining part of the playing cards through the other slot; This makes a so-called "take off" of the mixed playing cards feasible.

Claims (9)

1. Method for generating a data set of a random sequence of playing cards in an electronic data processing device with the following features:

   1.1 playing cards (1) are shuffled by a card shuffling device (3) into a random sequence;

   1.2 the sequence of the playing cards (1) is detected by a device for data capture (5);

   1.3 the sequence of the playing cards (1) detected by the device for data capture (5) is transmitted (10) to an electronic data processing device (11);

   1.4 the data set of the sequence of the playing cards transmitted to the electronic data processing device is processed in the electronic data processing device and made available for a virtual card game.
2. Method according to Claim 1 with a device for data capture in the form of a device for optoelectronic data capture.
3. Method according to Claim 1 with a device for data capture in the form of a device for optoelectronic data capture of playing card symbols of the playing cards.
4. Method according to Claim 2 or 3 with a device for optoelectronic data capture in the form of a scanner.
5. Method according to Claim 1, in which the playing cards have optically detectable codes.
6. Method according to Claim 5 with a device for data capture in the form of a device for optoelectronic data capture of the codes.
7. Method according to Claim 1, in which the playing cards have transponders.
8. Method according to Claim 7 with a device for data capture in the form of a device for capturing the data of the transponders.
9. Device for carrying out the method according to Claim 1 with the following features:

   9.1 a card shuffling device (101) by means of which playing cards can be shuffled into a random sequence;

   9.2 a device for data capture (133) by means of which the sequence of the playing cards can be detected;

   9.3 means (135) for transmitting the sequence of the playing cards detected by the device for data capture (133) to an electronic data processing device by means of which the data of the sequence of the playing cards transmitted to the electronic data processing device can be processed and made available for a virtual card game.

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