GB2429929A

GB2429929A - Card Game Playing Apparatus

Info

Publication number: GB2429929A
Application number: GB0616830A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Brendan Elliot; Lewis Elliot
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2005-09-07
Filing date: 2006-08-25
Publication date: 2007-03-14
Also published as: WO2007028948A2; WO2007028948A3; GB0518198D0; GB0616830D0

Abstract

An apparatus for playing a card game such as poker comprises a pack of playing cards 12' each card carrying a machine readable code 12'' containing information describing the card12', at least one dealer station 4, and a plurality of playing stations 2. Each playing station 2 comprises a code reader. At least one camera 13 is arranged to capture pictures of the playing surface and surrounds. A camera 10 is also provided for each participant player and is arranged to capture an image of said player and his surrounds. Each player also has a display 8. A controller relays to the player display 8 information relating to the cards 12' dealt to their playing station 2, images from the camera 13 and images from cameras 10 showing the other players' faces. This gives the player a more realistic experience in playing cards as they can see their opponents. Preferably the machine readable code takes the form of a bar-code or an RFID tag. Also provided may be a television screen 11 which may be viewed by the players via the camera 13 and their own display 8. The players may then check the game is occurring in real-time by tuning their own televisions to the same channel and checking the programmes being broadcast are the same.

Description

Card Game Playing Apparatus

Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an apparatuS which facilitates the playing of a card game by players at different locations.

Background of the Invention

Card games such as poker have been played for many years. With reference to the game of poker, traditionally players would sit around a table with a dealer (or two dealers) to play the game.

The requirement to sit in the same place as other players and the dealer linuts the number of people who might be able to play the game at any one time in a given location. The advent of the internet has resulted in the development of a game known as "internet poker". This is far more accessible than the traditional game of poker, resulting in a huge increase in the number of individuals playing the game. One of the reasons for this is that individuals can play from any location. At present it is estimated that each day forty thousand individuals in the UK play poker on the internet.

Internet poker differs from traditional poker in that each players' hand of cards, arid the cards placed in the middle of the table are not dealt by a dealer from a pack of cards. They are generated by a random number generator. Where random number generators are used there is always concern as to whether the numbers generated are genuinely random. This concern pervades in card games such as poker. Also, it is believed that internet poker offers scope for behaviour by individual players which could not occur in a game held in a room with all players and the dealer present. For players to maintain interest in playing a card game such as poker in a particular forum for a continued period of time it is essential that they have ti.ill confidence in the manner u-i which the game is being played.

The success of internet poker has demonstrated the demand for a game which does not require the physical presence of participant players. In view of the lack of confidence in the game of Internet poker it would be desifable to provide an improved apparatus for playing card games such as poker.

Summaiy of the Invendon According to the invention there is provided an apparatus for playing a card game such as poker comprising a pack of playing cards each card carrying a machine readable code containing information describing the card, at least one dealer station, a plurality of playing stations, each playing station comprising a code reader, at least one camera arranged to capture pictures of the playing surface and surrounds, a camera for each participant player arranged to capture an image of said player arid his surrounds, a display for each player and a controller, wherein the controller relays to the display of an individual player information describing the cards dealt to his allocated playing station, picture information captured by the table camera, picture information from each of the player cameras.

Advantageously, the playing stations form part of a playing surface, and the dealer station may also form part of the said playing surface. Preferably, there are upto ten playing stations.

The camera arranged to capture an image of the player and his surrounds is typically a webcam.

Preferably, the playing surface includes a transparent element upon which the cards dealt and the code reader is mounted to the underside of the transparent clement. En this configuration the code is preferably a bar code and the code reader is a bar code reader. The bar code reader may be embodied in a cam, and preferably in a web camera. The web cam may be configured to capture between one and sixty frames per second and preferably thirty frames per second. Advantageously the bar code reader comprises image recognition software for analysing the image recorded by the web cam to identify the bar code within the image and an algorithm for decoding the information contained in the bar code. Advantageously, the bar code is produccd to the PAM standard, and the decoding algorithm is an EAM algorithm.

In another embodiment of the invention the machine readable code may be a radio frequency identification device (RFID) and the code reader a radio frequency reader.

It is advantageous to embody the machine readable code in a bar code, or RFID as the amount of information to be stored in order to play the game is reduced compared with simply storing the image of the card.

In use the apparatus is set in a room and preferably in the room there is mounted a television display means, and the television is in the field of view of a camera whose output is transmitted via the controller to a player display. Preferably the images displayed on the television display means include an indication of current time.

The controller preferably transmits information of over the internet and the player views the display on a website.

The table camera and the player cameras are preferably web cams.

Preferably a microphone and loudspeaker are provided for each player arid the dealer, and the controller provides for the players and dealer to talk to each other. The microphone for the player may be a microphone associated with his display.

The apparatus may further include a random number generator providing for players sitting at their displays to elect to play remotely either live dealer poker or poker where the cards are dealt by a random number generator. Such apparatus provides an opportunity for the player to play even if at the time he wishes to play there is no live dealer poker game. Whilst poker played remotely with the cards being dealt by means of a random number generator is in itself known, by combining the two types of poker the player can be updated with information regarding live dealer poker, such as how the game is played, how it differs from random number generated cards, times of games, names of players to participate in particular games, etc. The apparatus of the invention provides for card games such as poker to be played by players at dispersed locations in a manner akin to sitting around a table. All the players can see the dealer, and their fellow players, and also speak to their fellow players and the dealer. They can also see the cards dealt to them by the dealer. By providing for a live dealer to be used in a game played over the internet, the suspicions players have of random number generators is removed. The use of a web cams to capture images of the playing table and the individual players which are transmitted to the screens of individual players provides two benefits. First, it increases players' confidence that all players are playing legitimately, for example being able to see other players allows fellow players to detect actions of their fellow players which might be illegitimate. Also, by including in the apparatus a television screen whose image is captured in the background by the table web cam, players can confirm that the game is taking place in real time, for example by switching on the same channel on their own television and confirming that the pictures are the same. Second, whilst the apparatus provides for players to play the game at dispersed locations, the game played will be much more realistic then internet poker for instance. The apparatus allows players to judge fellow players' body language. The ability to control body language and judge that of other players is an important skill of a poker player. Internet poker as it is known today does not use these skills. Furthermore, by being able to sec and talk to thc dealer and fellow players, the game is much more of a social event than internet poker.

Brief Description of the Drawings

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, and are by way of

example:

Figure 1 is a schematic representation of apparatus accordmg to the invention; and Figure 2 is a side view of the playing tabk illustrated in Figure 1.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment

Referring now to Figures 1 and 2, poker playing apparatus indudes a table I having ten playing stations 2 each being transparent, and two dealer stations 4. On the underside of the table and aligned with the each playing station is bar code reader 5. When the dealer deals out individual cards 12' from the pack of cards 12, they are placed face down on the playing stations 2. The bar code reader 5 reads the bar code 12" on the card and transmits the information contained in the bar code 12" to the controller 6, which in turn transmits the information to an internet server. The individual player logs on to a website on the server the information about the player's cards being viewable on the website on the display 8 of the playing terminal 7.

The apparatus indudes web cams 10 and 13. A web cam 10 is assigned to each player.

Pictures from each web cam 10 axe transmitted via the internet to the controller 6, which transmits the pictures to the other players. The pictures captured by web cam 13 are transmitted to each display 8 by the controller 6. The web cain 13 is a wide angle camera, which captures the image of the table 1, the dealers at their stations 4 and background images in the space in which the table 1 is located. A wide screen television his included in the apparatus. This provides players with independent verification that the game is being played in real time. To do this all a player need do is tune into the same television channel and confirm that the pictures are the same. Alternatively, the website viewed by the player might include an independent tune indication.

A micro-phone 14 and loudspeaker 15 provide for the players and dealer(s) to talk to each other.

Connections between the controller and the bar code readers 5 may be by hard wiring or a wireless systeim The bar code reader may comprise a web cam, image recognition software and a decoding algorithm.

The apparatus indudes features allowing individual players to securely log in, bank money and place bets over the internet. These features are already known and therefore not described in detail here.

Claims

Claims I. An apparatus for playing a card game comprising a pack of

playing cards each card carrying a machine readable code containing information describing the card, at least one dealer station, a plurality of playing stations, each playing station comprising a code reader, at least one camera arranged to capture pictures of the playing surface and surrounds, a camera for each participant player arranged to capture an image of said player and his surrounds, a display for each player and a controller, wherein the controller relays to the display of an individual player information describing the cards dealt to his allocated playing station, picture information captured by the table camera, picture information from each of the player cameras.
2. An apparatus according to Claim 1, wherein the playing stations form part of a playing surface, and the dealer Station may also form part of the said playing surface.
3. An apparatus according to Claim 2, wherein the playing surface indudes a transparent element upon which the cards dealt and the code reader is mounted to the underside of the transparent element.
4. An apparatus according to any preceding clam-i, wherein the code is preferably a bar code and the code reader is a bar code reader.
5. An apparatus according to Claim 4, wherein the bar code reader is embodied in a Camera.
6. An apparatus according to Claim 5, wherein the camera is a web cam.
7. An apparatus according to Claim 6, wherein the web camera is configured to capture between one and sixty frames per second.
8. An apparatus according to Claim 7, wherein the web cam is configured to capture thirty frames per second.
9. An apparatus according to any of Claims 6 to 8, wherein the bar code reader comprises image recognition software for analysing the image recorded by the camera to identify the bar code within the image and an algorithm for decoding the information contained in the bar code.
10. An apparatus according to any of Claims 1 to 3, wherein the machine readable code is a radio frequency identification device (RFID) and the code reader a radio frequency reader.
11. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further including a television display means, and wherein the television is in the field of view of a camera whose output is transmitted via the controller to a player display.
12. An apparatus according to Claim 11, wherein the images displayed on the television display means inc'ude an indication of current time.
13. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the controller transmits information of over the internet and the player views thc display on a website.
14. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the table camera and the player cameras are web cams.
15. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a microphone and loudspeaker for each player and the dealer, and wherein the controller provides for the players and dealer to talk to each other.
16. An apparatus according to any preceding claim, further comprising a random number generator.
17. An apparatus substantially as shown in, and as described with reference to, the drawings.