JP2003250950A - Card housing box for distribution - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To immediately translate display information of a delivered card into digitized information at every delivery of the cards. <P>SOLUTION: The card housing box has a box body in which a plurality of sheets of the cards for distribution are housed in a laminated state and a delivery port for delivering the cards in this box body by one sheet each to the outside of the box body in the face down state of the cards and an optical reader for mechanically reading at least portions of the surface design of the card in the face down state of the card and converting the same to a corresponding electronic signal at every delivery of one sheet of the card is built into the card housing box. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2003,JPO

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a distribution playing card storage box used in a game that uses playing cards played in a casino or the like, and in particular, the display information of the playing cards is immediately displayed every time the playing cards are delivered. The present invention relates to a playing card storage box that can be converted into electronic information.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are games such as baccarat, poker, and blackjack that use playing cards at casinos and the like, and have various rules and unique win / loss judgment methods.
It attracts the participants. These are completely different games, but what they have in common is how to determine the outcome of the game. Determining the outcome of a game depends on the human judgment that the dealer leading each game decides according to the rules set in each game. Of course, it takes the form that the participants approve the judgment. This is not only the decision of winning or losing, but the distribution of dividends (chips) associated with winning or losing is calculated by the dealer's human judgment, that is, mental calculation. As described above, these card games are not mechanized or automated at present.

Naturally, it is desired to systematize and improve the efficiency of the operation of card games by converting the game data and results of these card games into electronic data as the technology of the casino increases. Since the unique world view of the card game itself is mechanized and high-tech is emphasized, human bargaining, customer privacy, etc. are emphasized, and thus simple high-tech tends to be avoided.

[0004]

For this reason, it is not possible to digitize game results and totals and to make them high-tech such as incorporating them in a display or management system, and without displaying such high-tech images in the conventional manner. It was also a big issue that there was no good system for maintaining the sophisticated personal judgment unique to the casino and the atmosphere that emphasizes sensitivity.

Further, even if high technology is introduced, a system that can eliminate such anxiety has not been created because the game result calculated electronically may be incorrect depending on the reliability of the device. It was also a factor.

In particular, there is no device that can automatically read the type and display number of the playing cards themselves used in the game,
Furthermore, there is no general-purpose distribution trump housing box (generally called a shoe or shooter) that is commonly used in card games to identify the information displayed on these trumps, so it is possible to judge the game. It was not possible to display the results of the game or the results (on a large display etc.), which was an obstacle to high technology.

[0007] Although complete tech and mechanization are apt to be shunned by the participants who look forward to the competition between humans, the progress of the game is not advanced, but the progress of the game is essentially tech. If information that is effective in advancing the game such as the situation and win / loss results of each game is digitized and can be displayed so that not only the participants but also the spectators surrounding it can easily view it, more There is no doubt that the game will become even more exciting with the participation of people.

Further, by digitizing the display information of the distributed cards, it is possible to prevent the "fake" acts such as replacing the distributed cards with other cards, and the participants can participate in the game with peace of mind. become able to.

The present invention has been made in view of the above background in a game using playing cards, and an object of the present invention is to make it possible to immediately convert the display information of the playing cards into electronic information every time the playing cards are delivered. It is to provide a playing card storage box for distribution.

With respect to other objects and effects of the present invention, by referring to the following description in the specification,
Those of ordinary skill in the art will readily understand.

[0011]

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION A distribution playing card storage box according to the present invention includes a box body in which a plurality of distribution playing cards are stored in a stacked state, and a state where the playing cards in the box body are turned down. Until then, each of the playing cards has a feeding opening for feeding one by one to the outside of the box body, and each time one playing card is fed, at least a part of the surface pattern of the playing card remains in a state where the playing card surface is turned down. An optical reader that optically reads and converts into a corresponding electric signal is incorporated.

Regarding the concrete format of the storage box, in short, it is stored so that dealers and participants do not know the display information of the playing cards inside, and once it is stored, it cannot be involved in the order of distribution. Although such a mode may be used, in consideration of the acceptability for card game lovers, it is preferable to follow the card game practice or traditional mode. The feeding port may be of any type that allows the playing cards contained therein to be drawn out one by one with the cards lying down. In addition, "at least a part of the surface pattern of the playing card" read by the optical reader means that it is not always necessary to read the entire surface of the playing card. Usually, the playing information of the playing card is displayed large in the center of the playing card, and the information for identifying the playing card is also displayed in the two corners on the diagonal line of the playing card. Therefore, even with a local optical reader for reading the information displayed in the two corners of the target playing card or an optical reader for reading the entire surface of the playing card, the display information necessary for identifying the playing card is displayed. It can be converted into electronic information.

In a preferred embodiment, there may be provided an automatic feeding mechanism for feeding the playing cards in the box body one by one with the surface thereof being turned down.

In the preferred embodiment, the conventional distribution playing card storage device is one in which the dealer pushes the playing cards one by one from the opening provided in the feeding port while the playing cards are directly laid face down by the fingers. Alternatively, for example, a motor or the like may automatically feed the sheets one by one.

In a preferred embodiment, a slide stage is provided at the feeding port of the box for sliding the loaded playing card thereon, and the optical reader is embedded in the slide stage. ing.

At the front of the feeding port, a stage is provided for sliding the playing card as it is,
An optical reader for reading the display information of the playing cards passing through the slide stage is provided. As a result, the delivered playing card passes over the optical reader while lying down, so that the information displayed on the playing card can be read and digitized without the participant or dealer seeing the display information.

In a preferred embodiment, the slide surface of the slide stage has an inclined surface that decreases toward the tip thereof.

The distribution playing card storage box itself is placed on a table for card games in a casino or the like, and it is required that the playing cards are distributed in a state in which the playing cards are turned down. Therefore,
It is necessary to prevent situations in which the playing cards are turned over during distribution, or the display information of the playing cards is visible to participants. As a concrete style, by providing an inclined surface toward the tip of the slide stage, the step can be eliminated, and the playing card delivered to the table can be always in contact with the slide stage or the table surface.
Any form may be used as long as it can prevent turning over. For example, only the tip of the slide stage may be tilted, or the entire slide stage may be tilted.

In a preferred embodiment, the slide stage is provided with a guide member for regulating the direction of a playing card placed on the slide stage and slid.

By installing the guide member on the slide stage, the playing card can be guided to the optical reader while keeping the direction of the playing card constant with respect to the slide stage. As a result, the playing card always passes through the optical reader in a fixed orientation and position, so that stable reading can be performed. The "guide member" referred to here may be of any type as long as it can pass through the slide stage while keeping the direction of the playing cards constant.

[0021] In a preferred embodiment, the optical reader embedded in the slide stage is positioned so as to read only playing cards which are wholly completely exposed from the feeding opening of the box.

One playing card is fed from the feeding port.
In order to reliably read the sheets one by one, the installation position is determined so that the delivered cards can be read while being physically separated from the delivery port. By deciding the mounting position of the optical reader in this way, it is possible to reliably read only one Trump without the next Trump being involved in the reading, and it was clearly extended even from the viewpoint of the participants. Since only Trump can be read, it is possible to prevent suspicions that the Trump information before distribution is being read.

In a preferred embodiment, there is a discriminating means for discriminating the contents of the playing card based on the electric signal from the optical reader.

The "contents of the playing card" referred to here is the information shown on the table of the playing card (the surface displaying numbers and patterns). For example, the numbers displayed in the table of playing cards, and the card types such as type (heart, diamond, spade, club), ace (A), jack (J), queen (Q), king (K), etc. Includes a picture.

In a preferred embodiment, there is further provided storage means for storing the contents of the playing cards judged by the judging means in time series.

The term "memorize in time series" as used herein means
That is, the data of the cards that have been read out and read are stored so that the order in which they are drawn out can be understood. For example, the data of the playing cards are 1, 2, 3, ...
.., etc. may be stored with serial numbers, or the playing card data may be stored together with the date and time when the card was fed and read.

In a preferred embodiment, the distribution playing card storage box has a wireless transmission / reception means. The term "wireless transmission / reception means" as used herein means that data transmission / reception is performed by wireless transmission / reception instead of wire transmission, because wiring for transmission / reception or the like is not so favored in casinos.

In a preferred embodiment, there is provided an electromagnetic lock capable of locking the distribution playing card storage box on the table.

By providing an electromagnetic lock on the distribution playing card storage box, the distribution playing card storage box can be locked, so that the distribution playing card storage box can be fixed at a predetermined position. Furthermore, it is possible to prevent cheating acts such as replacing the distribution playing card storage box with a crafted one.

In a preferred embodiment, the distribution playing card storage box has a power supply battery.

As described above, since electric wiring is not so popular in casinos, it is preferable to use a battery that can be built in a distribution playing card storage box as a power source.

[0032]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION A preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. As described above, the distribution playing card storage box of the present invention has a box body in which a plurality of distribution playing cards are stored in a stacked state and a playing card in the box body with its surface turned down. It has a feeding port for feeding each one out of the box, and every time one playing card is fed, at least a part of the surface pattern of the playing card is optical with the playing surface turned down. It is characterized in that it incorporates an optical reader that reads the information and converts it into a corresponding electric signal.

The structure of one embodiment of such a distribution playing card storage box (hereinafter referred to as the first embodiment) is shown in FIGS.
Is shown in.

As shown in FIG. 1, a distribution playing card storage box (hereinafter simply referred to as a storage box) 1 has a base 2 and a box body portion 1a mounted and fixed on the base 2. . Base 2
Has an elongated rectangular shape, and its entire length is slightly longer than the entire length of the box body 1a. Further, the box body portion 1 a is attached to the rear portion of the base 2. Therefore, the box body 1a
The front part of the base 2 is exposed to the front of, and this part becomes the slide stage 11 which will be described in detail later.

The box portion 1a has a playing card housing portion which is surrounded by an inner bottom plate 7 inclined downward to the front, a right side plate 3, a left side plate 4, a front plate 5 and a back plate 6. The lid plate 8 is attached to the upper opening of the playing card housing portion. The cover plate 8 is detachably attached to the upper opening of the playing card housing portion. As shown in FIG. 2, a pressure weight body 16a integrally having a pressure plate 16 is disposed in the playing card housing portion so as to be movable in the front-rear direction. The front surface of the pressure plate 16 is formed as a front-down inclined surface in accordance with the inclination angle of the front plate 5 forming the box body 1a. Therefore, the pressure plate 1
A large number of appropriately shuffled playing cards 18 are housed between the front panel 6 and the front plate 5 in a stacked state and in a state of standing up at a slight angle. A circuit device 15 is built in the last portion of the playing card housing portion 1b. The circuit device 15 includes a substrate on which a microcomputer described later is mounted, a power supply battery, and other wireless transceivers. Also,
The power supply for driving the electromagnetic lock, which will be described later, can also be supplied from the battery in the circuit device 15.

The inner bottom plate 7, the right side face plate 3, the left side face plate 4, the front face plate 5 and the rear face plate 6 which compose the box portion 1a are all made of a transparent acrylic plate or the like, and the stored playing cards are those plates. It is made visible through the see-through. Needless to say, the playing cards 1 housed in a stacked state.
8, the back surface is directed to the front of the box 1a,
There is no risk that the design etc. of the playing card surface will be discriminated in the stacked state.

As shown in FIG.
Further, as shown in FIG. 3, a finger insertion opening 10 and a playing card feeding opening 9 are formed. The finger insertion opening 10 has an inverted U-shaped opening shape, and the playing card feeding opening 9 is continuous with the finger insertion opening 10 and is formed in a slit shape at the lowermost end thereof. The width of the playing card outlet 9 is, for example, about 1.5 times the thickness of the playing card used in the game. Therefore, when a large number of playing cards are stacked and housed in the housing portion 1b, a finger insertion opening is formed. When a game dealer or the like presses a finger against 10 and shifts it downward, only one playing card located at the forefront passes through the slit of the delivery port 9 and is delivered onto the slide stage 11 located in front of it.
The slide stage 11 has a horizontal portion which is continuous with the playing card feeding opening 9 and an inclined portion which is located at the tip thereof.
The inclined surface 14 of the inclined portion is set to have a gentle inclination angle. Therefore, for example, when the storage box 1 of the present invention is installed on a baccarat table or the like, the card can be smoothly moved from the playing card feeding port 9 to the upper surface of the baccarat table. Can be sent out. That is, if the slide stage 1
If there is a step between the tip of 1 and the upper surface of the baccarat table, there is a possibility that the drawn playing card may be caught by it and turned upside down or turned upside down. This is prevented in advance. On the slide stage 11, two slide guides 13 continuous with the left and right edges of the playing card feeding opening 9 are provided. As shown in FIG. 5, each of these slide guides 13 has an inverted L-shaped cross-sectional shape, and a guide groove that smoothly regulates one playing card is formed between the pair of guides facing each other. To be done. Therefore, the playing card fed from the feeding port 9 is regulated between the left and right guide rails and always passes a certain position on the slide stage in a certain posture.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 4, a transparent window 12 having an elongated rectangular shape is provided in a region of a certain width on which one playing card always passes on the slide stage 11. Below this transparent window 12, FIG.
An optical reader 17 is embedded as shown in FIG. In this example, as shown in FIG.
Reference numeral 7 includes a light emitting element array (hereinafter referred to as an LED array) 17a such as an LED and a light receiving element array (hereinafter referred to as a PD array) 17b such as a PD (photodiode). As is well known, the LED array 17a has a large number of LEDs in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface in FIG.
Are arranged in a line, and similarly, the PD array 17b is formed by arranging a large number of PDs in a direction perpendicular to the paper surface. Then, the light emitted from each LED constituting the LED array 17a is reflected by the playing card passing on the transparent window 12 and then received by each of the PDs constituting the PD array 17b.

Although not shown, the LED array 17a and the PD array 17b shown in FIG. 4 are configured to be able to identify not only light and dark information but also color information. As well known, a structure for color discrimination can be realized by appropriately interposing RGB filters.

As is apparent by comparing FIG. 4 (a) and FIG. 4 (b), the transparent window 1 is placed on the slide stage 11.
The position of 2 is positioned so as to be substantially housed between the left and right slide guides 13, 13 so that the playing card 18 passing therethrough has the optical reader 1 in its entire width direction.
It is designed so that it fits in the field of view of 7. Further, on the slide stage 11, the transparent window 12 and the optical reader 17 positioned below the transparent window 12 are positioned so as to read only the playing cards which are wholly completely exposed from the feeding opening 9. By performing the reading in a state in which the playing card thus fed out is physically separated from the feeding port 9, the next playing card can be read without being involved in the reading.
Only the sheets can be read reliably. In addition, even from the viewpoint of the participants, it is clearly visible that only the playing cards that have been drawn out from the storage box are clearly visible, so there is a suspicion that they are conducting cheating acts such as reading the contents of the playing cards before distribution. Can be prevented.

The array pitch of the LED array 17a and the PD array 17b is determined by the intended reading resolution. Unlike the case of general image reading, the playing card to be read here is a fixed pattern determined in advance by the manufacturer, and there are four types of playing cards and two normal colors, red and black. It should be possible to easily identify the type of playing card based on the read image data without setting a strict resolution.

As described above, in the above embodiment, the optical reader reads almost the entire width of the long side of the playing card, but the present invention is not limited to this. Normally, the playing information of the playing card is displayed large in the center of the playing card, and the numerical value and the type of the playing card are also displayed in the two corners of the playing card. Therefore, if the information displayed at the two places can be read, the necessary information for identifying the playing card can be converted into electronic information without reading the entire playing card. That is, the optical reader is not limited to a combination of a light emitting element array such as an LED and a light receiving element array such as a PD (photodiode), but may be a CCD line sensor, a CCD image sensor, a local optical sensor, or the like. It goes without saying that it can be adopted.

As described above, in this embodiment, the playing card housed in the box body portion 1a is moved to the slide stage 11 while being fed from the feeding port 9 and discharged to the surface of the baccarat table, for example. The embedded optical reader 17 reads the display information with its surface facing downward, that is, with the playing card surface lying down. The display information referred to here includes a playing card pattern, numbers, symbols, and the like.

In the examples of FIGS. 1 to 5, the weight body 16a for pressure is used as the pressure member for pressing the playing cards 18 in the laminated state forward, but this may be replaced by a compression or tension spring. You can also

Next, another embodiment of the distribution playing card storage box (hereinafter referred to as the second embodiment) will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in the figure, this distribution playing card housing box has a feeding roller 20 driven by a motor. The feeding roller 20 is arranged at the position of the finger insertion opening 10 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 3, and is rotated clockwise by a motor (not shown). Although not shown in FIG. 6, a momentary type push button switch is provided at an appropriate position of the storage box, and each time the push button switch is pushed, the feeding roller 20 rotates by a certain angle, thereby stacking. Only one of the playing cards located at the forefront is sent out onto the slide stage through the payout opening 9. Subsequent transportation is manually performed by a dealer or the like. That is,
In this example, the dealer automatically pushes out one playing card from the feeding port 9 by pushing the push button switch, and then guides it to the slide stage, for example, onto the baccarat table. Send it out.

In this example, since the operation of paying out the playing card from the box body 1a is performed through the automatic paying-out mechanism, it is possible for the participants of the game to confirm that there is no fear of cheating. The reliability of the game is improved.

In the second embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the pressure plate 2 for pressing the stacked playing cards from behind.
1 is a spring 21a for applying pressure as a means for applying pressure.
Is used. As a result, the pressing force becomes constant,
There is an advantage that the design of the surface frictional force of the feeding roller 20 becomes easy.

Next, still another embodiment of the distribution playing card storage box (hereinafter referred to as a third embodiment) will be described with reference to FIG.

The feature of the third embodiment is that the electromagnetic lock 22 is incorporated in the lower portion of the inner bottom plate 7 constituting the box body, while the magnetic plate (for example, iron plate) 23 is embedded on the game table side such as a baccarat table. By doing the electromagnetic lock 2
This is because the storage box 1 is locked on the game table by a strong suction force when the power is supplied to the power supply 2.
Note that a switch mechanism for turning on / off the power supply to the electromagnetic lock 22 is publicly known from various documents, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. However, from the viewpoint of preventing cheating such as replacing the playing card with the storage box 1, it is necessary to verify the ID unique to the dealer in order to release the power supply to the electromagnetic lock 22. This would require unlocking with a card key or various mechanical keys.

According to such a configuration, the storage box 1 of the present invention
On the game table, and then energize the electromagnetic lock 22 to lock the containing box 1 on the game table, and then replace the series of playing cards with the containing box 1 with another one. Can be prevented in advance.

Of course, the configuration of the third embodiment shown in FIG. 7 can be combined with the storage box 1 of the first and second embodiments described above.

Next, the electrical construction of the container of the present invention will be described. As described above, in the storage box 1 in each of the embodiments, every time one playing card is paid out, at least a part of the surface pattern of the playing card is optical while the playing card surface is turned down. An optical reader 17 is incorporated to read the information and convert it into a corresponding electric signal.

A video signal having a waveform corresponding to the surface pattern of each playing card is obtained from the optical reader 17.
The video signal thus obtained is digitized by a known method, and then collated with a reference waveform pattern prepared in advance corresponding to each type of playing card. As mentioned above, the design of playing cards is fairly standard, and the colors can be roughly identified by the two reference colors of red and black. Therefore, complicated pattern recognition processing is not required. In addition, the type and numerical value of the playing card can be sufficiently identified by the read signal from the relatively simple optical reader. Here, the types of playing cards are heart,
It is a diamond, spade, club, etc., and the numerical values include A, J, Q, K in addition to 2 to 10. Reference waveform patterns corresponding to these types and numerical values are stored in advance in the memory of the microcomputer.

Next, FIG. 8 is a flow chart showing the configuration of the software of the microcomputer incorporated in the accommodation box. Hereinafter, with reference to this flow chart, a process for identifying the type and numerical value of the playing card based on the signal from the optical reader 17 and storing the same in the memory in time series, and for each reading or a series of readings The process of wirelessly transmitting the read data collectively to the outside will be described.

When the process is started in FIG. 8, a known initialization process is executed (step 801). In this initialization processing, various registers and counters are initialized, and particularly in the present invention, the number pointer N, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 9, is initialized.
The number pointer designates a data storage position in the transmission file.

Thereafter, in the computer, while executing the sensor check (check of the optical reader 17),
It waits for read data to arrive from the sensor (NO in steps 802 and 803). This process can be realized by, for example, monitoring the PD output of a specific bit incorporated in the optical reader 17 to determine that the tip of the delivered playing card has arrived directly above the optical reader 17. .

In this state, when it is determined by the sensor that there is data (YES in step 803), the data coming from the optical reader 17 is read (step 804), and then the reference described above is applied. By comparing with the pattern data, the type and numerical value of the incoming playing cards are determined. That is, by comparing the image signal coming from the optical reader 17 with the previously stored reference pattern data corresponding to each playing card one after another, it is possible to identify what the playing card has passed over the optical reader 17. (Step 805).

The playing card data thus identified is registered in the area in the table designated by the pointer N in the transmission file shown in FIG. 9 (step 806).
That is, as shown in FIG. 9, a memory area for storing device number data, time data, and each series of trump data is provided in the memory of the microcomputer (not shown). The pointer N is set so as to correspond to a memory area provided in a table shape in this memory. As shown in the figure,
The pointer N is a number indicating the number of cards that have been paid out in the row direction of the table. Each individual area forming this memory area is designated by the pointer N described above. Also, in each individual area, three types of information consisting of first, second, and third are stored as a set. The first information is the type of playing card. In this example, "1" is heart, "2" is diamond,
"3" is a spade and "4" is a club.
The second information is a numerical value. In this example, "2" to "1"
It can take 13 different values of "0", "A", "J", "Q", and "K". The third information is game score conversion information. In this example, "A" is 1 point, "J", "Q",
“K” is set to 0 points, and “2” to “9” is set to 2 to 9 points. For example, in the individual area ((1)-"2"-
When there is "2"), this means heart, numerical value 2, and game conversion score 2 points. In addition, ("3"-"K"-
"0") means spade, king, and 0 points.

Generation and registration of the three types of information described above are realized by the processing of steps 806 and 807 in FIG. That is, in step 806, the first area is set in the area designated by the pointer N in the table.
And the second information is registered. In the following step 807, the score conversion data is obtained based on the registered second information. As a result, three types of data are stored as a set in the individual area designated by the pointer N in the transmission file.

When the registration of the data regarding one playing card in the transmission file and the conversion of points are completed in this way, by the execution of the following step 808, one playing card data just stored is stored in the casino via an antenna (not shown). It is transmitted to a computer such as a personal computer installed on the floor (step 808). In other words, in this playing card storage box for distribution, considering that game lovers stick to the traditional style, we have taken care not to expose any wiring etc., so as explained above. A battery is used as a power source, and data transfer to other devices is performed wirelessly.

When the registration, conversion and data transmission of one card are completed in this way, the value of the pointer N is then incremented by +1 (step 809) and the arrival of the game end signal is confirmed. (Step 810). If there is no game end signal (NO in step 810), the above processing steps 804 to 809 are repeatedly executed each time new data arrives from the sensor.

As described above, usually, the above-mentioned processing is performed every time one playing card is delivered, and the playing card data is transmitted to the outside. However, depending on the usage method of the read playing card data such as the display method of the corresponding game, it may be preferable to collectively transmit a certain amount of data. In such a case, a distribution batch transmission command is transmitted from an external controller or the like. When you receive the above batch transmission command in the distribution card housing box,
The interrupt process is executed, and the Trump data accumulated in the memory up to that point is collectively transmitted (step 811).

As a result, as shown in FIG. 9, every time a playing card is paid out from the storage box 1, the identification data relating to the playing card is stored in the transmission file in time series. As shown in FIG. 9, the time-series data is also provided with number data indicating the order of the data. Therefore, if the wirelessly transmitted data is received, based on the number data,
It is possible to easily confirm the number of the data of the playing card delivered from the storage box 1.

Since the data thus received is provided with the identification information indicating the order of the extended data, the receiving side can know the tendency of the past appearance data. It can be used to automatically determine the outcome of a game. In other words, by receiving the data wirelessly transmitted from the distribution playing card storage box, it is possible to know the type and numerical value of the playing cards corresponding to the series of past results, and based on that information, for example, on the display screen. Various applications are possible, such as displaying the pattern of the corresponding playing card or displaying the pattern of the projected line as a chart.

Next, FIG. 10 shows an overall configuration diagram of a baccarat game system to which the accommodation box of the present invention is applied. As shown in the figure, this baccarat game system includes a storage box 1 according to the present invention, a personal computer 25, and a large display 26. Storage box 1 is Baccarat table 2
4 and is locked in place by the operation of the electromagnetic lock 22 described above. The housing 1, the personal computer 25, and the large display 26 are connected to each other by wireless communication, and the power of the housing 1 is supplied from a built-in battery. Therefore, the participants of the baccarat game will have an appearance similar to that of the conventional shooter and will not feel any discomfort. Then, the storage box 1 is operated by the dealer, and one card is successively fed out from the delivery port 9, and the content thereof is read and sent to the personal computer 25 in the face down state. The personal computer 25 executes known display data conversion processing to wirelessly transmit the corresponding display data to the large display 26. There is no electric wire cord or the like between the personal computer 25 and the large display 26. Therefore, the game participants will not feel uncomfortable. In the personal computer 25, the process of reproducing the design of the corresponding playing card based on the data wirelessly transmitted from the housing box 1, and the winning or losing of the game is determined based on the sent playing card data, and the result (the baccarat game In that case, a result such as a banker win “B”, a player win “P”, a draw of both parties “T”) is generated, and a process of making a chart based on a certain continuity is executed.

An example of the display thus obtained on the large display 26 is shown in FIG. In the figure, TB
L is a result table, A1 is a time display unit, A2 is a message display unit, A3 is a column number display unit, A4 is a display position of the result, A5 is a display position of the bottom line, SW is a power switch, and A6 is an adjustment. The operation unit, X is the row direction, and Y is the column direction.

As is apparent from the figure, on the display screen of the large-sized display, vertical and horizontal display positions are provided.
At each display position A4, the symbol "P",
"B" and "T" are arranged. This arrangement is closely related to the continuity of past hits. That is, when a certain number of consecutive numbers are continuous, those consecutive numbers are arranged in the column direction. On the other hand, when the outcome is changed, the display position is advanced by one, and the symbol display is started again from the outcome display position at the top of the next row. As a result, not only the game participants but also the spectators surrounding the game participants can know the past tendency of the results regarding the baccarat table, and based on that, the subsequent results can be predicted individually. These symbols B, P and T are automatically calculated using the playing card data sent from the container 1 according to the Baccarat rule.

In the lower left of the large display, an area for displaying the design of playing cards is provided, and in this area, the design 28 corresponding to the playing card data previously read by the container 1 is displayed. As a result, the participants and spectators of the game can clearly confirm the type and content of the playing card that determines the winning or losing of the game.

At the same time, the same display as this large-scale display can be simultaneously displayed on a display device installed remotely through various communication systems. Therefore, for example, in a guest room display device such as a hotel having a casino. By displaying the same as the above, the effect of inviting all of the hotel customers to the gambling place can be obtained.

FIG. 12 shows an overall configuration diagram of a high-tech casino system to which the present invention is applied. This high-tech casino system can easily inform the situation of the game to the above-mentioned remotely installed display or the like. That is, as shown in the figure, for example, in the LAN that is set up in the hotel, the entire controller 27a,
Control unit 27b, distribution playing card storage box 27c (1), data input device 27d, data display system display 2
7e, other displays 27f, a router 27g, etc. are connected, so that these systems can be connected to the Internet 27h via the router 27g.

Therefore, the data obtained by the distribution playing card storage box 27c can be used in various ways in each constituent device in the system, and the win / loss of the game can be automatically determined in various data processing devices installed remotely. Or
Alternatively, it is possible to convey the fun of the casino to a wide range of general customers by performing various predictions and displaying past trends of outcomes through various data processing.

In any of the above first to third embodiments, the slide stage 11 may be configured to be attachable to and detachable from the box body portion 1a of the storage box. With such a configuration, the functional unit is the same as the one integrated with the box unit 1a, but the slide stage and the storage box main body are separated from each other when the optical reader is maintained or replaced. It can be performed only on the stage. Furthermore, by making the slide stage projecting from the storage box detachable from the storage box main body, it is possible to make it compact when packing.

In any of the first to third embodiments described above, the optical reader is constructed so as to be embedded in the slide stage 11 provided in the front part of the feeding port 9. However, it is not necessarily limited to such a configuration. It suffices that the playing card be fed out of the housing box through the feeding port in a state where the playing card is laid face down and can be read by the optical reader every time one playing card is drawn. That is, the optical reader may be provided on the path through which the playing card is delivered from the accommodation box and distributed to the target player or the dealer himself. For example, the configuration may be such that the optical reader is embedded in the game table itself without providing the slide stage. With such a configuration and fixing the distribution box at a predetermined position on the table, the same result can be obtained. Further, one chamber may be provided in the accommodation box adjacent to the accommodation section, and an optical reader may be provided therein. By providing such a configuration, the playing card may be drawn out to the optical reading chamber provided from the accommodating portion by an automatic paying-out device or the like, and after the reading is performed, it is drawn out of the accommodating box. Of course, to prevent suspicions such as cheats, by configuring the storage box with a member such as a transparent acrylic plate, it is possible for the participants to see that the playing cards are read one by one. To

[0074]

As is apparent from the above description, the distribution playing card housing box of the present invention has a box body in which a plurality of distribution playing cards are housed in a stacked state, and a surface of the playing card inside the box body. It has a feeding port for feeding one piece out of the box body in the lying state, and every time one playing card is fed, at least a part of the surface pattern of the playing card is turned down. Since it has an optical reader that optically reads it and converts it into a corresponding electric signal in the above state, the information displayed on the playing card can be immediately converted into electronic information each time the playing card is extended. By using this, various uses such as automatic win / loss determination of a card game and analysis and display of past outcome tendency are expected.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a distribution playing card storage box (first embodiment).

FIG. 2 is a side sectional view of a distribution playing card storage box (first embodiment).

FIG. 3 is a front view of a distribution playing card storage box (first embodiment).

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a relationship between an optical reader and playing cards.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory view showing a guide member.

FIG. 6 is a side sectional view of a distribution playing card storage box (second embodiment).

FIG. 7 is a side sectional view of a distribution playing card storage box (third embodiment).

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a configuration of software installed in a storage box.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a table of contents of a transmission file.

FIG. 10 is an overall configuration diagram of a baccarat game system to which the accommodation box of the present invention is applied.

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a display example of a large display.

FIG. 12 is an overall configuration diagram of a high-tech casino system to which the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 Trump housing box for distribution 2 bases 3 Right side plate 4 Left side plate 5 Front plate 6 Back plate 7 Inner bottom plate 8 lid plate 9 Feeding mouth 10 Finger insertion opening 11 slide stage 12 transparent windows 13 Slide guide 14 slope 15 circuit devices 16 Pressure plate 16a Weight for pressurization 17 Optical reader 18 playing cards 19 Slide direction 20 Feeding roller 21 Pressure plate 21a Pressure spring 22 Electromagnetic lock 23 Magnetic plate 24 Baccarat table 25 PC 26 Large display 27 High-tech casino system 27a Overall controller 27b control unit 27c (1) Distribution card box for distribution 27d data input device 27e Data display system display 27f Other displays 27g router 27h Internet 28 patterns A1 time display A2 message display A3 column number display A4 result display position A5 bottom line display position A6 adjustment operation part SW power switch X row direction Y column direction

Claims (11)

[Claims] 1. A box for accommodating a plurality of distribution playing cards in a stacked state, and a feeding for feeding the playing cards in the box one by one with the surface thereof being turned down. An optical system that has a mouth, and each time one playing card is fed out, at least a part of the surface pattern of the playing card is optically read and converted into a corresponding electric signal while the playing surface is turned down. A playing card storage box for distribution, characterized by having a reader incorporated therein. 2. An automatic delivery mechanism for delivering the playing cards in the box body one by one to the outside of the box body while the surface of the playing cards is turned down.
Trump storage box for distribution described in. 3. A slide stage is provided at the feeding opening of the box for sliding the played playing card thereon, and the optical reader is embedded in the sliding stage. The playing card storage box for distribution according to claim 1 or 2. 4. The slide surface of the slide stage comprises:
The distribution playing card storage box according to claim 3, wherein the distribution playing card storage box has an inclined surface that decreases as it goes to its tip. 5. The slide stage is provided with a guide member for restricting a direction of a playing card to be placed on the slide stage and slid on the slide stage.
Alternatively, the distribution playing card storage box described in 4. 6. The optical reader embedded in the slide stage is positioned so as to read only playing cards which are wholly completely exposed from the feeding opening of the box. The playing card storage box for distribution according to any one of to 5. 7. The distribution playing card storage box according to claim 1, further comprising a determination unit that determines the content of the playing card based on an electric signal from the optical reader. 8. The distribution playing card storage box according to claim 7, further comprising storage means for storing the determined contents of the playing card in time series. 9. The distribution playing card storage box according to claim 1, further comprising a wireless transmission / reception means. 10. The distribution playing card storage box according to claim 1, further comprising an electromagnetic lock capable of locking the distribution playing card storage box on a table. 11. The playing card storage box for distribution according to claim 1, further comprising a battery for power supply.