Abstract:
A card reader apparatus including at least an ultraviolet emitter and ultraviolet detector for use with specialized playing cards marked at least partially with ultraviolet ink. In general, the ultraviolet detector is configured to determine an amount of light being reflected off of the specialized cards when subjected to ultraviolet light (or radiation) from the ultraviolet emitter. The corners of playing cards with ranks of 10 (i.e., tens and face cards) and aces are coated with an invisible ultraviolet ink such that the detector is able to distinguish playing cards with ranks between 2-9 from playing cards with ranks of 10 and ace. Responsive to the determination of the rank of the hole card, an indicator device illuminates to designate a blackjack or no blackjack. Alternatively, a pair of lights may be used to alert the dealer of the result.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/288,120 filed on Dec. 18, 2009. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for detecting the rank of certain playing cards being used in a live game of chance (e.g., blackjack). 
     BACKGROUND 
     The game of Blackjack is commonly played in casinos worldwide. In a casino, the game of Blackjack involves a dealer and one or more players who play against cards dealt by the dealer. Another rule, basic to the game, is that each player attempts to draw cards until the sum of the cards are as close to twenty-one as possible, without exceeding twenty-one. Whenever the sum of the cards in a single hand exceeds twenty-one, the player or dealer, holding the cards loses. 
     Cards are dealt to each player, including the dealer, with at least one card (the “hole” card) face down. To speed play, when the dealer shows a card which is a member of a blackjack pair of cards, the hole card is commonly privately perused by the dealer to see if the hole card is the other member of the blackjack pair. If the hole card is the other member of the blackjack pair, play stops and the dealer wins. 
     Those skilled in the art of Blackjack understand that statistics play a very important part in winning or losing. Card counting methods have been conceived and developed through the years for integrating knowledge of cards played into a scheme which determines the magnitude of a bet, or whether another card should be taken. Equally as important, when a player is making a decision about whether or not to ask for another card, is a knowledge of the value of the dealers hole card, especially when the showing card is a face card. 
     For an unscrupulous dealer, who has a player as an accomplice, a look at the hole card, to determine whether or not the dealer&#39;s cards comprise a blackjack, provides an opportunity to determine the value of the dealer&#39;s hand. With knowledge of the value of the hole card, the unethical dealer is able to signal the player accomplice the relative value of the card in a manner which is subtle and generally undetectable by casino management. With such knowledge, the accomplice makes a more knowledgeable decision concerning requesting or declining being hit with another card and thereby significantly tilts the odds of winning away from the casino. Even without dealer involvement a player may use an accomplice behind the dealer at another table to catch the value of the dealer&#39;s hole card when the dealer checks the hole card and then transmit the value to the player. 
     Therefore, there is a need for an apparatus which enables dealer&#39;s to identify the hole card without exposing the hole card. 
     SUMMARY 
     Accordingly, a first embodiment of the present invention comprises a card reader apparatus including at least an ultraviolet emitter and ultraviolet detector for use with specialized playing cards marked at least partially with ultraviolet ink. In general, the ultraviolet detector is configured to determine an amount of light being reflected off of the specialized cards when subjected to ultraviolet light (or radiation) from the ultraviolet emitter. In one embodiment, the corners of playing cards with ranks of 10 (i.e., tens and face cards) and aces are coated with an invisible ultraviolet ink such that the detector is able to distinguish playing cards with ranks between 2-9 from playing cards with ranks of 10 and ace. Responsive to the determination of the rank of the hole card, an indicator device illuminates to designate a blackjack or no blackjack. Alternatively, a pair of lights may be used to alert the dealer of the result. 
     Such an apparatus and specialized playing cards allow a dealer to determine whether his hand comprises a blackjack or no blackjack without exposing his or her hole card. More specifically, when the dealer&#39;s face-up card is a ten, face card or an ace, the dealer slides the pair of cards (one face up and one face down) into an apparatus housing such that the face-down card is exposed to ultraviolet light wherein reflected light is read by the ultraviolet detector. 
     Other variations, embodiments and features of the present invention will become evident from the following detailed description, drawings and claims. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a blackjack gaming table having a card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention installed thereon; 
         FIG. 2  illustrates an exemplary housing for a card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    illustrates a pair of dealer&#39;s cards inserted into the card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4 a    illustrates exemplary playing cards for use with the card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4 b    illustrates another exemplary playing card for use with the card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 5  illustrates a block diagram of the card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 6  illustrates an exemplary integrated circuit layout according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 7  illustrates an exemplary transistor circuit layout according to the embodiments of the present invention; 
         FIG. 8  illustrates a bill of materials for the layouts shown in  FIGS. 6 and 7 : and 
         FIG. 9  illustrates an exemplary housing configured to contain the electronics associated with the card detection apparatus according to the embodiments of the present invention. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention, reference will now be made to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive feature illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would normally occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention claimed. 
     The embodiments of the present invention relate to an apparatus for detecting playing card ranks. While the embodiments may be used to facilitate and improve any card game, the disclosure below focuses on the game of blackjack which is the game which at this time benefits most from the apparatus. Applicant incorporates herein for all purposes U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,110,134, 5,219,172, 5,224,712 and 5,364,106. 
       FIG. 1  shows a blackjack gaming table  10  with a card detection apparatus  100  installed thereon. The playing surface  12  of the table  10  is covered with a felt or other material well known and commonly used in the game of blackjack and whereupon cards are dealt to a dealer and players. The apparatus  100  is installed proximate the dealer since it is the dealer that utilizes the apparatus  100  when needed. 
     A housing  105  of the apparatus  100  is shown in  FIG. 2 . As shown, the housing  105  is triangular in shape to facilitate receipt of the corner of playing cards. A lower surface  106  of the housing is installed substantially flush with the playing surface  12  of the gaming table  10  to allow playing cards to be slid or inserted into the apparatus  100  without having to lift a face-down card thereby preventing exposure of the face-down card. A top surface  107  of the housing  105  conceals the cards within the apparatus and limits external light interfering with the operation of the apparatus  100 . A light emitting diode  108  indicates whether the two dealer&#39;s cards form a blackjack. 
       FIG. 4 a    shows a playing card  30  having a rank of ace and a second playing card  32  having a rank of King. In this blackjack embodiment, only face cards, tens and aces include an invisible rank designation mark  50 . In this instance, the invisible rank designation mark  50  is in the form of ultraviolet ink (shown as a rectangle with a black background and white dots for purposes of reference). It should be understood that in practice the ultraviolet ink is not visible to players under normal conditions. 
     Each card  30 ,  32  comprises a set of opposing corners  34  or  36 . An ultraviolet ink mark  50  is placed in each corner  34  not containing identifying indicia  38  for each ace in a deck of playing cards. For the group of cards comprising tens and face cards an ultraviolet ink mark  50  is placed in each corner  36  disposed such that identifying indicia remain readable. Those skilled in art will recognize that the ultraviolet ink mark  50  may be placed elsewhere on the cards.  FIGS. 3 a  and 3 b    show the orientation of face-down dealer cards being inserted into the housing  105 . In  FIG. 3 a    the face-up card would be an Ace and in  FIG. 3 b    the face-up card would be a ten. With the orientations shown, the ultraviolet ink marks  50 , if any, on the face-down cards  37  are ensured of being in the apparatus  100 . 
       FIG. 4 b    shows another exemplary card with the ultraviolet ink mark  51  angled relative to the card edges. Specifically, the ultraviolet ink mark  51  is 0.35″ inches from the corner of the card. As shown, the ultraviolet ink mark is 0.40″ in length and 0.25″ wide. In practice the mark  51  would be in the opposite corner as well. The size and location of the ultraviolet ink mark  51  is not limited to  FIG. 4 b    and may be placed elsewhere and dimensioned differently. 
     As is well known a blackjack comprises a two-card total of 21 such that a blackjack comprises one card from each of two groups of cards discussed above. As set forth above, each ace comprises mark  50  in each corner  34  and each ten and face card comprises mark  50  in each corner  36  as seen in  FIGS. 4 a  and 4 b   . In this manner, the cards may be differentiated by which corner is inserted into apparatus  100 . 
     If the face-up card is a face card or a ten, play is legitimately speeded by a test to see if the hole card is an ace and dealer therefore, has a blackjack. Similarly, if the face-up card is an ace, play is speeded by a test to see if hole card is a face card or ten. 
     Now referring to  FIG. 5 , a block diagram  200  shows a system facilitating operation of the apparatus  100 . The apparatus  100  includes an ultraviolet emitter  205 , ultraviolet detector  210 , power source  215 , a photo interrupter  220 , switch  221  and indicator device  225 . In practice, once a card is inserted into the housing  105  the photo interrupter  220  senses the card and closes switch  221  thereby connecting the power source  215  to the system to draw power from the power source  215  to the system. The photo interrupter  220  may be replaced with a switch lever and switch activator. The power source may be a battery or AC power means. Once power is applied to the system, in one embodiment, the ultraviolet emitter  205  emits pulsed width modulation ultraviolet light (radiation) onto the corner of the face-down card inserted into the housing  105 . The ultraviolet detector  210  then measures or senses an amount of light reflected off of the exposed card corner. If the measurement or sensed level of light is above a threshold amount, the indicator device  225  is illuminated in red to signify a game stoppage as the dealer has blackjack. If the measurement or sensed level of reflected light is below a threshold amount, the indicator device  225  is illuminated in green to signify a game continuance as the dealer does not have blackjack. In one embodiment, the received, reflected light pulses are amplified by transistors to assist with the determination. 
     In one embodiment, some or all of the components shown in block diagram  200  are positioned on, or in communication with, a printed circuit board.  FIGS. 6 and 7  show an exemplary integrated circuit layout  250  and transistor circuit layout  260 , respectively, and  FIG. 8  shows an exemplary bill of materials  280  associated with the layouts  250 ,  260 . The majority of the hardware components are positioned below the playing surface of the playing table  10 . In one example, the components (e.g., battery, printed circuit board, etc.) are contained within a housing secured to an underside of the table  10 . 
     As shown in  FIG. 3 b   , hole card  19  is maintained in a face down position and detectable corner is moved proximally to housing  105  when the face-up card  18  is a face card or ten. Once hole card  19  is disposed, as shown in  FIG. 3 b   , the ultraviolet emitter  205  emits ultraviolet light which causes the mark  50 , if present, to reflect light. The ultraviolet detector  210  measures an amount of reflected light to determine whether the mark  50  is present. If the measured amount of light is below a threshold amount, the indicator device  225  in the form of a light emitting diode illuminates in green signaling that the face-down or hole card  19  is not an Ace such that the game should continue. If the measured amount of light is above a threshold amount, the indicator device  225  illuminates in red signaling that the face-down card  19  is an ace and that the game should be stopped. That is, if ultraviolet ink mark  50  is on the corner of a card, light will be generated as a result of application of ultraviolet light transmitted by the ultraviolet emitter  205  allowing the ultraviolet detector  210  to determine whether the face-down card has the ultraviolet mark  50  or not. That is, the application of ultraviolet light to an ultraviolet ink mark turns the mark from invisible to visible such that an amount of reflected light may be measured. 
     If the face-up card  20  is an ace, hole card  21  is maintained in a face down position, but rotated 90 degrees to be disposed at housing  105  as shown in  FIG. 3 a   . Thus oriented, a corner of the hole card  21  is subjected to ultraviolet light emitted by ultraviolet emitter  205 . The ultraviolet detector  210  measures an amount of reflected light to determine whether the mark  50  is present. If the measured amount of light is below a threshold amount, the indicator device  225  illuminates in green signaling that the face-down or hole card  21  is not a ten or face card such that the game should continue. If the measured amount of light is above a threshold amount, the indicator device  225  illuminates in red signaling that the face-down card  21  is a ten or face card and that the game should be stopped. 
     In one embodiment, to facilitate the detection of the reflected light, the card faces are printed, stamped or otherwise applied to non-reflective card stock. In this manner, the card stock does not reflect any of the ultraviolet light emitted by the ultraviolet emitter  205  thereby avoiding inaccurate readings which could impact the integrity of the game being played. 
       FIG. 9  shows a card detection apparatus  100  with an electronics housing  101  connected thereto. The tubular housing  101  is configured to contain the electronics associated with operating the card detection apparatus  100  as described above. In this manner, after installation, the tubular housing  101  sits below the card table while the card detection apparatus  100  is at table top level. Those skilled in the art will understand that the housing  101  may take on other shapes and dimensions. 
     Accordingly, one group of cards each comprising an ace is detected independently from the other group comprising a face card or ten. Importantly, the dealer knows proper orientation of the face-down card to be read by the value of the face-up card. 
     The embodiments of the present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.