Apparatus and method for data gathering in games of chance

A method and apparatus for determining the win or loss of individual participants in a game of chance, such as for example Black Jack, Poker or the like, wherein the bet and the winnings are represented by chips. A central chip depository is provided for receiving the game inventory and the latter has means for determining its momentary content. At least one chip deposit area is provided per participant and has in each case at least one sensor for the detection of chips lying on the deposit area. The means for determining the momentary chip content and also the sensors have their outputs connected to the inputs of a data processing system.

FIELD OF INVENTION 
The invention relates to an apparatus and to a method for determining the 
turnover, the win and/or the loss of individual participants in a game of 
chance, such as for example Black Jack, Poker or the like, where the bet 
and the winnings are represented by gaming chips. 
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION 
Gaming chips is a generic term which covers tokens or "jetons" of all 
kinds, as well as coins, since casino games are sometimes played with 
coins rather than tokens. If coins are used as gaming chips, then they are 
valued at their face value. If tokens are used, then each token is 
associated with a certain monetary value. In American gaming casinos 
gaming chips are simply termed chips. In some American casinos it is also 
customary to use coins such as, for example, a silver dollar, half or 
quarter dollar coins (halves and quarters) or the like as chips. 
In American gaming casinos in particular, it is important for the operator 
to know how much each of his guests has turned over (bet), won or lost 
during a day of gaming. It is generally customary for a player to be given 
privileges, such as for example a free meal, a free ride to the casino or 
home, or the like, depending on how much the casino theoretically or 
actually earns from the player. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART 
An approximate determination of the turnover of the individual players took 
place hitherto by so-called pit bosses. These are employees of the casino 
who attempt to estimate the average bet of each player, the number of 
games per hour and also the time each player plays at the table, and thus 
the turnover, profit or loss of the individual casino visitors, through 
the observation of the progress of the gaming. Disadvantages of this 
method are the high costs of personnel and the inaccuracy of the 
determination of the turnover. 
In order to avoid such disadvantages, there are essentially two different 
systems which are known. 
The first comprises a video camera system which views the gaming table at a 
shallow angle, records the stack of chips bet by the individual players 
and supplies this information to a processing unit which then determines 
the value of the chip stacks bet by means of a corresponding recognition 
algorithm. The practical realization of this method gives rise to 
difficulties in the optical recognition of chips, in particular with 
offset stacks or with several bet stacks (split bet) or other irregular 
bets. The optical characteristics of the chips, such as the reflection 
characteristic of their surfaces, their color and their appearance in 
general, change as a result of their use. However, the recognition of the 
different chip types takes place precisely with reference to these 
features. Accordingly, a permanent, reliable operation cannot be achieved, 
or can only be achieved with substantial cost and complexity. Moreover, it 
can transpire that the recordings made by the camera system are influenced 
by unpredictable events, such as the lenses being obscured, change of 
brightness at the gaming table or the like, and the measurement result is 
thereby falsified. 
The second system involves providing each gaming chip with a marking 
associated with the chip value, such as a radio-frequency identity code 
recognizable in a contact-free manner by an electronic route, and the 
provision of a corresponding sensor for each player beneath the token 
deposit area at which the respective bet is placed for each hand. The 
value of the stack of chips bet per hand can be determined with the aid of 
this sensor. 
The disadvantage of this system lies in the fact that the chips required 
are complicated to manufacture and thus relatively expensive. 
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION 
It is the object of the invention to avoid the disadvantages of the known 
systems and to set forth an apparatus with which the determination of the 
turnover, win or loss of individual players is possible in a reliable 
manner. 
It is a further object of the invention to enable a dealer's performance to 
be assessed. 
It is a yet further object of the invention to acquire the data required 
for assessing the players turnover and the dealer performance in a 
relatively simple and reliable manner which does not place an extreme 
burden on the dealer. 
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following 
description. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a 
method for determining the total amount bet by individual players 
participating in a plurality of hands of a game of chance, such as Black 
Jack, Poker or the like, at a gaming table having betting areas for each 
player on which the players place the gaming chips they wish to bet for 
each hand, with the cards being dealt by a dealer and with a gaming chip 
depository being provided at the gaming table, the method comprising the 
steps of: 
detecting the start of each new hand, 
detecting whether or not each individual player has placed a bet in each 
respective hand by detecting the presence of at least one gaming chip 
representing the bet on the respective betting area associated with each 
individual player, 
detecting the total value of gaming chips present in said gaming chip 
depository, 
collecting the bets of individual players who have lost a hand, for example 
by exceeding a predetermined score, and placing the bets individually in 
the gaming chip depository, 
identifying the size of each bet placed in the gaming chip depository by 
determining the change in value of the gaming chip depository, 
associating the size of this bet with the respective betting area, and thus 
with the player, 
counting the total number of hands played by the player, 
and determining the total amount bet by that player by mathematically 
linking an average amount bet by the individual player determined for at 
least some of the hands he has lost with the total number of hands he has 
played. 
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided an 
apparatus for determining at least one of the amount bet, or the amount 
won or lost by individual participants in a game of chance, such as for 
example Black Jack, Poker or the like, wherein the amounts bet and won are 
represented by gaming chips, the apparatus comprising: 
a central chip depository for receiving the game inventory, 
means for determining the momentary content of the central chip depository, 
at least one chip deposit area per participant, 
at least one sensor associated with each chip deposit area for the 
detection of one or more chips lying on this deposit area, and 
a data processing system to which said means for determining the momentary 
chip content and also said sensors are connected. 
Through a method or an apparatus of this kind neither the progress of the 
gaming nor the gaming participants are disturbed. Additionally, the 
apparatus is relatively simple, functions reliably and is durable. 
In a further development of the invention, provision can be made for at 
least one deposit area to be provided per participant for the laying down 
of the chips that are being bet. 
With the combination of this sensor and the central chip depository, it is 
possible to determine in a simple manner the bet of each player for each 
hand and/or game. 
Additionally, provision can also be made for at least one deposit area to 
be provided per participant for the laying down of the chips that are won. 
Through this simple extension it can always be clearly determined whether 
the particular player has won or lost in the actual hand of the game. 
A preferred embodiment of the invention can consist of the chip deposit 
areas of each participant being combined into a participant unit. 
A unit of this kind is clearly arranged and thus simple to handle. 
Furthermore, provision can be made for a gaming status sensor to be 
provided which detects the start of each gaming hand and is connected to 
the input of the data processing system. 
With the aid of a sensor of this kind, incorrect contact with the win 
sensor and/or the bet sensor can be ignored and the accuracy of the 
overall apparatus can be improved. 
A further feature of the invention can be the provision of a table keyboard 
which is connected to the data processing system. 
In this way the dealer can feed into the system information such as 
corrections, basic information, and changes in the chip content of the 
depository that are not dependent on the progress of the gaming or similar 
information. 
A preferred embodiment of the invention can lie in the fact that the 
outputs of all sensors are connected to the inputs of the data processing 
system via a first interface and a second interface, and in that the table 
keyboard is connected to the data processing system via the second 
interface. 
Through the use of such interfaces, it is possible, on the one hand, to 
reduce the wiring complexity and, on the other hand, the data processing 
system is assisted in the operation of the peripheral units (sensors, 
keyboard, token depository) whereby the speed of the calculating 
procedures is increased. 
Furthermore, provision can be made for the sensors to be formed by force 
pick-ups, inductive or capacitive sensors, sender-receiver pairs, such as 
for example infrared, ultrasonic or laser transmitters/receivers, video 
pattern recognition systems or the like. 
Such sensors operate in this connection particularly reliably because they 
are not influenced by use dependent changes of the chips such as the 
appearance of the tokens, the reflexion characteristics of the token 
surface or the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS 
A general explanation of the invention will be now given with respect to 
the game "Black Jack" and with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2. The object 
of the card game "Black Jack" is to build up a hand of any number of cards 
with the sum of the individual card values lying as close as possible 
beneath 21 or being precisely equal to 21. The course of the game is such 
that at the start of each hand all participants specify their bets for the 
hand by placing this bet in the form of a stack of gaming chips in front 
of them. Thereafter the dealer (a casino employee who runs the game) deals 
each participant and himself two cards. If desired the participants can 
also each request further cards from the dealer. If the card score exceeds 
the value 21 on addition of a new card then the relevant player must 
uncover his whole hand, has lost his bet and leaves the game for the 
actual hand. If all the participants remaining in the game have sufficient 
cards then the dealer must, in accordance with the rules of the game, 
correspondingly take cards and, lay them open, i.e. so that they are 
visible for all participants. Then the cards of all the participants are 
uncovered by the dealer. Those participants whose card scores are greater 
than that of the dealer win, and the participants whose card scores are 
lower than that of the dealer lose their bet. The precise rules used for 
the game vary from state to state but follow the same general pattern. The 
specific rules applicable to the game as played in British Columbia are 
appended to this specification for ease of reference. 
The determination of the turnover, win or loss of each participant in this 
game, takes place with an apparatus which, in accordance with the present 
teaching, essentially has a central token depository or a chip tray 102 
having a means for determining its momentary content and the momentary 
content of at least one chip deposit area or betting square 105 per 
participant. Each betting square 105 has two deposit areas 110, 111 for 
bets placed by the associated players and two deposit areas 112, 113 for 
his winnings which are placed by the dealer on the respective areas. The 
betting area 111 can be used either in the case of a split bet or in the 
case of a doubled bet as explained in Sections c (iii) and c (iv) of the 
attached "Rules of Play in Casinos in British Columbia". 
In addition, the betting area 111 may be used if a second player stands 
behind a seated player at the table and participates in the hand by 
betting with the player, who is responsible for calling for extra cards 
and actually playing the hand. The win area 113 is associated with the bet 
area 111. The deposit areas 110, 111, 112 and 113 each have at least one 
respective chip sensor 701 with the aid of which a determination can be 
made whether chips are present on the associated deposit areas 110, 111, 
112 or 113. At least one deposit area 110 is provided for the laying down 
of the chips that are being bet. 
Both the apparatus for determining the momentary content of the chip 
depository and also the sensors 701 have their outputs connected to the 
inputs of a data processing system 104, illustrated here as a computer. 
The data processing system 104 can be a stand-alone computer, such as a 
personal computer, or a terminal of a network of computers forming the 
data processing system. 
The means for determining the instantaneous content of the chip depository 
delivers this content in a manner which can be processed by an electronic 
route, i.e. in the form of an electrical signal. A signal of this kind 
can, for example, be generated by electrical force pick-ups, electronic 
sensing means such as transmitter-receiver pairs (infrared 
transmitters/receivers or the like), and by switches which can be actuated 
by the chips, or the like. 
At the start of a gaming hand, all participants now place their bets on 
their bet deposit areas 110. The participants can now call for extra cards 
if they feel their score is too low. If this leads to the player's score 
exceeding 21, i.e. the player overdraws, then the hand is immediately 
"bust" and is shown to the dealer, who immediately removes the players bet 
from the deposit area 110 and orders it into the chip depository 102. The 
data processing system 104 can unambiguously determine the size of the bet 
of the participant by sensing the removal of the chips from the sensor 701 
associated with the betting area and by the increase in the inventory of 
the chip depository 102 which occurs immediately thereafter. 
The other players who may or may not have taken extra cards and whose 
scores do not exceed 21 then wait till the end of the hand to see what the 
dealer has scored. Those with lower scores have lost, those with higher 
scores have won, and those with equal scores have neither won nor lost. 
Towards the end of the hand the bets of all participants who have lost are 
removed and the corresponding sensors 701 are thereby relieved, i.e. their 
output signals change from "chip present" to "chip absent". For the 
winners, the bet remains on the deposit area 110 and thus the 
corresponding sensors 701 are not relieved. In this way the data 
processing system (104) can uniquely determine who of the participants has 
won and who has lost. The precise sum won or lost is however not known 
because at this stage of the hand the dealer generally pulls in the bets 
from all the losers together, pays the winners from these takings and 
either orders the remaining difference in the chip depository 102 or takes 
further chips from it if necessary to pay the winners. Thus there is no 
clear association between individual players and the amount bet or won at 
this stage of the hand. Since it can however be assumed that each player 
always makes substantially the same bet for each hand, this average can 
form the basis of the calculation. 
The establishment of this average value takes place by average value 
formation of the precisely detected bet in those hands in which the 
participant overdraws. 
In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawing, at least one 
deposit area 112 is provided for each participant and serves for the 
laying down of the chips that are won. At the end of each hand the dealer 
places the stack of chips won by the respective participant on deposit 
area 112 for the winnings. Accordingly, independently of the state of 
switching of the bet sensor 701 for the deposit area 110, a clear 
classification of the individual participant as a winner or loser can take 
place. 
A faulty calculation could however take place if the winnings deposit area 
112 of a participant is incorrectly loaded during the gaming (the 
participant drops one of his cards, contacts the deposit area with his 
hand, or a chip falls on it unintentionally). Through an event of this 
kind, the data processing system 104 will incorrectly book a win for the 
corresponding participant. 
In order to determine the number of hands per unit time, a so-called gaming 
status sensor 108 is provided, which is preferably realized as a card 
sensor for the dealer cards. It could, however, be realized differently, 
e.g. as a simple push button actuated by the dealer at the start of each 
hand. In the case of Black Jack, this sensor essentially delivers a 
blocking signal as long as cards are being dealt and this blocking signal 
serves to distinguish the gaming states "hand being played" and "end of 
hand". 
Furthermore, the data processing system 104 is caused to evaluate only the 
relieving of the bet deposit areas with a subsequent increase of the 
content of the chip depository (i.e. the player has overdrawn), but to 
ignore all other sensor actuations so that the above-mentioned faulty 
conclusions can also be avoided. 
By the end of a hand all the participants remaining in the game have enough 
cards. The payment of the winnings or the collection of the bet takes 
place, the game status sensor 108 delivers a release signal to the data 
processing system 104. The latter senses changes of the output signals of 
the sensors 701 of the bet areas 110 (and optionally 111) and of the win 
areas 112 representing the placement of chips on the win areas 112 (and 
optionally 113) and the removal of chips from the bet areas 110. Thus 
loading of the win area sensors 701 and also relieving of the bet area 
sensors 701 which occur without the content of the chip depository being 
subsequently increased are evaluated. 
When observing a Black Jack gaming table, it is particularly advantageous 
to realize the game status sensor 108 as a card sensor located beneath the 
dealer card deposit area since the dealer cards are placed precisely in 
accordance with the above-described gaming states. When the dealer deals 
cards to himself they are laid on the deposit area associated with the 
card sensor. On the taking of further cards by the dealer, these likewise 
cover the card sensor and first free the card sensor when all cards have 
been removed therefrom. It will be appreciated that the arrangement of two 
bet areas 110, 111 and of two winning areas 112, 113 for each participant 
can be regarded as a betting square 105, i.e. the chip deposit areas 110, 
111, 112 and 113 in FIG. 2 are combined into a participant or player unit 
105. 
Furthermore, a table keyboard 100 connected to the data processing system 
can be provided. 
This serves to determine non game dependent filling changes of the chip 
depository 102. Such changes are, for example, drops (dealer sells chips 
to a player), markers (dealer, pit boss or inspector grants credit in the 
form of chips to a player), fills or credits (transfers of chips from the 
chip depository 102 to the casino chip bank or from the casino chip bank 
into the chip depository 102) or the like. 
The table keyboard 100 can replace the described gaming status sensor 108 
inasmuch as the dealer can advise the data processing system 104 of the 
start of a new hand, e.g. by inputting his card score. 
Regarding the way the apparatus of the invention was previously described, 
it is only possible to determine the turnover result for the individual 
participant or player unit 105. If this turnover result is now to be 
associated with the individual guests, then it is necessary to advise the 
data processing system 104 as to which guest has played at which 
participant unit 105 during which time interval. 
This association can take place in several ways. For example, each casino 
guest can have an electronically readable identity card which he hands to 
the dealer who introduces the card into a reading apparatus built into the 
table keyboard 100 and thereby advises the data processing system 104 of 
the identity of the new player. The position of the player unit 105 used 
by the new player is also fed in manually. If the player has purchased 
chips from the dealer, then the value of the chips he has purchased can be 
communicated to the data processing system by a manual input at the 
keyboard 100. 
If the casino is not equipped with the identity cards then the inputting of 
the player's identity can also take place by a manual input. 
Through the inputs, the time at which a new player starts playing is also 
determined, and the end of play of a player is announced to the data 
processing system 104 by manual input. 
If all the tables of the casino are equipped with such monitoring apparatus 
and connected to a central data processing system 104, then the turnover 
result for each guest can be relatively accurately calculated therewith. 
An improvement of the association of the guests to the player units 105 
that are used can also take place in such a way that each guest receives 
an electronically readable identity card and a read unit 107 is associated 
with each player unit 105. If a guest starts to play at any player unit 
105, he first registers himself by means of his identity card. In this way 
the data processing system 104 evaluates the game at the previously used 
player unit 105 as terminated and the game at the same unit 105 as having 
just started. 
A provision is made with casino games that guests do not have to 
participate directly in the progress of the game, but can instead observe 
a player and can assist the latter with their additional bets which can be 
placed on the betting area 111. For such players, no separate reading 
apparatus must be provided, they are covered, in precisely the same way as 
guests who do not have an identity card, by manual input. 
In the preferred layout of the circuitry shown in FIG. 1a the chip sensors 
701 of each participant unit 105 are connected via sensor modules 752 
(FIG. 5) to a sensor module controller 750 (FIG. 6) and the latter is 
connected to an interface bus 101. 
The card sensor 108 is also connected via circuits similar to 752 and 750 
to the interface 101. In addition, the player identification units 107 and 
the means for measuring the momentary content of the chip tray 102 are 
connected to the interface 101. This interface 101 is conveniently 
realized as a multi-plug interface where the individual terminals of the 
individual plugs are connected together to define a table bus. 
The table keyboard 100 and a further interface module 130 are also 
connected to the interface 101. 
Between the second interface module 130 and the data processing plant 104 
there is arranged a so-called communication processor 103 which serves to 
adapt the signal shape delivered by the interface 101 to the signal shape 
which can be processed by the data processing system 104. This can however 
also be omitted when the output signals of the interface distributor 101 
can be directly read by the data processing system 104. 
The mentioned sensors 701 can be formed by any desired devices which can 
detect objects. Since these devices now only need to recognize whether an 
article is present or not, their output signals are thus of a binary 
nature (article present or no article present). Some examples for these 
devices are force pick-ups, inductive or capacitive sensors, 
sender-transmitter pairs such as infrared, ultrasonic, laser 
transmitters/receivers, video pattern recognition systems or the like. 
The invention has hitherto been described with reference to the game "Black 
Jack". This is, however, not to be regarded as a restriction because the 
apparatus of the invention can also be used for determining the player 
profit of other casino table games. Under some circumstances it can be 
necessary to position one other of the sensors differently or to make 
additional inputs via the table keyboard. The basic idea for determining 
the average bet of each player however remains the same. 
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE METHOD OF OPERATION 
FIG. 3A shows the various states of a hand to explain how these states are 
recognized by the data processing system. 
The circle labelled H0 idle represents the situation before a game is 
played. This is the situation which prevails when the casino opens, the 
state which prevails at the beginning of each hand of cards, and the state 
which prevails when the dealer is changed. In all three cases there will 
be a certain inventory present in the chip tray 102 which is precisely 
known to the data processing system 104. As will be described later, 
sensors are associated with the chip tray 102 which monitor the contents 
of the chip tray and send appropriate information to the data processing 
system 104. 
Before the start of the first game of the day and at intervals throughout a 
day's gaming, it is necessary for the dealer to shuffle the cards, which 
is either done manually or by machine. In any event, it is usual for a 
predetermined number of packs of cards, usually at least four and normally 
five, to be shuffled together. Thereafter the dealer hands a plastic 
separator to one of the players who is asked to insert it approximately at 
the middle of the stack of shuffled cards. The shuffled cards are then 
placed on the gaming table face down near to the dealer and the dealer 
normally deals only cards from the top-half of the shuffled stack of 
cards, i.e. from the cards above the plastic separator. He may however use 
cards immediately beneath the separator if this is necessary to complete a 
particular hand. Once the separator is reached the cards are reshuffled as 
soon as the hand which is being played has been completed. 
Before the start of each hand, each player is called upon to place his bet 
and does so by placing the gaming chips he wishes to bet for the next hand 
on the betting square 105 in front of him, and indeed with the chips being 
positioned over the betting area 110 in FIG. 2. The player can choose the 
value of the chips he wishes to bet for any particular hand up to the 
maximum value permitted for the table. As soon as the players have placed 
their bets, the sensors 701 associated with the betting area 110 of each 
betting square generate a signal showing whether or not a bet is present. 
The value of the bet is, however, not determined, that is to say, the 
sensors 701 are only called upon to give a YES/NO signal depending on 
whether or not a bet has been placed by a particular player. The presence 
of bets is a first signal to the data processing system 104 that a game is 
about to start. 
The dealer then proceeds to deal one card to himself and two cards to each 
of the players. In some jurisdictions the rules provide for the players to 
receive the cards first. While in other jurisdictions the dealer receives 
the first card and then deals further cards to the players. 
The dealer lays his card on a specified portion of the table and this part 
of the table has a card sensor 108 which will be described later with 
respect to FIG. 7. The card sensor makes it possible to distinguish 
between a single card and two cards lying alongside one another or 
partially overlapping. Once the dealer has dealt himself a single card and 
placed this face up on the appropriate field of the table, the card sensor 
108 generates a signal recognizing this card and this signal, in 
conjunction with signals from the sensors 701 of the betting squares 105 
of players who have placed bets indicating to the data processing system 
that a hand is about to start. The hand has now reached the hand state H1 
and each player is able to look at his cards and decide whether or not he 
will risk taking another card. 
It is possible that a hand once started has to be terminated prematurely 
due to some irregularity. In this case the dealer removes his card or 
cards from the card sensor 108 which gives a signal corresponding to "no 
dealer cards" and the hand returns to the state H0. No increment of the 
hand counter is effected in the data processing system, since the hand was 
aborted. However, the time lost is noted and is relevant to an assessment 
of the dealer's performance. It will be noted that the dealer may also 
have dealt himself two cards and placed them one directly above the other 
on the card sensor (which then reacts as if only one card were present). 
The second card would then be placed face down. However, the dealer would 
generally check his hand for Black Jack should the face-up card be an Ace 
or a Jack. This is done with a mirror or some other recognition means. If 
the dealer has Black Jack he will fan out his cards face up and will do 
the same with the cards of all players. All bets are collected by the 
dealer with the exception of a "push" situation when a player has Black 
Jack. This player's bet remains. 
If all players are satisfied with the cards they have received, and do not 
wish to take any more cards, then they indicate this to the dealer who 
then either deals himself a second card and lays it on his card field 
overlapping or adjacent to the first card, or turns his top card over and 
places it next to or overlapping his first card. The presence of two cards 
on this card field is recognized by the dealer card sensor 108 (which will 
later be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 7) and a 
corresponding signal is sent to the electronic data processing system 
which knows that the hand has now proceeded to the state H2. This change 
of state is indicated by the arrowed line "multiple dealer cards" in FIG. 
3a. If no player has taken any further cards then no player can have a 
card score higher than 21. A comparison is now made between the card score 
achieved by the dealer and the card score achieved by each individual 
player. Players who have lower card scores than the dealer have lost their 
bet and their bets are taken by the dealer. The dealer then pays all 
players who have won by placing the chips won on their win areas 112. If 
extra chips are necessary they are taken from the chip tray, alternatively 
the balance of chips that remains is added to the chip tray. 
The cards are then removed from the table including the dealer cards and 
are then placed in the discard rack. The change in signals from the 
betting area sensors 701 of the players who have lost, the change in 
signals from the winning area sensors 701 of the players who have won and 
the change in signals from the card sensor 108 indicate to the data 
processing system 104 that the hand is now complete and the system has 
returned to the state H0 idle, i.e. a new hand is about to commence. No 
information has as yet been gained from the last played hand, since no 
player "busted" by taking extra cards. However, the hand counter has been 
advanced by one. This hand counter is actually an entry in the data 
processing system rather than a physical counter or display (although the 
hand count could be displayed if desired). In addition the changes in 
signal at the players' betting square sensors 701 show if an individual 
player has won, has lost, or has neither won nor lost (no change in sensor 
signals from his betting square 105). 
As an alternative to the relatively rare situation described above, where 
all players take no extra cards, some or all players may elect in hand 
state H1 to take one or more extra cards in an attempt to achieve a score 
closer to 21 and in the hope that they do not exceed a card score of 21. 
Players continue to ask for cards until they are satisfied with their 
score. Players whose score exceeds 21 as a result of being given extra 
cards have lost their bets, i.e. have "busted", and these bets are 
immediately collected by the dealer for each player in turn, with the 
chips being added to the chip tray 102. A first signal is generated when 
the chips are removed from the betting field 110 of the player's betting 
square 105, as sensed by the chip sensor 111, and the change in value 
which follows at the chip tray 102 is noted by the data processing system 
104 and provides precise information on the amount bet by the individual 
player. 
Once all remaining players have sufficient cards, the dealer either deals 
himself a second card or turns over the second card he has already dealt 
himself and places it adjacent to or overlapping the first card. The two 
cards are then recognized by the card sensor which allows the data 
processing system to recognize that the game state H2 has been reached. 
Changes in chip tray inventory are no longer associated with an individual 
player for the remainder of this hand. A comparison is then made as before 
between the score achieved by the dealer and the scores of the players 
remaining in the game. Again the bets of players who have lost are 
collected and players who have won are paid out by the dealer who places 
the chips they have won on their win area 112. At this stage of the game 
there is no clear association of the amount bet or won by a particular 
player. However, the data processing system can recognize from the signals 
whether a player has won or lost or neither won nor lost. The changes in 
signals at the sensors 701 and the removal of the dealer cards again 
signal to the data processing system that the hand has been completed and 
causes it to increment the hand count by one. 
Because the data processing system knows from each hand lost by a 
particular player how much that player has bet, it can work out an average 
bet per hand for that player and, knowing the total number of hands played 
and won or lost, or neither won nor lost by that player, can work out just 
how much a player has bet during his period at the table and how much he 
has won or lost in total. Indeed, this determination can be made with a 
relatively high statistical accuracy. 
FIG. 3B shows a flow diagram similar to that of FIG. 3A but showing the 
situation from the player's point of view, i.e. showing the player states. 
P0 shows the initial situation before a hand starts. The player then 
places his bet on the betting area 110 of his betting square 105 which is 
sensed by the respective chip sensor 701. The cards are then dealt by the 
dealer and the card sensor 108 associated with the dealer senses when he 
has dealt himself a first card. This signifies that the players have also 
received their first two cards and the player has reached the player state 
P1. Each player can then ask for further cards and stops playing when his 
score has reached a value equal to or just below 21 which is acceptable to 
him. In this case he has progressed to player state P2. If however his 
card score exceeds 21 he loses the hand in the player state P1. In this 
case, the bet is collected by the dealer as described above and placed in 
the chip tray 102. The removal of the bet by the dealer is signalled by a 
change in the signal of the chip sensor 701 associated with the betting 
area 110 of the betting square 105 of the player. The increase in value of 
the chip tray 102 is established via the chip tray sensors. In this way, 
as described above, the data processing system knows the amount bet by 
that player for that hand. 
If the player has proceeded to player state P2, i.e. has not overdrawn, 
then a comparison is made between his card score and that of the dealer 
and a decision can then be made whether the player has won or lost or 
neither won nor lost as described above. If he has lost, his chips are 
collected by the dealer (together with the chips of all the other players 
who have lost) and the winners are paid their winnings. The dealer pays 
the winnings from the chips collected from losers and either puts any 
balance in the chip tray or removes any extra chips required from the chip 
tray precisely as described earlier. Again there is no determination of 
the amount actually won or lost by each player at this state but there is 
clear information as to whether a player has won or lost, or neither won 
nor lost. This information can be combined with information on the average 
amount he has bet to determine statistically over a plurality of hands how 
much each player has bet in total and how much he has won or lost. 
The subdivision of each hand into hand states and player states makes it 
easier for the data processing system to make a clear association between 
signals received from the various sensors and changes in inventory at the 
chip tray. Since all changes noted by the data processing system occur at 
specific times related to the internal clock of the data processing 
system, it is possible for the software which evaluates the changes in 
sensor signals and changes in inventory at the chip tray to clearly relate 
these to the progress of the gaming and the individual hands, so that the 
desired information relating both to the players and, if desired, to the 
dealer can be put together and printed out. The individual items of the 
apparatus will now be described in detail. 
GAMING CHIP SENSORS 
A first possible design for a gaming chip sensor is schematically 
illustrated in FIG. 4 and can be used as either the chip sensor 701 for 
either of the betting areas 110, 111 (bet and double-split areas) of the 
betting square 105, or as the chip sensor 701 for either of the two 
winning areas 112, 113 of the betting square 105 of FIG. 2. Since the 
sensor in the form of the photoelement 701 is located beneath the cloth 
703 of the gaming table, it is necessary for the cloth to have apertures 
702 at the betting and winning areas 110, 111 and 112, 113 and these 
apertures are provided in the form of a grid of smaller apertures 702. The 
diameter and grid spacing of the apertures 702 must be adequately small 
relative to the dimensions of the active surface of the sensor so that the 
size of the illuminated surface of the photoelement 701 does not change 
substantially if the position of the cloth 703 should shift slightly. The 
illumination of the room, or daylight, serves as the light source. If a 
gaming chip is placed on one of the areas 110, 111 or 112, 113, then the 
photoelement 701 is shaded and the output signal of the photoelement drops 
accordingly. This output signal of the photoelement is monitored by the 
electronic evaluation circuit and thus the shading of the element by a 
gaming chip is recognized by the electronic evaluation circuit and 
interpreted as a bet having been placed on the relevant field 110 or 111 
as the player's winnings having been placed on one or both of the fields 
112, 113. 
As a result of this arrangement, four sensors are thus combined together to 
one module (player or participant unit) for each of the betting squares 
105 shown in FIG. 2. It is of course possible to provide more than one 
photoelement for each of the areas 110, 111 or 112 or 113. 
FIG. 5 shows how the sensors 701 of FIG. 4 are connected together to form a 
sensor module. Thus, in accordance with FIG. 5, a plurality of sensors, 
typically four sensors, are combined together to form a sensor module 752 
in accordance with the arrangement of the sensors 701 on the table, at 
each betting square 105. Each module has a signal input 710 and a signal 
output 711. The modules 752 associated with sequential betting squares 105 
can be cascaded together by simply connecting them in series. The first 
module 752 is connected to a controller 750 as schematically illustrated 
in FIG. 6, and the further modules 752 are connected in series with the 
first module. 
The controller 750 selects and interrogates each photoelement 701 in turn 
via the address lines 714 (of which only one is shown in FIG. 5). In this 
way, each photoreceiver 701 can have a clear address so that the data 
processing system 104 can clearly distinguish which sensor 701 is 
associated with each element of each betting square 105. The signal of the 
addressed photoelement 701 is connected via an analog multiplexer 712 to a 
transimpedence amplifier 713, the amplification factor of which can be 
varied in several stages over a wide range. This amplifier is necessary 
because, under normal operating conditions, the strength of the output 
signal from the individual photoelements 701 can vary greatly within a 
wide range. However, signals of approximately the same amplitude are 
required for further processing. 
Accordingly, the signal strengths of each photoelement are measured at the 
start of operation (in a calibration procedure) and are stored in the 
EEPROM of box 754 of the controller 750 of FIG. 6. The changing of the 
amplification of the preamplifier 713 to compensate for the differing 
normal signal strengths of the individual photoelements 701 is effected 
via the shift register 715 which is fed by the controller of FIG. 6 via a 
clock line 716 and a data line 717. When several modules are connected in 
series, the shift registers are cascaded. Accordingly, the amplification 
for each module can be set independently of the other. The flipflops 718 
of the modules connected in series likewise form a shift register and 
serve to activate the switches 722 to switch through the amplifier output 
to the analog line 719 of the controller which is common to all modules. 
With the aid of the clock lines 720 and the data lines 721, the controller 
feeds a single one bit through the whole chain and can thus interrogate 
all modules one after the other. 
The controller 750 consists of a microcontroller 751 with an integrated 
analog/digital converter 725. The microcontroller 750 generates the 
controlled signals for the sensor modules 752 as shown in FIG. 5 and 
evaluates the analog signals returned by the sensor modules 752. The data 
picked up is transferred via a serial interface 755 to the data processing 
system 104 via the table bus 101. The EEPROM 754 serves for the 
non-volatile storage of configuration and calibration data, including the 
calibration signals associated with the individual photoelements 701 of 
the attached modules 752. The interface can be adapted by the use of an 
exchangeable interface module 755 to permit adaption to various standards, 
for example RS232, RS485. The power supply module 756 provides the 
stabilized supply voltages required for the full apparatus. 
The individual gaming chip sensors are interrogated according to the 
following scheme. The controller 750 selects, with the aid of the address 
line 714 for each of the attached modules jointly, one photoelement 701. 
The amplification information stored in the EEPROM 754 for the selected 
photoelements are then clocked into the respective shift register 715 of 
the respective module 752. The analog values generated by the respective 
photoelement 701 can then be examined. For this purpose, the controller 
sends a single "one" bit as a release signal through the shift register 
formed by the flipflops 718 and measures the voltage values that are 
returned. In order to reduce the influence of "flickering" light sources 
(for example gas discharge lamps operated at the mains frequency), this 
process is repeated many times and the average value for each sensor is 
formed from the measured values. Thereafter, a new address is selected 
with the lines 714 and the procedure is repeated. 
An alternative gaming chip sensor in the form of a capacitive sensor is 
shown in FIG. 8 and represents the best embodiment known to the 
applicants. FIG. 8 is in fact a composite view with the lower half showing 
a plan view of the sensor 801 as embodied in both the bet areas 110, 111 
and in both the win areas 112, 113 of FIG. 2, whereas the top half of the 
drawing shows a section through the gaming table with a chip present on 
the sensor which is typically let into a recess 811 in the gaming table 
812. The capacitive sensors described here as gaming chip sensors have the 
advantage that they can operate through the cloth 803 covering the gaming 
table without this cloth having to be apertured or cut away. Moreover, 
they enable a design in which, for example, cards placed over the sensors 
do not influence the sensors, but which do enable the sensors to be made 
sensitive to a variety of gaming chips, be it plastic gaming chips, or 
metal gaming chips, or coins which are used as gaming chips. 
As seen in FIG. 8, the sensors 801 are executed as double-sided 
copper-coated printed circuit boards 801 and consist of an annular 
generator electrode 800 and of a circular pick-up electrode 807. A 
screening ring 806 is present between these electrodes which is connected, 
in the same way as the rear side and the surrounding surface of the 
printed board 802, to earth potential. If an alternating potential is now 
applied to the generator electrode 800, then an alternating electrical 
field forms between this electrode 800 and the pick-up electrode 807. The 
part of the field between the generator and pick-up electrodes relevant 
for the operation is indicated by the field lines 805. If a plastic chip 
804 that has a dielectric constant that is a multiple of the dielectric 
constant of the air is placed on the cloth 803 above the sensor 801, then 
the coupling capacity between the two electrodes 800, 807, and thus also 
the current which can be picked up at the pick-up electrode 807, is 
increased. The screening 806 reduces the direct coupling between the two 
electrodes 800, 807 which cannot be influenced by the chip 804. The same 
situation arises if a metal chip or coin is used instead of the plastic 
chip 804. The shape of the field lines is however different in that they 
will extend generally perpendicular to the chip 804. 
The measurement arrangement required to detect the capacity change is 
illustrated in the block circuit diagram of FIG. 9. The sensor 801 is fed 
from a sinusoidal oscillator 820. The sensor current, which has a phase 
shift of +90.degree. relative to the oscillator output voltage, is 
amplified in a transimpedance amplifier 822 (a current/voltage converter). 
A synchronous demodulator consisting of a mixer 823 and a low-pass filter 
824 is used for rectification in order to increase the noise-to-signal 
ratio. In order to compensate for the phase shift through the sensor, the 
reference signal applied to the mixer 823 has to be likewise displaced 
through 90.degree. with the aid of a phase shifter 826. The output signal 
of the synchronous demodulator can be quantized into a digital signal for 
further processing with the aid of an analog-to-digital converter. 
In the practical realization a plurality of sensors 801, typically four 
sensors, will be combined together into a sensor module 852 shown in FIG. 
10 in accordance with the arrangement of the sensors on the table, i.e. in 
accordance with the four sensors 801 associated with the betting areas 
110, 111 and the winning areas 112, 113 of the player's betting square 
105. Each module has a signal input 830 and a signal output 831. The 
modules can thus be cascaded simply by connecting them in series. The 
first module is connected to a controller 850 as shown in FIG. 11, in 
similar manner to the connection of the sensor module 572 of FIG. 5 to the 
controller 750 of FIG. 6. 
The sensor module 852 operates as follows: The sensors 201, 301 are 
supplied by the controller 850 of FIG. 11 via the line 834 with an 
alternating voltage. A preamplifier 822 is arranged directly alongside 
each sensor 801. The outputs of the amplifiers 822 can be selectively 
connected to the analog input line 835 of the controller via analog 
switches 832. The analog switches 832 are controlled via shift registers 
833 which are cascaded together on connecting the modules 850 of FIG. 10 
in series with each other. In order to interrogate the sensors, the 
controller 850 sends a single "one" bit with the aid of the data line 836 
and the clock line 837 through the whole chain, and thus connects one 
switch 832 after the other to the analog input with each bit supplied. 
The controller 850 has, in similar manner to the controller 750 of FIG. 6, 
a microcontroller 851 with an integrated analog/digital converter 825, a 
power supply 856, a serial interface 855 in the form of an interchangeable 
interface module which connects to the data processing system 104 via the 
table bus 101 and an EEPROM 854 for configuration and calibration data. 
Moreover, the oscillator 820 is provided at the controller and generates 
the alternating voltage for the sensors and the demodulator circuit 844 
described with reference to FIG. 9. The interrogation of the individual 
sensors takes place, as previously described, via the lines 836 and 837. 
CARD SENSOR 
The card sensor is illustrated in FIG. 7 and comprises a field of 
photoelements 701A arranged in a grid. The grid size is so selected that 
the resolution is sufficient to be able to distinguish between playing 
card 760 and two or more such playing cards placed on the field of 
photoelements 701A. In the example of FIG. 7 at least six and at most nine 
sensors are covered over by one card. Two cards lying alongside one 
another cover at least twelve sensors so that it is possible to 
distinguish unambiguously between no cards, one card and two cards present 
on the card sensor. 
Since the photoelements 701A are located on the gaming table beneath the 
cloth 703A, the latter must be provided with apertures 702A in the region 
of the card sensor. The diameter and the grid spacing of the apertures 
702A must be sufficiently small relative to the dimensions of the active 
surface of the photoelements that the size of the illuminated area of the 
photoelement does not change substantially with a small change in position 
of the cloth. In order to enable a flexible design of the field of 
photoelements 701A (so that it can be simply enlarged), the photoelements 
701A of each row 706A or of each column 707A are collected together into a 
functional unit of the kind shown in FIG. 5. The diagram of FIG. 5 
specially shows the sensor module 752 used to detect four different 
photoelements 701 of the two betting and win areas 110, 111 and 112, 113 
of FIG. 2. Precisely the same circuit can, however, be used with the card 
sensor of FIG. 7 to detect the signals from a row 706A or a column 707A of 
photoelements 701A. This is indicated in FIG.5 by the addition of the 
reference numeral 701A in brackets alongside the reference numeral 701 
relating to FIG. 4. Since the circuitry of FIGS. 5 and 6 can be used with 
the card sensor of FIG. 7 in just the same way as with the sensors 101 of 
FIGS. 4 and 2, no further description is necessary. 
CHIP TRAY OR GAMING CHIP DEPOSITORY 
A chip tray 102 in accordance with the invention is illustrated in FIGS. 
12, 13, 14, and 15 and is manufactured, in the same way as the previously 
known similar apparatus, as a tray 202, for example of sheet steel, and 
has separators 6 which are inserted into it. 
It is distinguished from the previously known devices in that a means is 
provided for determining the number of coins or coin-like articles 5 
located in the chip tray 102. This means is formed by a plurality of 
transmitter/receiver pairs 641, 623 such as, for example, ultrasonic 
transmitters/receivers, light transmitters/receivers or the like, arranged 
substantially parallel to the jacket or envelope surfaces of the columns 
of chips which may be coins or coin-like articles. 
As can best be seen from FIG. 13, the transmitter/receiver pairs 641, 623, 
which serve to determine the number of coins or coin-like articles 5 
located in the device, are arranged inside the separators 6. A 
precondition for the orderly operation of this measurement device is 
naturally that the separators 6 consist of a material which is permeable 
for the wavelength radiated from the transmitters 623 and received by the 
receivers 641. 
In the embodiment of the invention shown in the drawings, provision is made 
for only transmitters 623 or only receivers 641 to be arranged within each 
separator 6 and for separators 6 containing transmitters and receivers to 
be alternately arranged alongside one another. 
This is realized in such a way that the transmitter 623 and the receiver 
641 are arranged on plate-like modules 502, 503 respectively and these 
modules 502, 503 are fixed to the underside of the base of the tray 202 by 
means of securing bolts 203 and cylindrical spacers 204. 
In order to explain the determination of the number of coins or coin-like 
articles 5 present in a column of the chip tray, the following description 
starts from the assumption that the transmitter/receiver pairs 641, 623 
are formed by optical transmitters and receivers, namely infrared 
transmitters and receivers. With the aid of this transmitter/receiver 
arrangement, a "light-curtain" is formed which senses the column between 
the separators 6 transverse to the column direction. 
Wherever coins or coin-like articles 5 are located, the light curtain is 
interrupted, i.e. the corresponding receivers 641 cannot receive any light 
from their associated transmitter 623. More specifically this means that a 
coin or coin-like article is located everywhere where a receiver 641 
cannot receive light transmitted from the transmitter 623 associated 
therewith. 
As a result of this scanning of the columns, it is also possible to track 
down columns which are not packed tightly in an orderly manner; gaps in 
the columns due to fanning out and also due to coins or coin-like articles 
5 running crossways relative to the column are recognized by the gaps 
which arise in the otherwise closed column. A detection signal of this 
kind can activate a display and/or a shaker so that measures can be taken 
to establish the desired tightly packed build-up of the columns. 
As shown in detail in FIG. 14, the transmitters used in the embodiment of 
the invention shown in the drawings are so laid out that they transmit two 
light beams which extend displaced through 180.degree. relative to one 
another and substantially transverse to the separators 6. Accordingly, the 
receivers also have two sensing lobes which are displaced relative to one 
another by 180.degree. and extend substantially transversely to the 
separators 6. In this way a situation is achieved in which a transmitter 
623 which is arranged between two columns can be simultaneously used for 
the sensing of both columns, that is to say, the two transmitters which 
would normally be necessary for this purpose can be replaced by a single 
element. 
The afore-mentioned division of the transmitted light beam into two light 
beams at the transmitter element and the formation of two-sided sensing 
lobes at the receiver is realized by the shaping of the plastic housing 
301. This housing is so laid out that the afore-mentioned beam 
distribution arises by reason of total reflection at the boundary layer 
302 between the plastic and the environmental light. 
As can be seen from FIG. 14 both the individual transmitters and also the 
individual receivers are arranged aligned with one another in rows with 
constant spacing. 
In order to increase the sensing resolution, the receivers 641 are arranged 
displaced relative to the transmitters 623 by half the 
receiver-to-receiver spacing. Each receiver 641 thus forms light barriers 
with two transmitters 623 in each of its directions of sensivity. Through 
this arrangement, a resolution of a half-receiver-to-receiver spacing 
results in the center of the channel indicated by chain-dotted lines 351. 
As a result of this alternate arrangement of transmitters 623 and 
receivers 641 in the chip tray 102, each receiver 641 is surrounded by two 
transmitters 623. In order to enable correct sensing, only a neighboring 
transmitter 623 may be activated for each receiver 641. The sensing of two 
columns with the aid of a transmitter 623 and receiver 641 arranged in 
accordance with FIG. 4 functions in the manner described in the following. 
For a better understanding of the explanation, the transmitters 623 are 
split up into two groups, termed here "group 1" and "group 2". 
The receiver 641 lying at the lowermost point of the columns is activated. 
Thereafter the light beams 352, 353, 354, 355 are sent out in the 
following sequence: 
1. The light beam 352 from the transmitter 623 of the group 1; 
2. The light beam 353 from the transmitter 624 of the group 1; 
3. The light beam 354 from the transmitter 625 of the group 2; 
4. The light beam 355 from the transmitter 626 of the group 2. 
The receiver 641 is subsequently deactivated, the receiver 642 lying above 
it is activated and the above steps are repeated analogously. In this 
manner, the total column length is sensed, the receiver data which is 
thereby obtained (light beam received or not received) is processed 
further by the control electronics, i.e. converted into the number of 
coins or coin-like articles 5 located in the columns. Clearly this system 
is expanded to cover all the columns of the chip tray 102. 
The above assumption, namely that infrared transmitters and receivers are 
used, admittedly represents a particularly preferred embodiment of the 
invention. The invention is however in no way restricted to the same. In 
just the same way, ultraviolet waves, normal light waves, ultrasonic 
waves, laser waves, radar waves, or the like, can be used for the build-up 
of a "measurement curtain". The light transmitters and receivers 623, 641 
will be understood to represent transmitters and receivers for other types 
of wave, so that separate transmitters and receivers for such other wave 
types are not shown. 
The operation of the apparatus of the chip tray 102 is taken on by a 
microcontroller 501 shown in block form in FIG. 16. This controls, on the 
one hand, the means for determining the number of coins or coin-like 
articles present in the apparatus and computes, on the other hand, the 
number of coins or coin-like articles contained in the apparatus from the 
signals received from the apparatus. 
Such microcontrollers 501, which have been known per se for a long time in 
the prior art, should however preferably have an EEPROM 604 for the 
present application. The microcontroller 501 is connected here, as 
illustrated in FIG. 1a, to the table keyboard 100 as well as to the 
central processing unit 104. In addition, the microcontroller 501 is 
connected to optical display elements 504, so-called denomination 
displays, arranged beneath the columns. Denomination indications, such as 
the number of the coins or coin-like articles 5 contained in the 
respective column or the type or value of coins or coin-like articles 5 
present in the column, can be displayed on these display elements 504. 
Thus, the electronics of the apparatus illustrated schematically in FIG. 16 
consists of the following constructional groups: 
The microcontroller 501 makes available the supply voltages and control 
signals for the subordinate component groups (infrared transmitters and 
receivers, denomination displays) and evaluates the signals delivered back 
from the transmitters and receivers. 
The microcontroller 501 can be connected via the serial interface 101 to a 
higher system, for example to a personal computer forming the data 
processing system 104. The detected data and the status and fault 
information of the chip tray 102 can be transmitted via the serial 
interface 101. In addition, the denomination displays 504 can be set and 
diverse configuration data can be transmitted to the microcontroller 501. 
The transmitter modules 502 and the receiver modules 503 serve, as already 
described, for the scanning of the article columns. The transmitters 623 
and receivers 641 controlled by the respective transmitter and receiver 
modules 502, 503 are--in each case alternatingly--mounted beneath the 
separators 6 between the columns. The transmitters and receivers are 
respectively connected via common bus cables 505 and 506 to the 
microcontroller. 
The denomination displays 504 arranged beneath each column of the chip tray 
102 are, for example, formed in the manner of a plurality of luminous 
diodes or of a numerical display which serves to indicate the chip value 
or type and the status of the columns. Several display units can also be 
located on one display module. 
The precise layout of the microcontroller 501 is illustrated in FIG. 17 in 
the form of a block circuit diagram. The microcontroller 501 has a central 
processing unit CPU 602 which is connected to a monitoring module 603 
having a reset generator. This is a so-called watchdog circuit, which 
monitors the correct operation of the microcontroller software. The serial 
interface 508 of the microcontroller 501 can be matched to various 
standards (for example RS485 or RS232) by plugging in an interface module 
605. Important configuration and calibration data are stored in a 
non-volatile memory in the form of the EEPROM 604. Large component 
tolerances arise, with optical semiconductor elements in particular. In 
order to compensate these, the sensitivities of all the resulting light 
barriers are measured in a calibration procedure, are stored in the EEPROM 
604 and are used as reference values during the evaluation of the measured 
values from the light barriers in sensing operation. 
Since the transmitter diodes of the infrared transmitters are operated with 
high pulse currents, and since permanent switching-on of the diodes as a 
result of a fault at the microcontroller 501 would lead to the transmitter 
modules being damaged, a protection circuit 606 is provided which 
deactivates the transmitters on exceeding a certain maximum switch-on 
duration. 
The multiplexer 607 serves to select one of the infrared diode monitoring 
signals delivered by the transmitter modules 502 on the transmitter bus 
505. The multiplexer 608 in the receiver circuit serves for the selection 
of an (analog) receiver output signal on the receiver bus 506. After a 
level adaption 609, the selected signal is supplied to the internal 
analog/digital converter of the CPU 602. The reference numeral 601 
represents a power supply for the chip tray 102 and can be integrated into 
the power supply for the other items of apparatus, such as 756 in FIG. 6 
and 856 in FIG. 11. 
A possible embodiment of the transmitter module 502 is shown in detail in 
FIG. 18. The infrared diodes 623 of the transmitter module 502 are 
electrically arranged in a matrix 629. In addition to the address lines 
627, the row and column drivers 621, 622 also have a release line 628, 
630. The transmitter module 502 is switched on only when both drivers 621, 
622 are activated. 
With the aid of the release line 630 of the row driver 621, the module is 
associated with one of the two above-mentioned groups, which association 
is achieved by a corresponding setting of the jumper (bridge piece) 625. 
The precise switch-on time or switch-on duration is determined by a 
release pulse to the column driver 622. 
In order to be able to recognize defective infrared diodes 623, the 
transmitter current is checked by a monitoring circuit 624. The output 
signal of the current monitoring circuit 624 is associated via a jumper 
(bridge piece) 626 with one of the corresponding input lines of the 
controller 501, independently of the mechanical position of the 
transmitter module 502. 
A receiver module 503 is shown in detail in FIG. 19. The selected 
phototransistor 641 is connected to the measurement amplifier 644 via an 
analog multiplexer 642 which is controlled by the controller 501 via a 
part 643 of the receiver bus 506. Prior to the actual measurement, a DC 
light calibration is carried out by means of an active compensation 
circuit 645, i.e. the measurement result is free from the influences of 
ambient light. 
With the activation pulse of the infrared transmitter, the sensing and 
holding member 646 is simultaneously opened which temporarily stores the 
measured brightness value prior to interrogation and quantization by the 
controller 501. The output of the receiver at the sensing and holding 
member 646 is associated by means of a jumper (bridge piece) 647 with a 
specific input of the controller 501 in accordance with the mechanical 
position of the receiver module 503 in the chip tray. 
The layout of the denomination display 504 is illustrated in FIG. 20. This 
uses a shift register 661 with an integrated intermediate memory. The data 
is written into the shift register 661 by means of a clock signal 663 and 
is taken into the display by means of a release pulse 664. 
As indicated earlier, the electronic chip tray 102 is located at a gaming 
table as shown in FIG. 1 and can be served via the table keyboard 100 
which is likewise installed at the gaming table. The data lines of the 
electronic chip tray 102 and also of the table keyboard 100 are connected 
via the interface 101 to a communication processor 103 (FIG. 1a) and from 
there to the system computer 104. 
The necessary configurations of the chip tray 102, such as the chip value, 
chip thickness or the like, are either fed in at the input terminal 100 or 
can be determined at the system computer 104 and communicated to the 
microcontroller 501 for the chip tray 101. 
The said monitoring of the table games takes place in such a way that the 
performance of a croupier or dealer, i.e. the value of his gaming 
proceeds, is detected. For this purpose, the so-called "table inventory" 
must be observed and recorded. The table inventory of a gaming table 
comprises the following: 
The supply of gaming chips or simply "chips" which are located with most 
game types in the chip tray 102 within the reach of the dealer, and 
the cash of the "dropbox" in which the payments are deposited when 
purchasing chips. 
It is the object of the chip tray 102 to automatically determine the supply 
of chips at the gaming table. 
All non-game dependent changes in the chip inventory, such as chip 
movements from the chip bank to the table and back to the chip bank 
"Fills" and "Credits", "Markers" for the handing out of chips to players 
in exchange for in-house checks, are passed on to the data processing 
system manually via the input terminal 100. The cash present in the 
"dropbox" is determined by summing up the "drops" (the deposits for each 
sale of chips by the dealer). 
In this manner, the total value of the inventory which is instantaneously 
present on or at the table and in the chip tray can be determined. 
In order to determine the performance of each individual croupier, dealer, 
or table team, the table inventory must be determined for each change of 
the croupier, dealer, or team (dealer change). If such a dealer change is 
effected, then the new dealer identifies himself at the table terminal 
100, for example by means of his magnetic card, i.e. advises the data 
processing system of the change. Thus, the takings of each dealer can be 
calculated. 
EXTRACT FROM THE "RULES OF PLAY" IN CASINOS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 
Procedures set out in this Section shall be used in British Columbia 
casinos. Proposed changes must be submitted in writing for approval by the 
Branch at least 21 days in advance of proposed implementation. 
BLACKJACK 
(a) General Description 
Blackjack is a card game in which each player attempts to achieve a higher 
total point value per hand than the Dealer without exceeding a value of 
21. If value of hand exceeds 21, it is a "bust" and the bet is 
automatically lost. If player and dealer have equal value hands, it is a 
"push" and nobody wins or loses. The game shall be played utilizing a 
"shoe" holding at least four decks. Up to seven players may participate, 
depending on the table layout. Only the Dealer shall touch cards. 
(b) Card Values 
Aces may count 1 or 11 at player's election. Face cards count 10 and all 
other cards are face value. 
A soft hand is one containing an ace which, if counted as 11, will not 
cause the hand value to exceed 21. 
If the first two cards dealt to a player total 21, the player has a 
"natural" or "Blackjack," this wins over any three or more card total of 
21. If player and Dealer have a "Blackjack," it is a "push." 
(c) Player Options 
Each player receives two cards, face-up. Dealer takes one card, face-up, 
after which each player has the following options: 
(i) Take a "hit" by signalling for additional cards. A Blackjack cannot be 
"hit." 
(ii) "Stand" by signalling no additional cards. 
(iii) "Double down" by putting up an additional bet equal to the original 
bet. This second bet is placed directly behind the original bet. The 
player receives only one additional card which the dealer places at the 
rear right of the player's hand. Player may not double down on a 
Blackjack. When Dealer has a Blackjack, player loses only original bet. 
(iv) "Pair Splitting"--may be done when first two cards dealt are of equal 
value. Player puts up an additional bet equal to the initial bet. The 
second bet is placed directly beside the original bet. 
Player plays each as a separate hand. The first split hand is played out 
before the second hand is played. Split aces are limited to one additional 
card per hand. When the dealer makes Blackjack, only the original bet on a 
split hand is lost. A two-card 21 on a split hand is not a Blackjack and 
is paid one to one. 
(d) Betting And Limits 
(i) At least one third of blackjack tables shall have a minimum bet of 
$1.00. No more than four blackjack tables shall have a maximum betting 
limit in excess of $25.00 with all other tables at a maximum bet of $5.00. 
(ii) Where betting limits are changed during a day, prior to the change 
taking place the procedures for "Table Close", Section 2.3.1, "Interim 
Drop Box Pull", Section 2.2.5 (only box from that table to be pulled), and 
"Table Opening", Section 2.1.3, shall be followed. 
(iii) Bets are valid only when placed in betting square on table layout 
before dealing commences. Bets shall remain unchanged during play (except 
when splitting or doubling down). 
(iv) "Insurance bets" and "bet for the dealer" are not allowed. 
(e) Sequence of Play 
Starting on Dealer's left, each player is dealt one card, face-up. Dealer 
takes one card, face-up, and proceeds to deal second face-up card to each 
player, again from left to right. Dealer places players' cards in front of 
betting square. Dealer's hand is laid out in front of chip tray. 
Additional cards are dealt left to right to players who signal for same by 
a hand motion towards themselves. Players wishing to stand will motion by 
hand away from themselves. 
After all players' hands are complete, the Dealer: 
(i) Does not play if: 
all players have busted 
remaining players have Blackjack and Dealer's first card is neither an ace 
or 10 value card 
(ii) Otherwise takes additional cards face-up, one at a time, including on 
a "soft" 17. 
(iii) Stands if the hand is hard 17 or more, including hard or soft totals 
of 18, 19, 20, 21. 
When all bets are paid or taken, Dealer picks up remaining hands in order 
from right to left and own hand last. All cards are placed in discard 
rack. 
(f) Payoffs 
All winning hands are paid one to one, except a Blackjack which is paid off 
at three to two. 
When all hands, including Dealer's, have been played winning bets are paid 
and losing bets taken starting with player on Dealer's right and 
continuing left. Dealer will signify pushes by patting the table in front 
of player's hand. Payoffs will be made on a "color for color" basis. 
Busted hands during play result in the player's bet being taken immediately 
and cards placed in discard rack, except in cases of a split or double 
down hand when the Dealer has a first card ace or 10. 
In such instances, the players' bets and cards remain on the table with 
Dealer placing corresponding bet on top. Should Dealer make a Blackjack, 
only original bet of split hand or double down is taken. 
Players who are dealt a Blackjack are paid off immediately and cards placed 
in discard rack unless the Dealer has an ace or 10, in which case players' 
bets are placed on top of their cards until Dealer's hand is played out to 
determine if a push may occur. 
(g) Change-Ins 
(i) Dealer shall not accept cash or value chips from player by hand. Player 
shall place cash or value chips on table for pick-up by Dealer. Dealer 
shall count cash or value chips onto table from left to right in front of 
chip tray. The equal value of value chips is taken from tray and stacked 
on table in front of tray with highest denomination on top and lowest on 
bottom. 
(ii) Stack is then placed in front of player, and cash picked up by Dealer 
and placed in drop box or, in case of value chips, in tray. 
(iii) When accepting cash for value chips, Dealer calls out "money change" 
and when changing player's value chips for higher or lower denominations, 
Dealer calls out "color change." 
(h) Cards 
All cards shall be inspected for flaws and ribbon spread prior to opening 
by Dealer who inspects for flaws. Cards remain ribbon spread, face-up 
until play commences. 
If game goes temporarily dead, cards are to be removed from shoe and 
discard rack and ribbon spread, face-up, on table. 
Should a game be closed temporarily, or at closing, shoe and cards are 
removed by Pit Boss to secure storage. 
(i) Disputes and Irregularities 
Where a dispute arises between player and Dealer over interpretation of a 
hand signal, Dealer immediately notifies Dealer Supervisor. Dealer 
Supervisor either allows player who has missed hit card to take additional 
hits after all other players have completed their hands but before Dealer 
plays out hand, or, when player's hand has been hit by mistake, declares 
that hit card dead and instructs Dealer to burn it and the player's hand 
stands. 
In cases of hand signal disputes, the player must notify the Dealer of 
objection before Dealer's hand is played. 
Players not in agreement with a decision may contact the Branch in writing. 
(j) Shuffle 
(i) Prior to commencement of play, Dealer thoroughly shuffles cards. This 
procedure starts with Dealer calling out the words, "shuffle up" to notify 
Dealer Supervisor. 
(ii) All cards remain face down during shuffle. 
(iii) All cards are stacked in the middle of the table and split into 
approximately two equal stacks which are placed at the front left and 
right corners of chip tray. 
(iv) Dealer takes approximate half decks at a time from each of the two 
piles, riffle shuffles these together, square and strip cuts, then riffle 
shuffles another 2 or 3 times. When all decks have been shuffled in this 
manner, Dealer squares cards in middle of the table and allows a player to 
insert cut card into deck. 
(v) Dealer places the cards in front of the cut cards at the back of the 
deck. 
(vii) Dealer once again squares cards and inserts cut card 35 to 55 cards 
from back of deck if using 4 decks or 55 to 78 cards if using 6 decks. 
Deck is then placed in shoe for dealing. 
(viii) When cut card appears during play, Dealer will finish hand in 
progress and "shuffle up" as per instructions above. 
(k) "Dead" Game 
When a game has no players, the Dealer shall place a locking lid over the 
value chip inventory. The Dealer shall remain at the game until relieved 
or the game is closed.