Abstract:
There is provided a game card including an IC device and an antenna that do not reduce uniformity of thickness of the card due to the IC device and the antenna. The game card stores authentication information readable by a reader/writer that emits electromagnetic waves, and includes an IC device for transmitting and receiving data according to a request from the reader/writer, an intermediate member having a space for housing the IC device, and an antenna provided by printing on the intermediate member with conductive ink and connected to the IC device. A front surface member and a rear surface member are joined to opposite sides of the intermediate member by bonding or the like to form the game card.

Description:
[0001]     The present disclosure relates to subject matters contained in Japanese Patent Application No. 2005-93670 filed on Mar. 29, 2005, which are expressly incorporated herein by reference in its entireties.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     1. Field of the Invention  
         [0003]     The present invention relates to a game card, and more particularly to a game card from which data can be read by a reading device such as an IC card reader/writer.  
         [0004]     2. Description of the Prior Art  
         [0005]     Many of games that have been enjoying popularity use game cards. Such games include card games such as poker and black jack, and trading games using trading cards. Such games are sometimes played in recreation halls such as casinos, betting money or game values valid only in the recreation halls.  
         [0006]     Imprudent players sometimes cheat at games using the game cards. For example, “switching” is often performed to previously prepare game cards of the same type as game cards used in a recreation hall, and switch the game cards dealt on a game table by a dealer so as to be in favor of a player him/herself. An imprudent player thus freely controls development of the game to obtain a large amount of payoff.  
         [0007]     Such cheating is disadvantageous for the recreation hall because of loss of a large amount of payoff, and also for other honest players because of loss of interest.  
         [0008]     Thus, management of a recreation hall proposes a technique of embedding an IC device (a resonant tag) having a proximity communication function in a game card and distinguishing between a normal game card and an unfair game card placed by the “switching” in order to prevent cheating by the “switching” (for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2004-213276).  
         [0009]     A conventional game card including an IC device is such that a coil-shaped antenna is connected to the IC device, which is packed with plastic or paper. In this case, a thickness of the game card is relatively larger than a general game card, and thus the card cannot be practically used.  
         [0010]     Generally, circuit means such as an IC device is thicker than an antenna or the like, and when the circuit means is formed into a card shape, a circuit portion bulges and is found to be embedded when the card is touched with the hand, or causes trouble in shuffling. This is no problem in use such as for a label-type tag in which a bulging circuit portion causes no trouble, but is a critical defect in a game card.  
         [0011]     The present invention provides a game card including an IC device and an antenna that do not reduce uniformity of thickness of the card.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0012]     As means for solving the above described problems, the present invention includes characteristic features described below.  
         [0013]     A first aspect of the present invention proposes a game card that stores data readable by a reading device having an antenna that emits electromagnetic waves.  
         [0014]     This game card includes circuit means (for example, an IC device) for transmitting and receiving data according to a request from the reading device (for example, a reader/writer), and antenna means (for example, an antenna or an antenna pattern) that is connected to the circuit means, is electromagnetically coupled to an antenna of the reading device, can supply electric power to the circuit means, forms a resonant circuit via the electromagnetic waves, and can transfer data to the reading device by load modulation.  
         [0015]     The circuit means and the antenna means may be provided in the game card. The game card may include a plurality of plate members, any of the plate members having a housing space for housing the circuit means.  
         [0016]     A thickness of this game card can be uniform even if the card includes the circuit means, and thus game cards can be handled in completely the same manner as general cards even in stacking or shuffling.  
         [0017]     A second aspect of the present invention proposes a game card that stores data readable by a reading device that emits electromagnetic waves.  
         [0018]     This game card includes circuit means (for example, an IC device) for transmitting and receiving data according to a request from the reading device, a plate member (for example, an intermediate member or a rear surface member) having a housing space for housing the circuit means, and antenna means (for example, an antenna or an antenna pattern) provided on the plate member and connected to the circuit means.  
         [0019]     The antenna means may be formed by providing a conductive layer on the plate member.  
         [0020]     A thickness of this game card can be uniform even if the card includes the circuit means, and game cards can be handled in completely the same manner as general cards even in staking or shuffling.  
         [0021]     According to the present invention, the housing space for housing the circuit means such as the IC device is formed in any one of the plurality of plate members that constitute the game card, and the circuit means is placed in the space. This can provide a game card from which a player or the like do not feel discomfort caused by bulging or feeling of foreign body of the IC device when touching with the hand, and that includes the circuit means that does not reduce uniformity of thickness. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0022]      FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an appearance of a game table;  
         [0023]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a function of the game table;  
         [0024]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of a game card according to a first embodiment;  
         [0025]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of an intermediate member according to the first embodiment;  
         [0026]      FIG. 5  is a sectional view of an enlarged portion of the game card according to the first embodiment;  
         [0027]      FIG. 6  shows electromagnetic waves that a reader/writer generates when reading the game card;  
         [0028]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of a game card according to a second embodiment;  
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of a rear surface member according to the second embodiment; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 9  is a sectional view of an enlarged portion of the game card according to the second embodiment. 
     
    
       [0031]     The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of the specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention, and together with the general description given above and the detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve to explain the principles of the invention.  
       DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0032]     Now, embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.  
         [0000]     [1. A game table on which a game card is used] 
         [0033]     First, a game table on which a game card according to the embodiments will be described.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view of an appearance of the game table on which the game card according to the embodiments is used.  
         [0034]     The game table  20  according to the embodiments having a table surface on which game cards  10  are placed is a tool or a facility for a game using the game cards.  
         [0035]     In the embodiments, a dealer  30  and a plurality of players  40  stand or sit face-to-face around the game table  20  for a game.  
         [0036]     The game cards  10  are dealt from a pile by the dealer  30  to the dealer  30  and the players  40  and placed on the game table  20 . The players  40  take the game cards  10  in the hands, look at details of the game cards  10 , and sometimes request the dealer  30  to replace the game cards  10 . The dealer  30  replaces the game cards  10  according to the request of the players.  
         [0037]     Switching of the game cards  10  that is cheating is likely to be performed, for example, when the players  40  take the game cards  10  to confirm the details of the cards as described above.  
         [0038]      FIG. 2  is a block diagram of a function showing a main internal configuration of the game table  20 . In the game table  20 , a plurality of reader/writers  201 , a control device  202  connected to the reader/writers  201 , and a display device  203  connected to the control device  202  are provided in the game table  20  for reading the game cards  10  placed on the game table  20 .  
         [0039]     The reader  201  that is a reading device reads information (in this example, authentication information) stored in the game card  10  when the game card  10  is placed in a reading range, and outputs read information to the control device  202 . The reader is herein referred to as a “reader/writer”, which does not mean that a writing function is always necessary. A device having at least a function of reading data stored in the game card  10  corresponds to the “reader/writer” in the specification.  
         [0040]     The game card  10  stores the authentication information. The authentication information is data indicating that the game card  10  is allowed to be used in the game, for example, predetermined N-bite numbers. The authentication information may be different among or common to the game cards  10 . For example, all of the 53 game cards  10  that constitute a set of playing cards may store common authentication information. The 53 game cards  10  may store different authentication information so as to be distinguishable among the kinds of the cards (for example, A (ace) of spade, 2 of heart, or the like).  
         [0041]     The control device  202  stores the authentication information of the game cards  10  that are allowed to be used. When receiving the read authentication information from the reader/writer  201 , the control device  202  compares the authentication information read by the reader/writer  201  and the stored authentication information, and determines whether the read authentication information is information of the game card  10  that is allowed to be used. The control device  202  outputs a determination result to a display device  203 .  
         [0042]     The display device  203  displays the determination result as an image, and the dealer  30  can learn whether the game card  10  used on the game table  20  is the game card  10  that is allowed to be used, that is, whether an unfair game card is not used by switching or the like.  
         [0043]     The display device  203  needs not to be provided in the game table  20 , but may be provided in an environment remote from the game table  20 , for example, a monitoring room in a casino hall. The image needs not to be displayed as long as an occurrence of cheating can be notified, and notifying means (a lamp or a speaker) may be provided instead of the display device  203 .  
         [0000]     [2. The First Embodiment] 
         [0044]     [2.1. A configuration example of the game card] 
         [0045]     Next, a configuration example of the game card  10  according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.  3  to  5 .  
         [0046]      FIG. 3  is an exploded perspective view of the game card  10 . The shown game card  10  includes a front surface member  101  on which a front surface (marks, numerals, pictures, or the like) of the card is printed, an intermediate member  102  that is a plate member on which an antenna  105  that is antenna means is provided by printing, and in which a space  106  that is a housing space for housing an IC device  104  is formed, a rear surface member  103  on which a rear surface (patterns or pictures common to all cards) of the card is printed, and the IC device  104  that is circuit means stored in the space  106  and electrically connected to the antenna  105 .  
         [0047]     The front surface member  101 , the intermediate member  102 , and the rear surface member  103  are plate members of the size of the card, and made of appropriately strong material, for example, resin such as plastic or cardboard. The front surface member  101 , the intermediate member  102 , and the rear surface member  103  needs not to be made of the same material.  
         [0048]     The space  106  formed in the intermediate member  102  is a through hole that can house the IC device  104 , and thus the intermediate member  102  needs to have at least the same thickness as or a larger thickness than the IC device  104 .  
         [0049]     The IC device  104  is an electronic component designed to execute functions of processing, storing, and controlling input/output, and has a function of providing stored information to the reader/writer  201  according to a request from the reader/writer  201 . The IC device  104  needs not to be constituted by one chip, but may have a configuration in which a plurality of ICs or other electronic components are provided on a circuit board.  
         [0050]     The IC device  104  is stored in the space  106  formed in substantially the center of the intermediate member  102 , and electrically connected to the antenna  105 . The space  106  needs not to be formed in substantially the center of the intermediate member  102 , but may be formed in any spot in the intermediate member. For example, the space  106  may be formed in any of four corners of the intermediate member  102 . The space  106  may have any shape as long as the space can house the IC device  104 , and needs not have the same shape as the IC device.  
         [0051]     The antenna  105  is a conductive layer formed on the front surface of the intermediate member  102 . The antenna  105  may be provided on at least one surface of the intermediate member  102 . The antenna  105  is provided by, for example, printing on the intermediate member  102  with conductive ink, or forming a conductive layer on the front surface of the intermediate member  102  by a technique (vapor deposition or spattering) that can replace the printing. When a configuration electrically connectable to the IC device  104  is used, the antenna  105  may be formed on the front surface member  101  and/or the rear surface member  103 .  
         [0052]     Pasted indium oxide, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), or the like is used as conductive ink for forming the antenna  105  to provide the antenna  105  formed of a transparent conductive layer. When the antenna  105  formed of such a transparent conductive layer is used, the antenna  105  does not appear from a section when the game card  10  is torn, thereby preventing mistrust or discomfort from being caused to a player.  
         [0053]     The antenna  105  serves to transmit and receive signals between the reader/writer  201  and the IC device  104 , and convert a carrier wave from the reader/writer  201  to electric power to supply the electric power to the IC device  104 .  
         [0054]      FIG. 4  is a sectional view of the intermediate member  102 . The intermediate member  102  has, in substantially the center thereof, the space  106  having a capacity that can house the IC device  104 . The space  106  is the through hole formed by cutting or boring in the intermediate member  102 .  
         [0055]     The conductive layer that is the antenna  105  is formed on the intermediate member  102 . In  FIG. 4 , the thickness of the antenna  105  is enhanced for easy understanding, but actually, the thickness is almost negligible because the antenna is formed by etching or printing.  
         [0056]      FIG. 5  is an enlarged partial sectional view of a state in which the front surface member  101 , the intermediate member  102 , and the rear surface member  103  are bonded to complete the game card  10 , with the IC device  104  and portions therearound being enlarged.  
         [0057]     An adhesive layer  501  such as an adhesive is provided between the front surface member  101  and the intermediate member  102  so that the front surface member  101  and the intermediate member  102  do not easily peel.  
         [0058]     The conductive layer that is the antenna  105  is previously formed on one surface (an upper surface in  FIG. 5 ) of the intermediate member  102  by printing or the like. The IC device  104  is housed in the space  106  formed in the intermediate member  102  so as to be completely housed in the intermediate member  102  so that the IC device  104  does not push up the front surface member  101  and the rear surface member  103 .  
         [0059]     An adhesive layer  501  such as an adhesive is also provided between the rear surface member  103  and the intermediate member  102  so that the rear surface member  103  and the intermediate member  102  do not easily peel. Thus, the front surface member  101 , the intermediate member  102 , and the rear surface member  103  are integrated to complete the game card  10 .  
         [0000]     [2.2. An operation example of the game card] 
         [0060]     Next, an operation example of the game card  10  will be described.  
         [0061]      FIG. 6  shows electromagnetic waves that the reader/writer  201  generates when reading the game card  10  placed on the game table  20 .  
         [0062]     The reader/writer  201  generates electromagnetic waves of high frequency (for example, 880 MHz to 2.45 GHz) for reading the game card  10 , and emits the electromagnetic waves  601  from an antenna (an electrode)  600  on the side of the reader/writer  201 . The emitted electromagnetic waves  601  are received by the antenna  105  of the game card  10  and supplied to the IC device  104  as electric power.  
         [0063]     The game card  10  receives the electromagnetic waves emitted from the reader/writer  201 . The IC device  104  demodulates the received electromagnetic waves, recognizes a command or a request from the reader/writer  201 , performs processing according thereto, and transmits data to the reader/writer  201  according to the request.  
         [0064]     When the game card  10  transmits data (in this embodiment, authentication information) to the reader/writer  201 , a so-called back scattering coupling method can be used. Thus, the IC device  104  can modulate, by switching internal impedance, the electromagnetic waves reflected from the antenna of the game card  10 , and transmit data from the game card  10  to the reader/writer  201 .  
         [0000]     [3. Second embodiment] 
         [0065]     [3.1. A configuration example of a game card] 
         [0066]     Next, a configuration example of a game card  10  according to a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.  7  to  9 . The game card  10  according to the second embodiment is constituted by two layers and different from the game card  10  according to the first embodiment constituted by the three layers.  
         [0067]      FIG. 7  is an exploded perspective view of the game card  10  according to the embodiment. The shown game card  10  includes a front surface member  701  on which a front surface (marks, numerals, pictures, or the like) of the card is printed, a rear surface member  702  that is a plate member on which an antenna  704  that is antenna means is provided by printing, in which a space  705  that is a housing space for housing an IC device  703  is formed, and on which a rear surface (patterns or pictures common to all cards) of the card is printed, and the IC device  703  that is circuit means stored in the above described space  705  and electrically connected to the antenna  704 .  
         [0068]     The front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702  are plate members of the size of the card, and made of appropriately strong material, for example, resin such as plastic or cardboard. The front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702  need to be made of the same material.  
         [0069]     The space  705  formed in the rear surface member  702  is a recess that can house the IC device  703 , and thus the rear surface member  702  needs to have at least the same thickness as or a larger thickness than the IC device  703 .  
         [0070]     Like the IC device  104  according to the first embodiment, the IC device  703  is an electronic component designed to execute functions of processing, storing, and controlling input/output, and has a function of providing stored information to a reader/writer  201  according to a request from the reader/writer  201 . The IC device  703  needs not to be constituted by one chip, but may have a configuration in which a plurality of ICs or other electronic components are provided on a circuit board.  
         [0071]     The IC device  703  is stored in the space  705  formed in substantially the center of the rear surface member  702 , and electrically connected to the antenna  704 . The space  705  needs not to be formed in substantially the center of the rear surface member  702 , but may be formed in any spot in the rear surface member. For example, the space  705  may be formed in any of four corners of the rear surface member  702 . The space  705  may have any shape as long as the space can house the IC device  703 , and needs not have the same shape as the IC device  703 .  
         [0072]     The antenna  704  is a member like the antenna  105  according to the first embodiment, and a conductive layer or a film formed on an inner surface of the rear surface member  702 . The antenna  704  is provided by, for example, printing on the rear surface member  702  with conductive ink, or forming a conductive layer on the front surface of the rear surface member  702  by a technique (vapor deposition or spattering) that can replace the printing. When a configuration electrically connectable to the IC device  703  is used, the antenna  704  may be formed on an inner surface of the front surface member  701 .  
         [0073]     Pasted indium oxide, ITO (Indium Tin Oxide), or the like is used as conductive ink for forming the antenna  704  to provide the antenna  704  formed of a transparent conductive layer or film. When the antenna  704  formed of such a transparent conductive layer or film is used, the antenna  704  does not appear from a section when the game card  10  is torn, thereby preventing mistrust or discomfort from being caused to a player.  
         [0074]     The antenna  704  serves to transmit and receive signals between the reader/writer  201  and the IC device  703 , and convert a carrier wave from the reader/writer  201  to electric power to supply the electric power to the IC device  703 .  
         [0075]      FIG. 8  is a sectional view of the rear surface member  702 . The rear surface member  702  has, in substantially the center thereof, the space  705  having a capacity that can house the IC device  703 . The space  705  is the recess formed by pressing the rear surface member  702 .  
         [0076]     The conductive layer that is the antenna  704  is formed on one surface (a surface that is not exposed in the game card  10 ) of the rear surface member  702 . In  FIG. 8 , the thickness of the antenna  704  is enhanced for easy understanding, but actually, the thickness is almost negligible because the antenna is formed by etching or printing.  
         [0077]      FIG. 9  is an enlarged sectional view of a state in which the front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702  are bonded to complete the game card  10 , with the IC device  703  and portions therearound being enlarged.  
         [0078]     An adhesive layer  901  such as an adhesive is provided between the front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702  so that the front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702  do not easily peel. Thus, the front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702  are integrated to complete the game card  10 .  
         [0079]     The conductive layer that is the antenna  704  is previously formed on one surface (an upper surface in  FIG. 9 ) of the rear surface member  702  by printing or the like. The IC device  703  is housed in the space  705  formed in the rear surface member  702  so as to be completely housed in the rear surface member  702  so that the IC device  703  does not push up the front surface member  701  and the rear surface member  702 .  
         [0080]     In the above described configuration example, the antenna  704  and the space  705  are provided in the rear surface member  702 , but the present invention holds even if the antenna  704  and the space  705  are provided in the front surface member  701 .  
         [0081]     A reading operation of the game card  10  according to the second embodiment by the reader/writer  201  is the same as the game card  10  according to the first embodiment, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.  
         [0000]     [4. Advantage] 
         [0082]     According to the present invention, the game card including the IC device can be formed into a completely flat shape. Thus, the game cards can be handled in completely the same manner as cards including no IC device even in stacking or shuffling.  
         [0083]     Further, the card is flat without bulging caused by the IC device, and thus even if strong pressure is applied to the card (for example, if the cards are stacked and hit on the table, or the card is pressed on the table with a casino chip or the like being placed on the card), the pressure is not concentrated on the IC device, thereby significantly reducing the possibility of damage to the IC device.  
         [0084]     Additional advantages and modifications will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the specific details or representative embodiments shown and described herein. Accordingly, various modification may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the general inventive concept as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.