Patent Publication Number: US-7594661-B2

Title: Playing card reading device and method

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
   This invention is directed to a device and method that allows playing cards to be read with essentially no risk of exposing them to opposing players or spectators. 
   BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
   A large number of card games provide that a player may view the indicia on face of his or her playing card or cards while hiding the indicia from the opponent(s). For example, these cards in various stud poker games are called the player&#39;s “hole cards”. In the popular seven-card stud game of Texas Holdem, each player has two hole cards that only the player can include with the five cards that are dealt face-up to be used by all of the players at the table with their own hole cards. It is to the players great advantage to keep the opponents and spectators from seeing his or her hole cards while the indicia is viewed first and generally repeatedly during the play of the hand. Each time the player wants to check the indicia on the face of the hole cards, the player is forced to bend the corners of the card(s) upwardly while hiding the indicia from the opponents and spectators, the latter generating the greatest risk when they are generally to the rear of the player. During the long hours of a tournament the player frequently has to bend down close to the table surface hundreds of times to see the indicia in order to hide the indicia from the opponents. The playing cards are quickly damaged by the bending increasing the chance of the cards being marked by the bend requiring that the cards be quickly taken out of service. Further, the process of bending over, peeking at the cards, rising back up, and repeating the process numerous times during the play of each hand is tiring during the long hours of duration of large tournaments. 
   Further, with the advent of televised poker tournaments, casinos must, if they wish to host such tournaments, modify at least one feature table with televised monitoring of the hole cards. This has entailed major construction modifications of the table with glass windows in the playing surface table-top so that video cameras from below can read the hole cards with little risk that anyone outside a closed booth can see the card indicia. This modification is quite expensive and makes the table less useful for standard play. Although the television production would be greatly enhanced if many tables were so equipped, the casinos have thus far been unwilling to modify more that a single table out of hundreds for these tournaments despite the advantages of monitoring the play with a replayable record of each hand. 
   United States Patent Publication 2003/0052448 A1 to Bertrand discloses a tray device to hold playing cards that includes transparent easel 16 on which the cards rest on retaining ledge 18 and mirror to allow viewing the identity of the cards without lifting them off the easel. Most importantly, the Bertrand device requires the lifting of the cards off the table surface and onto the easel. The “retaining ledge 18” prevents the cards from being slid up onto the easel without their being lifted off the table, even if the ramp were extended to the table surface. When Bertrand claims that the cards need not be lifted to be viewed, he is clearly claiming that advantage only after the cards have been lifted up and placed on the “easel portion 16”. It is noted that the Bertrand reflection is a single mirror image and is difficult to read, particularly considering the viewing angle that may too low to see over the raised padded rail on many gaming tables. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,229 to Morse discloses a card holder and viewer device that includes transparent panel 16 on which the cards rest and mirror 3 to allow viewing the identity of the cards without lifting them off the panel that is not inclined. As in the Bertrand device the cards must be lifted off the table to place them on the transparent panel. 
   U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,039,102 and 5,681,039 to Miller disclose a Black Jack card reader using a single mirror 101. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,941,769 to Order discloses a card-dispensing device uses ramp 9 to dispense the cards only downwardly to the table surface such that the cards cannot be slid back up the ramp as the succeeding card(s) block the slot. Window 11 in the ramp is filled with prism 6 allowing the dispensing card to be read. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 5,959,791 to Bagnato, III discloses a sole of feet viewing device that includes a horizontal transparent panel on which the feet rest and mirror 42 to allow viewing the bottom of the feet. The device could not be used for playing cards without lifting them off the table to place them on the transparent panel. 
   United States Patent Publication 2003/0176209 to Soltys et al discloses an apparatus to read machine-readable indicia on playing cards. 
   U.S. Pat. No. 3,074,319 to McGovern, U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,643 to Titoff, U.S. Pat. No. 1,152,156 to Falk, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,096,389 to Dudley disclose reading and display devices that, along with the devices described in the patents listed hereinabove, do not meet the needs described above nor attain the objects of this invention described herein below. 
   SUMMARY OF INVENTION 
   It is an object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method and a device to allowing the reading the indicia of playing cards while giving virtually no chance that opponents or spectators can determine the hidden card(s) indicia. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method and a device to allowing the reading the indicia of playing cards while avoiding any bending or otherwise injuring the playing card(s). 
   It is an additional object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method and a device to allow the reading the indicia of playing cards after sliding the card(s) up an inclined panel directly from a table-top playing surface. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method and a device that allows the reading the hidden indicia of playing cards with minimal bending over by the player. 
   It is an additional object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method and a device allowing each player to read the indicia of playing cards attaining at least some of the objects herein and adapted to be securely attached to a playing surface. 
   It is a further object of an embodiment of the present invention to provide a method and a device that allows a standard gaming table to be retrofitted with minimal permanent alteration to the table to allow the card indicia of hole cards to be read with a camera without bending or lifting the cards. This retrofit of the gaming table with multiple devices of this invention provides a particularly effective support for microphones and multiple cameras on each apparatus of this invention to feed all aspects of the game to a computer for broadcast and/or monitoring the game by casino personnel. 
   An embodiment of the invention is a playing card viewing apparatus that includes a platform that includes a front, a rear, a bottom adapted to rest on a card playing surface, and an upper section supporting a ramp surface angled upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom, the ramp surface including a front lower edge adapted to abut the card playing surface and an upper rear corner, wherein a section of the ramp surface comprises a visual opening of sufficient shape and size to expose a corner card identification of at least one playing card lying on the ramp surface facing downwardly, and viewing means adapted to display a visual image of the corner card identification. 
   The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention preferably includes a visual opening proximate the upper rear corner comprising a cut-away of sufficient shape and size to expose a corner card identification of at least one playing card. The term “visual opening” is defined, as used herein, as a section of the ramp that is not visually obstructed, but may be solid as in a window of plastic or glass or may be a hole of any suitable shape. The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention further preferably includes viewing means adapted to display a visual image of the corner card identification to a person viewing the apparatus from above. The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention also preferably includes viewing means that is adapted to project or display a visual image of the corner card identification to a person viewing the playing card from above the rear corner. The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention further preferably includes viewing means that comprise a pair of mirrors adapted by position and angles to allow an image of the corner card identification to be read by a person positioned above the apparatus. The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention also preferably includes a first mirror facing frontwardly and located below and rearwardly of the cut-away section of the ramp surface and a second mirror facing rearwardly and located above the first mirror, wherein the mirrors are positioned and angled to allow an image of the corner card identification to be read by person positioned above the apparatus. The ramp surface of an embodiment of the apparatus of the invention further preferably includes a surface area of sufficient size and shape to support at least two playing cards overlapped to expose the corner card identifications of both cards in the cut-away section of the ramp surface. The ramp surface of the playing card viewing apparatus is also preferably angled upwardly and rearwardly at an angle of 25 to 35 degrees from the bottom. The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention further preferably is adapted to be securely attached to a card-playing surface. The apparatus of an embodiment of the invention wherein the viewing means also preferably comprises a video camera. 
   The viewing means of an apparatus of an embodiment of the invention also preferably includes (1) two mirrors, examples of which are shown in  FIGS. 1 through 3 , namely mirror  74  and mirror  76 , further described in paragraph 0030, and in  FIG. 4 , namely mirror  74 ′ and mirror  76 ′, further described in paragraph 0032; (2) a prism, examples of which are shown in  FIG. 5 , namely prisms  112 ,  112 ′ and  112 ″, further described in paragraph 0033; (3) a video camera, examples of which are shown in  FIGS. 4 and 6 , namely camera  44  and camera  122 , respectively, further described in paragraphs 0032 and 0034; and (4) all mechanisms that will allow a player or designated persons to view the card indicia directly or through an electronic mechanism while the card(s) are lying on the ramp of an apparatus of the invention. 
   A second embodiment of the invention is a method of viewing playing cards that includes providing a playing card viewing apparatus that includes a platform that includes a front section, a rear section, a bottom adapted to rest on a card playing surface and an upper section supporting a ramp surface angled upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom, the ramp surface including a front lower edge adapted to abut the playing surface and an upper rear corner, wherein a section of the ramp surface comprises a visual opening of sufficient shape and size to expose a corner card identification of at least one playing card lying on the ramp surface facing downwardly. The apparatus further includes viewing means adapted to display a visual image of the corner card identification. The method further includes sliding a playing card facing downwardly up the ramp surface and positioning corner indicia of the card over the cut-away section. 
   It is preferred that the method further include providing an apparatus including viewing means adapted to display a visual image to a person viewing the playing card from above the apparatus. It is also preferred that the method further include securing the apparatus of an embodiment of the invention to a card-playing surface. It is further preferred that the method further include providing a playing card viewing apparatus for each of a multiplicity of players at a card table, wherein the viewing means of each apparatus comprising a video camera with a cable attached and adapted to transmit the visual image of the corner card identification, and feeding the cable of each apparatus through a hole in the card-playing surface and securing each apparatus to the card-playing surface of a table. 
   A third embodiment of the invention is a playing card viewing apparatus that includes a platform that includes a front, a rear, a bottom adapted to rest on a card playing surface, and an upper section supporting a ramp surface angled upwardly and rearwardly from the bottom, the ramp surface including a front lower edge adapted to abut the card playing surface and an upper rear corner, wherein a section of the ramp surface proximate the upper rear corner is cut-away of sufficient shape and size to expose a corner card identification of at least one playing card lying on the ramp surface facing downwardly, and viewing means adapted to display a visual image of the corner card identification. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  is a front left side perspective view of an apparatus of the present invention. 
       FIG. 2  is a front left side perspective exploded view of said apparatus. 
       FIG. 3  is a left side diagram of said apparatus. 
       FIG. 4  is a left side diagram of a second embodiment apparatus of the invention. 
       FIG. 5  is a left side diagram of a third embodiment apparatus of the invention illustrating three different positions of viewing mechanisms providing three different viewing angles to a card player. 
       FIG. 6  is a left side diagram of a fourth embodiment apparatus of the invention. 
   

   DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
   Playing card viewing apparatus  10  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 3 . In  FIG. 1  the broken lines show portions of elements hidden in the perspective view with all of these elements shown in the exploded perspective view of  FIG. 2 . In  FIG. 1  cards  12  are shown lying face down with card indicia  13  (the king and ace of diamonds) hidden on a flat table surface, that is not shown, but is in a plane of the face of cards  12  and the bottom surface of apparatus  10 . Cards  12 , which are typically about two and 7/16 inches wide and about three and one-half inches long, are shown by the arrow to be slid up on ramp surface  14  past sharp leading front edge  16  of ramp  18 . Front edge  16  is constructed to abut the flat table surface and may extend slightly below bottom surface  30  of apparatus  10  so as to slightly indent into the resilient fabric surfaces of most card playing tables. This allows the card or cards to be easily slid up onto ramp  18  without lifting the cards whatsoever and the card indicia easily viewed by looking downwardly through viewing opening  19 . 
   Apparatus  10  is shown constructed of a multiplicity of panels, made of metal or plastic, but this is not critical, necessary or even preferred. For example, the lower section of apparatus  10  is shown as a housing, but it houses nothing and acts as a platform for ramp  18 . This lower section bounded by the frontward section of ramp  18 , bottom panel  20 , left wall panel  32 , lower section  40  of right wall panel  38 , lower rear section  52  of rear wall panel  50 , and inclined forward section  54  of rear wall panel  50  is shown as a hollow housing, but may be a solid block of metal or plastic. Holes  24  through ramp  18  and holes  26  through bottom panel  20  open the interior of the housing to scrutiny to insure that no card, chip or other object can be hidden inside. Holes  24  and  26  are the same size and aligned to illustrate their utility if it is chosen to make the lower section a solid block and drill the holes through the block. The size and shape of the holes and the interior of the housing prevent hiding either a card or even a chip and the openings are mere assurance that there is nothing hidden inside. 
   The panels shown exploded in  FIG. 2  are attached together along their respective edges by adhesive, pins and holes as shown, welding or other connecting systems known in the art. Bottom edge  42  of right vertical wall panel  38  is rigidly connected with the aid of pins and holes as shown to right lengthwise edge  66  of bottom panel  20 . Left wall panel  32  is an “L” shaped vertical panel with rear vertical edge  31  attached to the outside lower edge section  62  of left rear vertical wall panel  60  with the aid of pins and holes as shown to form the whole left wall. The bottom edges of left wall panel  32  and left rear wall panel  60  are connected with the aid of pins and holes as shown to the entire left lengthwise edge  68  of bottom panel  20 . Vertical rear wall section  54  of rear wall panel  50  is connected along the vertical length of right edge  56  with the aid of pins and holes as shown to the inside of vertical rear edge  44  of right wall panel  38 . Likewise vertical rear wall section  54  of rear wall panel  50  is connected along the vertical length of left edge  58  with the aid of pins and holes as shown to the inside of vertical rear edge  64  of left wall panel  60 . The bottom edge of rear wall panel lower section  52  abuts and closes to the rear-most edge of the top surface of bottom panel  20 . Rear wall panel  50  is formed in one piece with rear vertical wall section  54  depending downwardly from upper edge  51  to the rear of frame vertical wall section downwardly depending from edge  51  to connect with an upper edge of sloped wall section  55  to hold rear reflection mirror  76  to its front surface  57 . Rear panel  50  continues to extend from the lower edge of section  55  through generally horizontal section  59  which angles slightly upwardly to terminate at front edge  63  abutting and rigidly connected to front edge  90  of cut-out section  86  to close the enclosure. The right and left edges of sections  53 ,  55 , and  59  are rigidly connected to right wall panel  38  and left rear wall panel  60  respectively with the aid of pins and holes as shown. Front wall panel  70  is close to vertical with flat interior rear-facing surface  72 , and thus the angle of flat mirror  74  attached to the surface, with the bottom angled outwardly to the front at about ten to fifteen degrees, preferably about twelve degrees, from the vertical. The right and left vertical edges of panel  70  are rigidly connected to upper front edge section  46  of right wall panel  38  and to upper front edge section  61  of left rear wall panel  60  respectively with the aid of pins and holes as shown. Flat viewing mirror  74  is securely attached to surface  72  so that it is angled downwardly at about 12 degrees from the vertical so that the image can be easily viewed by a player as illustrated in  FIG. 3 . Flat reflection mirror  76  facing upwardly and to the front, angled upwardly from the vertical about 25 to 40 degrees, more preferably about 30 to 35 degrees, is positioned to the rear of the exposed indicia of card  12  to receive the mirror image and reflect it to mirror  74  which is viewed as a plain image by viewer  78 . Both of the mirrors are about seven-eighths inch wide and about one and one-half inches long. In the mirror configuration above, the player can easily view the card indicia when the player is positioned about seven inches above the table surface and about five inches behind the rear edge of the card on the ramp. Screen area  39  cut through right wall panel  38  and screen area  67  cut through left rear wall panel  60  have about 3/32 inch square openings with the screen elements being about 1/16 inch thickness to increase incident light to the mirrors to improve viewing without any risk of allowing other players or spectators to see anything. 
   Left edge  80  of ramp  18  is rigidly connected to sloping upper edge  33  of front section  34  of left wall panel  32  while right edge  82  of the ramp is rigidly connected to sloping upper edge  48  of front section  49  of right wall panel  38 . Ramp  18  is sloped upwardly front to back at about twenty to about forty degrees, more preferably about twenty-five to about thirty-five degrees, and most preferably about thirty degrees. Transverse rear edge  84  of ramp  18  is rigidly attached to upper edge  35  of transverse rear section  36  of left wall panel  32 . A cut-away or notch from ramp  18  designated  86  is cut out of the rear right corner of the ramp bounded by lengthwise edge  88  and transverse edge  90 . Ramp  18  is about three and one-half inches long, which is about as long as most playing cards and three and one-quarter inches wide, while the visual opening, in this case, cut-away notch  86 , is about an inch long and about ¾ to about one inch wide. With apparatus  10  it is easy to view the indicia of two overlapping playing cards at the same time. Enlarging the visual opening and the ramp width allows a greater number of cards to be viewed at the same time. For example, if the device were provided to view seven hole cards at the same time the visual opening might be about three and half inches wide. The width of ramp  18  and the mirrors would also be wider to accommodate the larger number of cards. Optical path  92  of apparatus  10  is illustrated in the diagram of  FIG. 3  from the card indicia  13  of cards  12  reflected in mirror  76  upwardly and slightly frontwardly to mirror  74  which can be easily viewed by viewer  78 . The image of the card indicia in mirror  74  is not a mirror image distortion to the viewer but is a normal image. 
   Apparatus  100  as shown in  FIG. 4  is a diagram of a second embodiment of this invention, which is essentially identical to apparatus  10  with essentially identical elements marked with a prime. For example, the optical path of apparatus  100 , although not shown, from card indicia  13  to mirror  76 ′ to mirror  74 ′ to the viewer, not shown, is unimpeded and is essentially identical to that of apparatus  10 . Video camera  94  is fixed close to upper edge  51 ′ directed at mirror  74 ′ leaving viewing opening  19 ′ unimpeded. Camera  94  is connected by wire  96  of universal plug  98  adapted to be connected to a central source. This embodiment allows the player to use the apparatus while a commentator in a closed room can give an in sync feed to video viewers. This embodiment allows a permanent record of the play required by many casinos without a major modification to the gaming table. 
   The diagrams of  FIG. 5  illustrate three differing optical paths from card indicia  13  to viewer  78  using a prism with apparatus embodiments  102 ,  104 , and  106 , that are each similar to apparatus  10 , such as bottoms  30 ′,  30 ′″, and  30 ″″, except where noted. Prisms  110 ,  110 ′, and  110 ″ of apparatus  102 ,  104 , and  106 , respectively, are identical 45/45/90 degree prisms angled horizontally, upwardly and downwardly to the rear to provide viewing angles  112 ,  112 ′, and  112 ″ upwardly from the horizontal of 45, 55, and 27 degrees, all respectively. This illustrates how a pair of mirrors may also be angled to vary the viewing angle. Ramps  108  and  108 ′ of apparatuses  102  and  104  are concave, but flat ramps, such as ramp  114  of apparatus  106 , are preferred. 
   The diagram of  FIG. 6  of apparatus  116  illustrates an embodiment specifically effective in retrofitting gaming tables for the large tournaments covered by television. To address the problems described hereinabove a multiplicity, generally eight to a dozen, preferably eleven of apparatuses  116  are spaced around the periphery of the table and securely fastened to the top of the playing surface by screws or bolts through holes  118  through bottom  120  holding leading edge  16 ′ of ramp  114 ′ against the felt of the playing surface. Video camera  122  is fastened inside the housing of apparatus to the rear and below cut-away  86 ′ to read indicia  13  of cards  12  and transmit the images along wire  124  to connector  126 , which is fastened to the upper surface of bottom  120 . Connecting wire  128  from connector  126  extends out of bottom  120  adapted to be fed through a small hole in the playing surface to connectors to the video feed located below the table surface. Using a multiplicity of apparatuses  116  a gaming table may be retrofitted for video with minimal modification and damage to the table. The players slide cards  12  up ramp  114 ′ to be read by the video camera  122  and then proceed with play. Apparatus  100  may be used in the same fashion to retrofit tables with the added advantage of the player being able to read the cards without lifting or sliding them off the ramp. In retrofitting the gaming tables to accommodate them for television and/or monitoring them for other purposes all of the apparatuses this invention may be easily modified to include a mini-microphone and additional cameras to capture all of the action at the table. For example a camera can be fixed proximate upper edge  51  directed to the rear at the player using the apparatus to capture his face. Another camera can be fixed proximate the upper edge of front wall panel  70  directed to the chips bet by the player and to the community cards. Yet another camera can be fixed proximate the upper edge of front wall panel  70  directed to the other players at the table and the dealer. All of this digital information can be fed through audio/video wiring exiting the bottom of the apparatus through the table to a 4 to 1 video feed combiner connected to audio and video feeds to a real-time digital audio/video recorder with twelve sets of inputs connected to Ethernet connection to network switch, all this latter in state of the art to provide local onsite and/or offsite recording, editing and redistribution of feeds for viewing by spectators and/or casino personnel. These cameras may be PTZ (point, tilt, and zoom) capable and may have a 360-degree field. Thus, the retrofitted tables can produce a true audio and visual reproduction of the table play for real-time, time delayed and/or a permanent record. The permanent record allows an “instant replay” of all the actions at the table to allow casino personnel to make judgments as to the propriety of play and possible cheating. 
   While this invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments disclosed herein, it is not confined to the details set forth and the patent is intended to include modifications and changes, which may come within and extend from the following claims.