Patent ID: 8425312

Claim:
A method for determining a three-dimensional location of a playing card at a distance from a gaming table, the method comprising the steps of: providing a deck of playing cards, wherein each playing card in the deck of playing cards comprises: a radio-frequency transponder that transmits a unique card identifying radio-frequency signal in response to receiving a radio-frequency-energizing signal, and a card identity associated with the unique card identifying radio-frequency signal; transmitting modulated radio-frequency-energizing signals from a transceiver to a table antenna, wherein the modulated radio-frequency-energizing signals are radio-frequency-energizing signals selected from the group consisting of: radio-frequency-energizing signals having a plurality of transmission frequencies; and radio-frequency-energizing signals having a plurality of transmission power levels; forming a plurality of detection zones at a plurality of distances above the gaming table by transmitting from the table antenna the modulated radio-frequency-energizing signals, each detection zone of said plurality of detection zones corresponding to a unique transmission range associated with each of the transmission frequencies in the plurality of transmission frequencies, or associated with each of the transmission power levels in the plurality of transmission power levels; providing a system computer wherein the system computer comprises a processor, a monitor screen, and a non-transitory storage medium readable by the processor, the non-transitory storage medium storing instructions, the instructions when executed on the system computer cause the system computer to perform steps comprising: receiving at the system computer the unique card identifying radio-frequency signal; determining the card identity of the playing card associated with the unique card identifying radio-frequency signal; determining card activity, the card activity comprising a three-dimensional location of the playing card, said three-dimensional location selected from the group consisting of: a first distance among the plurality of distances above the gaming table when the playing card responds with the unique card identifying radio-frequency signal from within a first detection zone in the plurality of detection zones; and a second distance among the plurality of distances above the gaming table when the playing card responds with the unique card identifying radio-frequency signal from within a second detection zone in the plurality of detection zones; recording in the non-transitory storage medium an indication of the card activity; and displaying the card activity on the monitor screen.