Patents Assigned to SHFL entertainment, Inc.
  • Patent number: 8720892
    Abstract: An apparatus is for shuffling a plurality of playing cards used in gaming. The apparatus includes a card support adapted to support the unshuffled cards on-edge. An exciter is also included, and is adapted to impart vibrational action to the supported cards. Cards drop in a random fashion such as by controlling the relative position of the cards and passage through one or more card slots in a card rest. In at least some of the apparatuses, a medial card receiver is adapted to receive at least one card dropped from the card support and to retain the at least one received card to substantially block the card slot to prevent further cards from dropping. A positioner is preferably included to change a relative position of the unshuffled deck and card slots though which the cards drop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 13, 2014
    Assignee: SHFL Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Randy D. Sines
  • Publication number: 20140125010
    Abstract: An automatic card shuffling device for randomizing playing cards is disclosed. The device comprises a processor in informational connection with the shuffling device, and a detection system capable of detecting or predicting a deficiency in operation of at least one component of the shuffling device. The detection system is configured to transmit an indication of a deficiency to a distal location.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2014
    Publication date: May 8, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha
  • Patent number: 8702101
    Abstract: A playing card handling device is disclosed. The device includes a first side and a second opposite side. Components of the device include a card infeed tray, a card output tray and a card handling zone. The card infeed tray and card output tray are on the same first side of the device and an upper surface of the card infeed tray and an upper surface of the card output tray are in the same plane. Card handling devices of the present invention also include a touch screen display, as well as a movable card gate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: SHFL Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Paul K. Scheper, Attila Grauzer, James V. Kelly, James B. Stasson, Ronald R. Swanson, Feraidoon Bourbour, Troy D. Nelson, David B. Lopez, Mark L. Yoseloff, Russell Brooke Dunn, Peter Krenn, Ernst Blaha
  • Patent number: 8702100
    Abstract: Playing card delivery systems include a shuffling apparatus and a processor programmed to direct the shuffling apparatus to deliver a first randomized set of a first number of playing cards, the first randomized set comprising a partial hand, and to deliver a second randomized set of a second number of playing cards to augment the partial hand. The first number of cards may be equal to or not equal to the second number of playing cards. Methods or providing cards to a player from a card delivery system include moving a first randomized set of cards from a shuffling apparatus to a card output area to provide a partial hand for a player and moving a second randomized set of playing cards from the shuffling apparatus to the card output area to augment the partial hand for the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2012
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2014
    Assignee: SHFL Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Attila Grauzer
  • Publication number: 20140103608
    Abstract: A device for forming a random set of playing cards is disclosed. The device comprises: a top surface and a bottom surface of the device. A single card receiving area is provided for receiving an initial set of playing cards. A randomizing system for randomizing an order of the initial set of playing cards is provided. A card collection surface in a card collection area for receiving randomized playing cards one at a time into the card collection area, the collection surface receiving cards so that all cards are received below the top surface of the device is also provided. An image capture device reads rank and suit of each card before each card is received on the card collection surface. An elevator raises the card collection surface so that at least some randomized cards are elevated at least to the top surface of the device. A processor controls operation of the device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 9, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Oliver M. Schubert, James V. Kelly, James B. Stasson, Feraidoon Bourbour, Paul K. Scheper
  • Publication number: 20140094239
    Abstract: A card game monitor manages play of a game with a video feed of casino table game play. A dealer deals a game using a card-handling device that randomizes and dispenses cards, which may be grouped into sets of hands by the card-handling device. A card recognition system recognizes card information including rank and suit of each card dispensed by the card handling device while each card is under control of the card-handling device. A camera captures a video feed of casino table game play, which is transmitted to a computing device operated by a player. A control system receives the card information from the card recognition device and manages control of the game using hand information associated with players. Player action elections from the computing device are displayed to a dealer The player provides a player action through the computing device, which is used to facilitate play of the casino table game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Feraidoon Bourbour, Mark L. Yoseloff, Todd Haushalter
  • Publication number: 20140094244
    Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for displaying information relating to a roulette game. A roulette game display comprises at least one of a hot bet field, a number frequency field, and an even-money bet road chart. The hot bet field displays a message including information relating to a highest ranking event stored in an event history. The number frequency field includes an arrangement of indicator spaces configured for marking to show recent results of a plurality of roulette wheel spins. The even-money bet road chart includes a grid for displaying a plurality of recently winning even-money bets.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Gabriel A. Baron, Todd M. Haushalter
  • Publication number: 20140091521
    Abstract: A card recognition system comprises an imaging device configured to capture a raw image of at least a portion of a card, and a processor operably coupled with the imaging device. The processor is configured to perform an image processing analysis of the raw image to identify measurements of at least one of a rank area around a rank of the card, and a suit area around a suit of the card, and automatically generate a calibration file based, at least in part, on the image processing analysis. A card handling device comprises a card infeed, a card output, and a card recognition system. A method for tuning a card handling device comprises capturing a plurality of images from a deck of cards, storing the images in memory, analyzing the plurality of images for card identification information, and generating a calibration file including parameters associated with the card identification information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2012
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: James V. Kelly, Vladislav Zvercov, Brian Miller
  • Publication number: 20140087805
    Abstract: An online casino game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards, the game comprising: each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game; dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the dealer; dealing a second number of cards to each player, the second number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player; the dealer discarding at least one card to form a resulting single dealer hand; each player discarding at least one card to form a resulting player's hand for each player, wherein the number of cards in resulting player's hands and the resulting dealer's hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the dealer's hand according to predetermined game rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20140087803
    Abstract: A method for playing a double draw poker casino card game. The method comprising providing a standard 52-card deck of playing cards for playing a standard draw poker casino card game. Providing two joker cards shuffled together with the standard 52 card deck. Each of the two joker cards valued as an ace or as a fill-in card for a straight, or as a fill-in card for a flush. Each player placing an ante and a bonus bet and receiving five dealt cards. Each player folding or making a first optional draw card bet and discarding and drawing up to three draw cards. Each player folding or making a second optional draw card bet and discarding and drawing up to one draw card producing a final double draw five card poker hand, each receiving a payout against a first payout table for the ante and draw bets and a second payout table for the bonus bet.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald LaDuca
  • Publication number: 20140087800
    Abstract: A system and method for enabling play of a casino table card game. Multiple randomized sets of playing cards of known composition are formed and delivered, and are set by following automatically generated house way instructions. An automatic card shuffler is configured to deliver randomized sets of physical cards, the shuffler equipped with a playing card reading system that reads at least one of a rank and suit of markings on each of the playing cards. A processor receives the read card information from the playing card reading system and determines a composition of each individual set of playing cards dispensed. At least one display is in communication with a processor programmed with house way rules for displaying instructions on how to set hands from a distributed set of cards a house way. Processors of the present invention may also cause a display of a house commission amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 2, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20140084543
    Abstract: Methods of administering wagering games comprise accepting a first wager to participate in a first wagering game according to a first set of game rules. A second wager to participate in a second, different wagering game according to a second, different set of game rules is accepted. The second wager is resolved according to the second set of game rules. An instruction is accepted from each player who won the second wager to award at least a portion of winnings from the second wager directly to the player or to add at least a portion of winnings from the second wager to the first wager. The first wager is resolved according to the first set of game rules. Games of the present disclosure may be implemented as live card games, EGM games, multi-player EGM games, on-line games, scratch ticket games and live card games with electronic betting interfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 13, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Roger M. Snow, Ryan M. Yee
  • Publication number: 20140087806
    Abstract: An online casino game utilizes at least one deck of playing cards, the game comprising: each player placing at least one wager to participate in the casino game; dealing a first number of cards to a dealer, the first number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for the dealer; dealing a second number of cards to each player, the second number of cards being greater than the number of cards to be used in determination of a poker rank hand for each player; the dealer discarding at least one card to form a resulting single dealer hand; each player discarding at least one card to form a resulting player's hand for each player, wherein the number of cards in resulting player's hands and the resulting dealer's hand are equal; and resolving each player hand against the dealer's hand according to predetermined game rules.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20140087799
    Abstract: A card game is played against a pay table, wherein a player receives a partial hand that is preferably completed by community cards, but may be completed by cards dealt directly to a hand or a combination of cards dealt directly to a hand and at least one community card or wild card. After placement of an ante wager, each player will have an opportunity to place a game wager before receiving another card for the player's hand (whether dealt directly to the player or as a community card revealed to all players). At least some or all game wagers may be an amount within a range of multiples of the player's ante wager, such as one times, two times, three times, four times, or five times the amount of the ante wager. The range of wagers may remain the same or vary with the number of dealt cards or community card revealed to the players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Mark L. Yoseloff
  • Publication number: 20140087804
    Abstract: An online variant of the game of Hold 'Em poker allows one or all of players being allowed to remain in game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Publication number: 20140084538
    Abstract: A device for forming a random set of playing cards comprises a card in-feed area, a shuffling system, a card removal area, and a card reading system located within the device, the card reading system employing a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) sensor and a hardware component, the hardware component capable of converting signals from the CMOS sensor into vector sets and comparing the vector sets to known vectors to determine rank and suit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Publication date: March 27, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Justin G. Downs, III, James R. Roberts, Kapilkumar N. Kulakkunnath, Vladislav Zvercov
  • Publication number: 20140077457
    Abstract: A variant game of Hold 'Em poker allows for rules of play of one or all of players being allowed to remain in game with an option of checking or making specific wagering amounts in first play wagers, being limited in the size of subsequent available play wagers or prohibited from making additional play wagers if a first play wager has been made, being limited in the size of available later play wagers if a first or earlier play wager has been made, and having the opportunity for at least two and as many as three or four distinct opportunities in the stages in the play of a hand to be able to make one or more play wagers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2013
    Publication date: March 20, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Roger M. Snow
  • Patent number: 8662500
    Abstract: A card-feeding device for feeding cards into a card-handling device is disclosed. Examples of card-handling devices include shufflers, card sorters, card delivery devices and card verification devices. The device includes a card infeed area that supports a stack of cards. The card infeed area has a card support surface. Included in the device is a card-removing system that removes cards individually from the bottom of the stack. A pivoting arm presses against a card at the top of the stack. At least one sensor is provided that detects at least one of a position of the arm and a presence of a card in the card infeed area. A method of shuffling cards is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing cards to be shuffled into a card infeed area as a stack with a top and bottom and removing cards one at a time from the bottom of the stack and moving the removed cards to a shuffling zone. Cards are then shuffled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: SHFL Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Ronald R. Swanson
  • Publication number: 20140049005
    Abstract: Apparatuses and methods for moving playing cards from a first group of cards into plural hands of cards, wherein each of the hands contains a random arrangement of cards. The apparatus may comprise a card receiver for receiving the first group of cards, a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, the stack generally vertically movable, an elevator for moving the stack, a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack, and a microprocessor that controls the card-moving mechanism and the elevator so that an individual card is moved into an identified compartment. The number of compartments receiving cards and the number of cards moved to each compartment may be selected.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 12, 2013
    Publication date: February 20, 2014
    Applicant: SHFL entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Feraidoon Bourbour, Troy D. Nelson, Robert J. Rynda, Paul K. Scheper, James B. Stasson, Ronald R. Swanson
  • Patent number: 8651486
    Abstract: An apparatus for providing hands of playing cards includes a playing card moving system for moving a number of playing cards defining a hand of playing cards from a container to a delivery tray, and a processor with software to direct the playing card moving system to randomly select how many playing cards will form the hand in the delivery tray. The apparatus is capable of randomly selecting numbers of cards to be delivered in a hand of cards to players and a dealer during a round of a casino table card game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: February 18, 2014
    Assignee: Shfl Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Roger M. Snow