WO2020089978A1 - Chip and gaming table - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention detects, with high accuracy, identification information and the number of chips stacked on a gaming table. A processing unit 105 in a chip T outputs, to outside, chip information including user ID and chip ID of the chip T itself by using infrared light emitted from a light emission unit 103. Upon receiving infrared light from another vertically stacked chip T through a light reception unit 104, the processing unit 105 acquires chip information of the other chip T from the received infrared light. When chip information of the other chip T is acquired, the processing unit 105 outputs said chip information together with its own chip information to outside by using infrared light emitted from the light emission unit 103.

Description

Chips and gaming table

The present invention relates to a chip and a game table.

Regarding chips used in a gaming facility such as a casino, for example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 describe a technique in which an RFID tag is mounted on a chip (coin) so that the position of the chip on a gaming table can be detected. There is. Further, in Patent Documents 3 and 4, there is disclosed a method of discriminating the authenticity of a chip by transmitting the identification information stored in the memory of the chip to the discriminating device using the optical communication by using the optical communication. It is disclosed.

US patent publication US8540579 US Patent Publication US7938722 JP 2006-238899 A JP-A-8-19409

By the way, in card games and roulette games where games are played using a gaming table, it is often the case that multiple chips are stacked and used. However, the above-described prior art detects the position of a single chip or determines the authenticity of the chip, and accurately detects the number of chips stacked on the gaming table and identification information. There was a problem that I could not do it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-described circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of accurately detecting the number of chips stacked on a gaming table and identification information. ..

A chip according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a light emitting unit, a light receiving unit, and a processing unit, and the processing unit is included in a light receiving signal received by the light receiving unit together with its own identification information and is stacked on the chip. The gist is that the identification information of another chip is emitted from the light emitting unit as a light emission signal.
A gaming table according to another aspect of the present invention is a gaming table for arranging chips and is arranged in each predetermined section, and emitted from the chips arranged in the section or a plurality of stacked chips. And a specifying unit for specifying a chip arranged in the section or a plurality of stacked chips based on the detection result of the light detecting unit. The gist is to specify the chip or a plurality of chips arranged in the one section based on one or more identification information included in the light emission signal detected by the photodetector arranged in the section.

According to the present invention, it becomes possible to accurately detect the number of chips stacked on the game table and the identification information.

It is a figure which shows the external appearance of a chip. It is a block diagram which shows the internal structure of a chip. It is the figure which illustrated the structure of chip information. It is a conceptual diagram for demonstrating operation | movement of a chip. It is a flowchart which shows operation | movement of a chip. It is the figure which illustrated the table surface of the game table. It is a schematic diagram which illustrated the inside of the game table. It is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the photodetector when the chips are stacked in a certain section. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a management system.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, in each of the drawings, components denoted by the same reference numerals have the same or similar configurations.

A. This Embodiment [Chip Configuration]
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the external appearance of the chip, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the internal configuration of the chip.
The chip T is a medium used in various games (roulette, card games, etc.) played on the gaming table. The shape and size of the chip T are arbitrary.

The chip T has a main body 101 formed in a substantially disc shape (coin shape), and a light guide section 102, a light emitting section 103, a light receiving section 104, a processing section 105, and a power receiving antenna 106 are provided therein. (See Figure 2).

The light guide unit 102 includes a light guide plate that transmits infrared rays used for data communication, and is arranged in the central portion so as to include the central axis of the main body unit 101. In the present embodiment, infrared communication is illustrated as an example of data communication, but it is also applicable to ultraviolet communication and visible light communication.

The light emitting unit 103 includes, for example, an infrared LED, and is provided at two locations facing the outer peripheral surface of the light guide unit 102. The light emitting unit 103 is positioned so as to emit infrared light to the light guide unit 102.

The light receiving section 104 includes, for example, an infrared LED sensor, and is provided at two locations facing the outer peripheral surface of the light guide section 102. The light receiving unit 104 receives the infrared light emitted from the other chips T stacked vertically through the light guiding unit 102.

The processing unit 105 is configured to include a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and the CPU centrally controls each unit of the chip T by reading a control program or data stored in the ROM or the RAM.

The memory M of the processing unit 105 stores a chip ID for identifying its own chip T and a user ID for identifying the user to whom the own chip T is lent. The processing unit 105 outputs (that is, transmits) chip information (see FIG. 3) including the chip ID of its own chip T and the user ID to the outside by using the infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 103. Further, when the processing unit 105 receives infrared light from the other chips T stacked vertically via the light receiving unit 104, the processing unit 105 acquires (ie, receives) the chip information of the other chips T from the received infrared light. To do. When the processing unit 105 acquires the chip information of the other chips T that are vertically stacked, the processing unit 105 uses infrared light emitted from the light emitting unit 103 to externally output other chip information together with its own chip information. Call.

The power receiving antenna 106 is an antenna for receiving power supply (so-called wireless power supply) from the game table 300 (see FIG. 4, which will be described later) in a non-contact manner. In this embodiment, power is supplied from the game table 300 via electromagnetic waves. receive. The power received via the power receiving antenna 106 is supplied to each unit by the processing unit 105. Note that contact-type wireless power supply may be adopted instead of non-contact-type wireless power supply.

Hereinafter, a chip information transmission operation and a reception operation using infrared light will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5. In the following, the infrared light received via the light receiving unit 104 and on which the chip information is superimposed is referred to as a light reception signal S1, and the infrared light emitted via the light emitting unit 103 and on which the chip information is superimposed. Is called a light emission signal S2.

4 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the chip T, and FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the chip T. As shown in FIG. 4, n chips T1, T2, ... Tn are stacked in order from the top.

When the processing unit 105 of each chip T receives power supply from the game table 300 via the power receiving antenna 106 (step S1), the light emitting signal S2 on which the chip information of its own is superimposed is guided via the light emitting unit 103. The call is sent to the section 102 (step S2).

The processing unit 105 of each chip T determines whether the light receiving signal S1 on which the chip information of another chip is superimposed is received via the light receiving unit 104 (step S3). When the processing unit 105 of each chip T determines that it has received the light reception signal S1 on which the chip information of another chip is superimposed (step S3; YES), the processing unit 105 of the other chip, together with its own chip information, receives another signal. The light emission signal S2 on which the chip information of the chip is superimposed is transmitted toward the light guide unit 102 (step S4). When the processing unit 105 of each chip T determines that it has not received the light reception signal S1 on which the chip information of another chip is superimposed (step S3; NO), step S4 is skipped and step S5 is performed. Proceed to.

When the processing unit 105 of each chip T proceeds to step S5, it determines whether or not the power supply from the gaming table 300 has stopped. An example of stopping the power supply is, for example, a case where the dealer removes each chip T from the gaming table 300. When the processing unit 105 of each chip T determines that the power supply is not stopped (step S5; NO), the process returns to step S2 and repeats a series of processes. By repeatedly performing such an operation, the light emission signal S2 including the chip information of all the chips T1, T2 ... Tn is output from the chip Tn located at the lowest position. The light emission signal S2 is detected by the light detection unit 304 provided in the game table 300. After that, for example, when the dealer determines that each chip T has been removed from the game table 300 and the power supply from the game table 300 has stopped (step S5; YES), the processing unit 105 of each chip T performs the processing described above. finish. The configuration of the game table 300 will be described below.

[Game table configuration]
As shown in FIG. 4, a power feeding unit 305 that performs non-contact wireless power feeding to the chip T is provided in the lowermost layer of the game table 300. On the upper layer of the power feeding unit 305, a table surface is formed in which a glass plate 303, a light-transmitting cushioning material 302, and an acrylic plate 301 are laminated at a predetermined interval. A photodetector (photosensor) 304 for detecting the light emission signal S2 emitted from the chip T is provided between the glass plate 303 and the buffer material 302. Note that each photodetector 304 is assigned a unique photosensor ID that can be uniquely identified.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating the table surface of the game table 300, and FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating the inside of the game table 300.
In the present embodiment, a game table 300 used for roulette is assumed as an example of the game table 300. As shown in FIG. 6, the photodetector 304 is arranged in each section A. Section A is set corresponding to each number, color, column, etc. displayed on the game table 300. The game progresses by each player stacking and arranging (that is, betting) a desired number of chips T corresponding to his stake in the desired section A. A light-shielding portion 306 is provided at the boundary of each section A so that the light emission signal S2 from the adjacent section A does not enter and is erroneously detected (see FIG. 4). However, whether or not the light shielding portion 306 is provided is arbitrary.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the operation of the photodetector unit 304 when n chips T are stacked in a certain section A.
Regarding the chips T1, T2, ... When the signal S2 is received, the unique photosensor ID assigned to itself is added and transmitted as bet chip information to the management device 400 (described later).

<System configuration>
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the management system 500 according to this embodiment.
The management system 500 includes a plurality of chips T, a plurality of game tables 300, and a management device 400. In FIG. 9, one chip T and one game table 300 are shown for convenience of explanation.

The management device 400 is a device for managing the chip T used in the gaming facility, and is composed of, for example, a server computer including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The management device 400 is communicatively connected to the game table 300 via a wired line or a wireless line.

The management device 400 includes an acquisition unit 401, a specification unit 402, an output unit 403, a position database DB1, and a management database DB2.

The acquisition unit 401 acquires the bet chip information (see FIG. 8) transmitted from the game table 300.
The identifying unit 402 identifies the bet position of chips, the number and amount of chips bet, and the user who bet by analyzing the acquired bet chip information. More specifically, the specifying unit 402 specifies the section A (that is, the bet position of the chip) in which the photodetector 304 is arranged, based on the photosensor ID included in the bet chip information. In the position database DB1, a position management table TA1 in which a photo sensor ID and position information that specifies the corresponding section A are associated with each other is registered. When the specifying unit 402 acquires the photo sensor ID, the specifying unit 402 specifies the bet position of the chip by referring to the position management table TA1.

Further, the identifying unit 402 identifies the number of chips and the amount of money, based on the chip ID included in the bet chip information. The management database DB2 stores a chip management table TA2 indicating the relationship between the chip ID and the amount of money associated with the chip. When the specifying unit 402 acquires the chip ID, the specifying unit 402 specifies the number of chips and the amount of money by referring to the chip management table TA2. Note that the “chip amount” mentioned here includes not only the amount for each chip but also the total amount of a plurality of stacked chips. Further, the identifying unit 402 identifies the user who has bet, based on the user ID included in the bet chip information.

The output unit 403 includes, for example, a display panel, and displays the information identified by the identifying unit 402 on the display panel of the gaming facility. By checking the information displayed on the display panel, the user, the dealer, or the like can quickly and accurately grasp which user has bet a given amount at which bet position. It will be possible.

Thus, according to the present embodiment, in each chip T stacked in the height direction of the gaming table 300, a light emission signal including its own chip information and chip information of another chip T on the upper side and / or the lower side. Since S2 is transmitted, the chips T can be specified even when the chips T are stacked. This makes it possible to specify the chip T placed at the end of the bet and display an error display when the chip T is placed after the result of the game is obtained. For example, the management device 400 detects the reception timing of the bet chip information transmitted from the game table 300. Based on the reception timing of the bet chip information, the management device 400 determines whether the chip T is placed correctly within the betting period, or the chip T placed illegally after the betting period ends and the result of the game comes out. To determine if. When the management device 400 determines that the chip T is placed illegally, it outputs an error message to the output unit 403 and performs processing for invalidating the bet operation. According to such a configuration, it is possible to suppress an illegal bet operation such as placing a chip T after a game result is obtained.

B. Modified Example In the present embodiment, the management device 400 and the game table 300 are separately configured, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the game table 300 may be provided with the function of the management device 400 to be integrated. In addition, a part of the functions of the management device 400 (for example, the acquisition unit 401 and the specification unit 402) may be provided in the game table 300.

In the present embodiment, the light guide section 102 is provided at the center of the chip T, but the light guide section 102 may be provided concentrically on the outer peripheral side of the chip T. When the light guide section 102 is provided on the outer peripheral side, even if a plurality of chips T are stacked at random, there is an advantage that light is easily guided between the upper and lower chips. Further, the tip T may have a shape other than a substantially disc shape (coin shape) such as a polygon.

In the present embodiment, the chip information (see FIG. 3) including the chip ID of the own chip T and the user ID is illustrated, but the configuration of the chip information is not limited to this. For example, when the user who uses the chip has already been specified, the user ID may not be included in the chip information. In addition to the chip ID and the user ID, information indicating the amount of money associated with the chip (for example, 10 dollars) may be included in the chip information.

In the present embodiment, the case where the light detection unit 304 is configured by a photo sensor is illustrated, but a high sensitivity camera or the like may be used instead of the photo sensor.

C. Others The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and modifications, and can be implemented in various other forms without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, each element described above and the arrangement, material, condition, shape, size, and the like thereof are not limited to those illustrated, but can be appropriately changed. Further, the configurations shown in different embodiments can be partially replaced or combined. Further, the above-mentioned processing steps can be arbitrarily changed in order or executed in parallel within a range in which the processing content does not conflict.

Also, in the present specification, the “unit” does not simply mean the physical configuration, but also includes the case where the process executed by the “unit” is realized by software. Further, even if the processing executed by one "section" is realized by two or more physical configurations or devices, the processing executed by two or more "sections" is realized by one physical means or device. Good.

Also, the program that executes each process described in this specification may be stored in a recording medium. By using this recording medium, the program can be installed in the chip T, the game table 300, and the management device 400. Here, the recording medium storing the program may be a non-transitory recording medium. The non-transitory recording medium is not particularly limited, but may be a recording medium such as a CD-ROM.

T ... Chip, 101 ... Main body section, 102 ... Light guide section, 103 ... Light emitting section, 104 ... Light receiving section, 105 ... Processing section, 106 ... Power receiving antenna, 300 ... Gaming table, 304 ... Photo detecting section, 305 ... Power feeding section , 306 ... Shading unit, 400 ... Management device, 401 ... Acquisition unit, 402 ... Specification unit, 403 ... Output unit, DB1 ... Position database, DB2 ... Management database.

Claims (6)

A light emitting unit, a light receiving unit, and a processing unit,
The processing unit causes the light emitting unit to emit identification information of other chips stacked on its own chip, which are included in the light reception signal received by the light receiving unit, as the light emission signal, together with the identification information of the own processing unit. Further comprising a substantially disc-shaped main body portion having a light guide portion,
The light guide portion is formed to include a central axis of the main body portion,
The chip according to claim 1, wherein the light emitting unit is arranged so that light can be emitted to the light guide unit. The chip according to claim 2, wherein the light receiving unit is arranged so as to be able to receive the light emission signal from the light emitting unit of the other chip stacked on the own chip. The chip according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the processing unit causes the light emission signal to include a plurality of identification information included in the light reception signal and emits the light emission signal. A gaming table for placing chips,
A light detection unit that is arranged in each predetermined section, and detects a light emission signal emitted from a chip arranged in the section or a plurality of stacked chips,
Based on the detection result by the light detection unit, a specifying unit for specifying the chips arranged in the section or a plurality of stacked chips,
The specifying unit identifies a chip or a plurality of chips arranged in the one section based on one or more identification information included in the light emission signal detected by the light detection section arranged in the one section. A gaming table to identify. The gaming table according to claim 5, wherein a light blocking portion that blocks light from a section adjacent to the section where the light detecting section is arranged is provided around the light detecting section.

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