Automated gaming table tracking system and method therefor

United States Patent im

Bennett et al.

[54] AUTOMATED GAMING TABLE TRACKING SYSTEM AND METHOD THEREFOR

[75] Inventors: Michael J. Bennett, Las Vegas; John E. Nino; Brian D. Todoroff, both of Henderson, all of Nev.

[73] Assignee: Mikohn Gaming Corporation, Las
Vegas, Nev.

[21] Appl. No.: 310,718
[22] Filed: Sep. 22,1994

[51] Int. CI.6 A63F 1/18

[52] U.S. CI 463/25; 463/42

[58] Field of Search 273/309, 138 A,

273/143 R, 292, 85 CP; 463/11, 25, 29,

42

[56] References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,339,798 7/1982 Hedges et al 273/138 A

4,755,941 7/1988 Bacchi 273/138 A

4,813,675 3/1989 Greenwood 273/138 A

5,321,241 6/1994 Craine 273/138 A

5,364,104 11/1994 Jones et al 273/292

5,377,994 1/1995 Jones 273/309

5,393,067 2/1995 Paulsen et al 273/292

5,429,361 7/1995 Raven et al 463/25

5,470,079 11/1995 LeStrange et al 463/25

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US005586936A [ii] Patent Number: 5,586,936 [45] Date of Patent: Dec. 24, 1996

Primary Examiner—Jessica Harrison
Assistant Examiner—Jaes Schaaf

Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Dorr, Carson, Sloan & Birney, PC

[57] ABSTRACT

An automated gaming table tracking system for a gaming table, such as blackjack. A sensor located in the dealer's card playing area senses the start and end of each game. A unique player identity card is given to each player that contains information on the player. When a player arrives at a player position on the table, the player inserts his player identity card into a player station control at the player position. A central distribution control is connected to each player station control for determining the start and the end of each game and beginning and termination of play by each player at each position. A host computer of the present invention is then interconnected to the central distribution control for storing the player identity information and the player position for each player station control, the start and end of each of the games, and the beginning and termination of play at each player position from the central distribution control. The host computer prints a player tracking card. The floor supervisor observes the player during the game and fills out the in-session gaming information. Once the player leaves the table, the player tracking card with the in-session gaming information filled out is then placed in an automatic reader so that the read in-session gaming information is stored in a data base corresponding to the identity of the player.

19 Claims, 11 Drawing Sheets