Automated gaming table tracking system and method therefor

Claim 1

An automated gaming table tracking system for a gaming table on which is played a plurality of games for a predetermined type of game, said gaming table including a playing surface, a plurality of player positions, and an operator position, said playing surface having playing areas for the operator and for each of the plurality of player positions, said automated gaming table tracking system comprising: a sensor located in the playing area of the operator position for sensing when a game is played; a plurality of player identity cards, each of said player identity cards containing identity information on the player assigned to said player identity card; a plurality of player station controls, one of said plurality of player station controls located at each of said plurality of player positions, each of said player station controls including: (a) means for identifying the player position corresponding to the player station control, (b) means for reading said player identity information from said player identity card when the said player identity card is inserted in said reading means, (c) means for displaying a plurality of predetermined messages, (d) means for signaling an indication when said player identity card is inserted in said reading means, (e) means connected to the identifying means, the reading means, the displaying means, and the signaling means for processing the player position, the player identity information, the plurality of predetermined messages, and the indication, and (f) means connected to the processing means for providing external communication to and from said player station control, a central distribution control connected to the external communication providing means of each of said plurality of player station controls, said central distribution control including: (a) means for identifying the gaming table, (b) first means connected to the sensor for receiving a game-being-played signal, (c) second means connected to the external communication providing means for receiving from each of said plurality of player station controls for at least receiving the player position and the player information for each player control station reading an inserted player identity card, and (d) means connected to the gaming table identifying means and the first and second receiving means for determining the start and end of each of the games and the beginning and termination of play by each player at each player position; a host computer connected to said 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; means connected to said host computer for printing a player tracking card for each player having a player identity card inserted into a player station control, including: (a) the player identity information, (b) blanks for in-session gaming information; and means connected to said host computer for reading each said player tracking card when each said player tracking card has the blank in-session gaming information filled in, said host computer storing said read in-session gaming information corresponding to the player identity information.

Claim 17

A method for tracking players at a gaming table comprising the steps of: providing each player with a player identity card containing player information corresponding to the name of the player and an identity number, at each player position on the gaming table, reading the player information from the player identity card, forming a control data base file containing the read player information, the identity of the player position at the gaming table, and the identity of the gaming table, printing a player tracking card including a portion of the player information printed thereon and a unique identity code associated with the player information, sensing when a game is being played on the gaming table, determining for each player at a player position, how many games the player played in response to the aforesaid step of sensing, reading the player tracking card with in-session information based on the player's performance during the time the player was at the gaming table, providing a data base record on each player based on the player information in the player identity card and containing any combination of the player information, in-session information, identity of the player position, identity of the gaming table, and how many games played.

Claim 18

A method for tracking players at a gaming table comprising the steps of: providing each player with a player identity card containing player information corresponding to the name of the player and an identity number, at each player position on the gaming table, reading the player information from the player identity card, forming a control data base file containing the read player information, the identity of the player position at the gaming table, and the identity of the gaming table, printing a player tracking card including a portion of the player information printed thereon and a unique identity code associated with the player information, sensing when a game is being played on the gaming table, determining for each player at a player position, how many games the player played in response to the aforesaid step of sensing, reading the player tracking card with in-session information based on the player's performance during the time the player was at the gaming table, providing a data base record on each player based on the player information in the player identity card and containing any combination of the player information, in-session information, identity of the player position, identity of the gaming table, and how many games played.