Roulette wheel bias tracking

Abstract

Image processing unit ( 3 ), and method ( 300 ), for detecting event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ) via a camera ( 2 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias. The roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13, 15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ). The image processing unit ( 3 ) is configured for: receiving a captured image of the roulette ball ( 14 ) from the camera ( 2 ); detecting that the roulette ball ( 14 ), under influence of gravity, reaches an imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13, 15 ) of the lower ball track ( 11 B); and determining a position where it is detected that the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ); and storing the determined position in a database ( 6 ).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An image processing unit ( 3 ), for detecting event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ) via a camera ( 2 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias, which roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ); wherein the image processing unit ( 3 ) is configured for:
 receiving at least one captured image of the roulette ball ( 14 ) from the camera ( 2 );   detecting that the roulette ball ( 14 ), under influence of gravity, reaches an imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ) of the lower ball track ( 11 B); and   determining a position where it is detected that the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ); and   storing the determined position in a database ( 6 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias by detecting a deviation from collected and stored statistics of a plurality of game rounds.   
     
     
         2 . The image processing unit ( 3 ), according to  claim 1 , wherein the imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ) is touching the upper end of a subset of vertically extended ball deflectors ( 13 ). 
     
     
         3 . The image processing unit ( 3 ) according to  claim 1 , further configured for determining a continuous position where the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ) and/or determining a continuous second position where the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the second imaginary circle ( 18 ). 
     
     
         4 . The image processing unit ( 3 ) according to  claim 1 , further configured for processing images captured by the camera ( 2 ) when the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ). 
     
     
         5 . The image processing unit ( 3 ) according to  claim 1 , wherein the camera ( 2 ) is further configured for monitoring the game round of the roulette wheel ( 1 ) and providing captured images to a remote player. 
     
     
         6 . A method ( 300 ) for detecting event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ) via a camera ( 2 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias, which roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ); wherein the method ( 300 ) comprises:
 detecting ( 301 ) that the roulette ball ( 14 ), under influence of gravity, reaches an imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ) of the lower ball track ( 11 B);   determining ( 302 ) a position where it is detected ( 301 ) that the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ); and   storing ( 307 ) the determined ( 302 ) position in a database ( 6 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias by detecting a deviation from collected and stored statistics of a plurality of game rounds.   
     
     
         7 . A computer program comprising program code for performing a method ( 300 ) for detecting event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ) via a camera ( 2 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias, which roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ); wherein the method ( 300 ) comprises:
 detecting ( 301 ) that the roulette ball ( 14 ), under influence of gravity, reaches an imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ) of the lower ball track ( 11 B);   determining ( 302 ) a position where it is detected ( 301 ) that the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ); and   storing ( 307 ) the determined ( 302 ) position in a database ( 6 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias by detecting a deviation from collected and stored statistics of a plurality of game rounds;   wherein the computer program is executed in an image processing unit ( 3 ) for detecting event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ) via a camera ( 2 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias, which roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ); wherein the image processing unit ( 3 ) is configured for:   receiving at least one captured image of the roulette ball ( 14 ) from the camera ( 2 );   detecting that the roulette ball ( 14 ), under influence of gravity, reaches an imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ) of the lower ball track ( 11 B); and   determining a position where it is detected that the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ); and   storing the determined position in a database ( 6 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias by detecting a deviation from collected and stored statistics of a plurality of game rounds.   
     
     
         8 . A system for detecting and storing event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias, which roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ); wherein the system comprises:
 a camera ( 2 ) directed towards the roulette wheel ( 1 ), configured for capturing at least one image of the roulette ball ( 14 ) when rotating within the lower ball track ( 11 B) of the roulette wheel ( 1 );   an image processing unit ( 3 ) for detecting event data during a game round of a roulette wheel ( 1 ) via a camera ( 2 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias, which roulette wheel ( 1 ) comprises a ball track ( 11 A), upon which a roulette ball ( 14 ) is brought into rotation around the roulette wheel ( 1 ), and a sloping lower ball track ( 11 B) comprising ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ), encircling a rotor ( 7 ); wherein the image processing unit ( 3 ) is configured for:   receiving at least one captured image of the roulette ball ( 14 ) from the camera ( 2 );   detecting that the roulette ball ( 14 ), under influence of gravity, reaches an imaginary circle ( 17 ) encircling the ball deflectors ( 13 ,  15 ) of the lower ball track ( 11 B); and   determining a position where it is detected that the roulette ball ( 14 ) reaches the imaginary circle ( 17 ); and   storing the determined position in a database ( 6 ), thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias by detecting a deviation from collected and stored statistics of a plurality of game rounds; and   a database ( 6 ) configured for storing the determined position, thereby enabling detection of a roulette wheel bias by detecting a deviation from collected and stored statistics of a plurality of game rounds.