Systems and methods for modular card games

Abstract

A card randomization system comprises a drum with a plurality of slots to store cards. Each slot holds one type of card and comprises a locking arm to restrain the card in the slot. A randomization process determines a card to be extracted from the drum. The drum aligns a slot associated with the card with an extraction mechanism. The extraction mechanism comprises a first belt on a first side of the card and at least one of a second belt or a plurality of rollers on a second side of the card. A locking arm actuator unlocks the locking arm and the extraction mechanism extends at least partially into the slot to extract the card. A camera takes an image of the card to determine an identity of the card, and the card is transported to an output system, based on the determined identity of the card.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 storing a plurality of cards in a drum associated with a card randomization system, wherein the drum comprises a plurality of slots configured to store cards, and wherein each slot of the plurality of slots holds one type of card of the plurality of cards;   determining, by a randomization process, a first card to be extracted from the drum;   rotating the drum to align a first slot associated with the first card with an extraction mechanism, wherein the first slot comprises a first locking arm configured to restrain the first card in the first slot, and wherein the extraction mechanism comprises a first belt on a first side of the first card and at least one of a second belt or a plurality of rollers on a second side of the first card;   unlocking, via a locking arm actuator, the first locking arm;   extending, at least partially into the first slot, the extraction mechanism;   extracting, via the extended extraction mechanism, the first card from the first slot;   determining, based on an image of the first card taken by a camera, an identity of the first card; and   transporting, based on determining that an assigned identity of the first card matches the determined identity of the first card, and via the first belt, the first card to an output mechanism of the card randomization system.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from an input mechanism of the card randomization system, a second card to be inserted into the drum;   transporting, via at least one input belt or a plurality of input rollers, the second card to an input identification mechanism;   determining, by the input identification mechanism, an identity of the second card;   transporting, via the at least one input belt or the plurality of input rollers, the second card to a card return position;   rotating the drum to align a second slot associated with the determined identity of the second card with the card return position;   unlocking, via a different locking arm actuator, a second locking arm configured to restrain one or more cards in the second slot;   inserting, via the input belt or the plurality of input rollers and into the second slot, the second card; and   locking the second locking arm to restrain the second card in the second slot.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards, and wherein each slot is configured to hold a plurality of cards, further comprising:
 causing the first belt to move at a different speed than the at least one of the second belt or the plurality of rollers;   causing separating, based on the different speed of the first belt and the at least one of the second belt or the plurality of rollers, two cards extracted from the first slot; and   returning a second one of the two cards to the first slot.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the card randomization system further comprises one or more of:
 a stacker comprising:
 an output component to accept, from the output mechanism, an ordered group of cards of the plurality of cards, wherein the output component outputs the ordered group of cards to a play area in the ordered group; and 
 an input component to accept, from the play area, one or more cards used in a game, wherein the input component is configured to return the one or more cards used in the game to the input mechanism; 
   a card shoe; and   a presenter comprising a viewing area on the play area, wherein the ordered group of cards are configured to be passed through the viewing area to be used in the game without dealing the ordered group of cards to players of the game.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising a third locking arm actuator located at a position configured to actuate a locking arm of a slot oriented substantially vertically downward, further comprising:
 unlocking, via the third locking arm actuator, a locking arm associated with a third slot; and   causing, based on the unlocking and via gravity, a third card located within the third slot to fall out of the third slot.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the drum comprises at least 52 slots, wherein each slot of the at least 52 slots may be temporarily associated with a particular card type of a deck of playing cards. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the drum comprises more than 52 slots, and wherein one or more slots are associated with at least one of a bonus card type, a joker card type, a wild card type, a cut card, an unrecognized card type, an altered card type, or error card type. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein each slot of the plurality of slots is randomly associated with one card type, further comprising:
 emptying each one of the plurality of slots; and   randomly assigning new card type associations to each one of the plurality of slots.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein each card output via the output mechanism for a game is configured to be returned to each card's associated card slot prior to outputting another set of cards for another game. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein confirming the image of the first card by the camera comprises one or more of:
 a card rotation system configured to rotate a front of a card into a field of view of the camera;   a camera alignment system configured to move the camera to align the field of view of the camera with the front of the card with the field of view of the camera; or   a dual camera system comprising:
 a first camera pointed in a first direction associated with one side of the card; and 
 a second camera pointed in a second direction associated with an opposite side of the card. 
   
     
     
         11 . A card randomization system comprising:
 a card randomization process configured to determine a randomized order of one or more cards of a plurality of cards;   a drum comprising a plurality of slots, the drum configured to:
 store the plurality of cards, wherein each slot of the plurality of slots holds one type of card of the plurality of cards; 
 rotate the drum to align a first slot associated with a first card of the one or more cards with an extraction mechanism of an output system, wherein the first slot comprises a first locking arm configured to restrain the first card in the first slot, and wherein the extraction mechanism comprises a first belt on a first side of the first card and at least one of a second belt or a plurality of rollers on a second side of the first card; and 
 unlock, via a locking arm actuator, the first locking arm; and 
   the output system configured to:
 extend, at least partially into the first slot, the extraction mechanism; 
 extract, via the extended extraction mechanism, the first card from the first slot; 
 determine, based on an image of the first card taken by a camera, an identity of the first card; and 
 transport, based on determining that an assigned identity of the first card matches the determined identity of the first card, and via the first belt, the first card to an output mechanism of the card randomization system. 
   
     
     
         12 . The card randomization system of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 an input system configured to:
 receive, from an input mechanism of the card randomization system, a second card to be inserted into the drum; 
 transport, via at least one of an input belt or a plurality of input rollers, the second card to an input identification mechanism; 
 determine, by the input identification mechanism, an identity of the second card; and 
 transport, via the at least one of the input belt or the plurality of input rollers, the second card to a card return position; and 
   the drum further configured to:
 rotate to align a second slot associated with the determined identity of the second card with the card return position; 
 unlock, via a different locking arm actuator, a second locking arm configured to restrain one or more cards in the second slot; 
 accept insertion, via the at least one of the input belt or the plurality of input rollers and into the second slot, the second card; and 
 lock the second locking arm to restrain the second card in the second slot. 
   
     
     
         13 . The card randomization system of  claim 11 , wherein the plurality of cards comprises a plurality of decks of playing cards, and wherein each slot is large enough to hold a plurality of cards, the extraction mechanism further configured to:
 cause the first belt to move at a different speed than the at least one of the second belt or the plurality of rollers;   cause separation, based on the different speed of the first belt and the at least one of the second belt or the plurality of rollers, of two cards extracted from the first slot; and   return a second one of the two cards to the first slot.   
     
     
         14 . The card randomization system of  claim 12 , further comprising one or more of:
 a stacker comprising:
 an output component to accept, from the output mechanism, an ordered group of cards of the plurality of cards, wherein the output component outputs the ordered group of cards to a play area in the ordered group; and 
 an input component to accept, from the play area, one or more cards used in a game, wherein the input component is configured to return the one or more cards used in the game to the input mechanism; 
   a card shoe; and   a presenter comprising a viewing area on the play area, wherein the ordered group of cards are configured to be passed through the viewing area to be used in the game without dealing the ordered group of cards to players of the game.   
     
     
         15 . The card randomization system of  claim 12 , further comprising a third locking arm actuator located at a position configured to actuate a locking arm of a slot with an opening oriented substantially downward, the drum further configured to:
 unlock, via the third locking arm actuator, a locking arm associated with a third slot; and   cause, based on the unlocking and via gravity, a third card located within the third slot to fall out of the third slot.   
     
     
         16 . The card randomization system of  claim 11 , wherein the drum comprises at least 52 slots, wherein each slot of the at least 52 slots may be temporarily associated with a particular card type of a deck of playing cards. 
     
     
         17 . The card randomization system of  claim 16 , wherein the drum comprises more than 52 slots, and wherein one or more slots are associated with at least one of a bonus card type, a joker card type, a wild card type, a cut card, an unrecognized card type, an altered card type, or error card type. 
     
     
         18 . The card randomization system of  claim 11 , wherein each slot of the plurality of slots is randomly associated with one card type, and wherein the drum is further configured to:
 empty each one of the plurality of slots; and   randomly assign new card type associations to each one of the plurality of slots.   
     
     
         19 . The card randomization system of  claim 12 , wherein each card output via the output mechanism for a game is configured to be returned to each card's associated card slot prior to outputting another set of cards for another game. 
     
     
         20 . The card randomization system of  claim 11 , wherein confirming the image of the first card by the camera comprises one or more of:
 a card rotation system configured to rotate a front of a card into a field of view of the camera;   a camera alignment system configured to move the camera to align field of view of the camera with the front of the card; or   a dual camera system comprising:
 a first camera pointed in a first direction associated with one side of the card; and 
 a second camera pointed in a second direction associated with an opposite side of the card.