Certain embodiments of the present invention relate to gaming machines having mechanical reels. The machine is adapted so that the reels to some extent protrude from the front face of the machine to enhance the user's awareness that the reels are genuine and, optionally, the reels may have side walls having matching indicia to the symbols on the periphery of the reels. The reels may also be observed from front and rear sides of the machine or alternatively, rotated about an upright axis to enable a player to observe front and rear outcomes from one point.

A board game system comprises one or more game objects, a processing device, a memory device and one or more cameras. Each of the game objects comprise a unique visual marker positioned on a top surface of the game object, wherein the unique visual marker comprises a series of concentric rings that represent data that uniquely identifies the game object. As a result, during the course of game play, the location and identification of the game objects are able to be determined by the processing device by analyzing images captured by the one or more cameras of the visual markers of the game objects on the game board. The processing device is able to compare the data of the visual markers to a table stored in the memory device that associates the data with a specific game object.

There is provided a system and method for determining a number of players present using facial recognition. There is provided a method comprising capturing an image of the players present, and determining the number of players present based on the image. In this manner, players may more easily configure game settings, whereas spectators may be presented a more engaging experience.

A portable fabric target for ball sports has at least: a) three fabric panels, comprising a top first panel, a middle second panel; and a bottom third panel;b) the top first panel having i) a first bottom edge attached to at top edge of the second middle panel and ii) a second outside top edge;c) the top first panel having a support element extending away from the second outside top edge;d) the support element having a self-latching system that connects the second outside top edge to itself to form a loop or to a section of the top first panel to form a loop;e) the support element when locked around a pole supporting all weight of the portable fabric target without unlocking; andf) the bottom third panel having a stabilizing component thereon.

A method, system and an interactive device for interaction with the electric field of touch-sensitive electronic display of a computing device is provided. The interactive device includes a housing for positioning on the top of the touch-sensitive electronic display, a first electrode determines the touch position, an energy harvester for receiving the electrical energy and transforming the received electrical energy into a DC voltage, a controller generates a serial identification number for identifying the housing through the touch-sensitive electronic display of the computer, an electronic switch transmitting the serial identification number, a second electrode forms a close electrical circuit from the electric field generated by the touch-sensitive electronic display to operate the energy harvester, the controller and the electronic switch; and a third electrode for receiving the serial identification number and the processor of the computer determines the distance and angle in between the first electrode and the third electrode.

A ramp for launching an object at a target is provided, the ramp having: a release mechanism mounted to the ramp for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the release mechanism is configured to retain the object with respect to the ramp when it is in the first position and wherein the release mechanism is configured to release the object when the release mechanism is in the second position; and wherein the release mechanism further comprises an arm member pivotally mounted to the ramp and the arm member has a plurality of features each spaced from each other and extending from the arm member above a surface of the ramp when the release mechanism is in the first position.

An apparatus is for shuffling a plurality of playing cards used in gaming. The apparatus includes a card support adapted to support the unshuffled cards on-edge. An exciter is also included, and is adapted to impart vibrational action to the supported cards. Cards drop in a random fashion such as by controlling the relative position of the cards and passage through one or more card slots in a card rest. In at least some of the apparatuses, a medial card receiver is adapted to receive at least one card dropped from the card support and to retain the at least one received card to substantially block the card slot to prevent further cards from dropping. A positioner is preferably included to change a relative position of the unshuffled deck and card slots though which the cards drop.

A domino match game employs a standard domino set and a game board or game play surface that has a common play region and peripheral regions for placing house tokens that are awarded to players during play of a game or hand, and risk regions for placing tokens awarded in an earlier hand to permit the players to make side wagers. A bogus stone may be used to indicate a player is to miss a turn. There are separate game play tokens and house tokens.

A system and method for providing a table game are disclosed. According to one embodiment, an apparatus comprises a playing field, a ball launcher mechanism launching a ball into the playing field, and the ball launcher mechanism allows a first player to select one or more attributes affecting a ball trajectory. The apparatus further comprises a ball striker mechanism controlling a ball striker. The ball striker placed at a distance from the ball launcher mechanism in the playing field has a bat to hit a ball launched by the ball launcher mechanism and is controlled by a second player. One or more sensors are placed in predetermined locations in the playing field. The electrical signals generated by the one or more sensors are used to update a status of a game.

A method and apparatus for the display and transport of war gaming models, and more specifically a modular display system having interchangeable display and design panels to present and configure gaming figurines for competition and exhibition.

In accordance with a poker game, a player is dealt a first set of cards, such as 5 cards. The player elects which cards to hold and which cards to discard, if any. Upon discarding any cards, a player is dealt a second set of cards, preferably in the same number as the first set of cards. Subsets of the second set of replacement cards are combined with the cards held from the first set of cards to form final hands of cards. Each final hand is evaluated to determine if it is a winning or losing hand, such as against a standard poker paytable. Awards may be varied depending upon the size of the player's wager and/or the number of cards the player holds/discards from the first set.

A method and gaming machine for playing a game with area and numerical winning thresholds. The method and machine present a plurality of distinct elements which are grouped into a plurality of subsets whereby a player can select both a sub-plurality of elements and at least one subset. A set of random elements is selected from the set of elements which also determines at least one random subset. The set of random elements is compared to the sub-plurality of player selected elements and the player selected subset to the random subset. A player is rewarded if the set of random elements and the set of player selected elements have a pre-determined minimum number of common elements and/or if the plurality of player selected subsets and the plurality of random subsets have a second, pre-determined minimum number of common subsets.

A game apparatus and a method using trays as the game board with vertical support columns, two sets of playing pieces and two launching devices. The one or more vertical support columns attach to the one or more trays to support the trays horizontally above a support surface. On the surface of each of the trays is a matrix and each element of the matrix has a recessed compartment orthogonal to the surface of the tray. Each recessed compartment is sized to hold a multiplicity of both types of playing pieces in a stacked manner. The recessed compartments may also be created so that the order and the number of the playing pieces in each recessed compartment are observable for additional variety in game play.

A training device for installation in a practice area is provided, the training device providing an indication to a user as to where on a first surface of the training device a football should be aimed. The first surface is configured to allow the ball to pass through the first surface, where it is collected and returned to the user. The training device is also configured to indicate to the user approximately where in the practice area the football will be returned to, so as to allow the user to position themselves accordingly.

Various embodiments are directed to a gaming system capable of providing progressive level alerts or promotions when a progressive jackpot reaches a predetermined value. In one embodiment, the user is able to register for a progressive level alert. In another embodiment, the progressive level alert is presented on an affiliated or third party website. By providing progressive jackpot amount information, the user, who may not otherwise patronize a casino, is encouraged to visit the particular casino offering games capable of awarding a progressive jackpot prize of a predetermined amount.

A ramp for launching an object at a target is provided, the ramp having: a release mechanism mounted to the ramp for movement between a first position and a second position, wherein the release mechanism is configured to retain the object with respect to the ramp when it is in the first position and wherein the release mechanism is configured to release the object when the release mechanism is in the second position; and wherein the release mechanism further comprises an arm member pivotally mounted to the ramp and the arm member has a plurality of features each spaced from each other and extending from the arm member above a surface of the ramp when the release mechanism is in the first position.

An apparatus is for shuffling a plurality of playing cards used in gaming. The apparatus includes a card support adapted to support the unshuffled cards on-edge. An exciter is also included, and is adapted to impart vibrational action to the supported cards. Cards drop in a random fashion such as by controlling the relative position of the cards and passage through one or more card slots in a card rest. In at least some of the apparatuses, a medial card receiver is adapted to receive at least one card dropped from the card support and to retain the at least one received card to substantially block the card slot to prevent further cards from dropping. A positioner is preferably included to change a relative position of the unshuffled deck and card slots though which the cards drop.

A connector-equipped communication module includes a communication module and a connector. The communication module includes a wiring board including antenna-mounted and IC-mounted regions at different positions in a planar view, an antenna element mounted in the antenna-mounted region, a wireless IC and a mounted component mounted in the IC-mounted region, and side terminals in the IC-mounted region and peripheral portions near the IC-mounted region. The connector includes a receiving portion including a placement portion configured to mount the communication module and a wall portion extending around the placement portion, inner wall terminals on an inner side of the wall portion at positions facing the side terminals, and external terminals located outward of the receiving portion and electrically connected to the inner wall terminals. In a state where the communication module is received in the receiving portion, the inner wall and side terminals are fitted so as to contact with each other.

A designer-adaptive visual code (32, 32', 32″) includes a user-selected set glyphs (36, 36', 36″, 36'−), a user-selected set of allowable glyph orientations relative to a user-selected reference angle, and a user-selected spatial arrangement of the glyphs (36, 36', 36″, 36'″). The user-selected set of glyphs (36, 36', 36″, 36'″) has a size sufficient to recover geometric characteristics of at least one repeating code portion so as to generate an analyzable image when captured via a camera-equipped mobile device (26). The user-selected spatial arrangement of the glyphs (36, 36', 36″, 36'″) includes the at least one repeating code portion (34) to be visible on a surface from at least two different areas of the surface.

A tag includes an integrated circuit thereon, including memory, antenna means for RF transmission of data acquired by the integrated circuit, a sensor sensing environmental conditions to which the sensor is subjected, the sensor providing signals based on the environmental conditions to the integrated circuit, a thermistor device of increasing the accuracy of the tag by confining on-board calculation data to a resistance domain and leaving conversion of the data to a temperature domain for an external device once the data is retrieved from the tag's memory.

A graphic may include a consumable and having optically encoded information.

A method for scanning and decoding encoded symbols comprises processing low resolution image data from a full field of view and/or high resolution image data from one or more windowed segments of the field of view to provide imaging that is easily adaptable to different types of symbols and varying environmental conditions. The scanning method can be switched between the low resolution mode and the high resolution mode automatically based on whether the low resolution data is sufficiently accurate to decode the symbol.

An RFID event tracking and management system provides a standardized approach that can be utilized by various industry verticals. Loss of captured event data, such as RFID generated through an RFID event, can be prevented through a series of guarantee semantics. Approaches also provide for role-based data visibility. Queries received from a user or entity can be dynamically modified based on the role of the user/entity using a virtual private database (VPD). The modified query can result in a virtual private database automatically hiding or restricting access to event data at row, column, and/or cell levels, so that an authorized user/entity is only able to access data to which that user/entity should have access.

Systems, methods, and devices for providing and managing electronic event tickets are provided. For example, a device for managing an electronic event ticket may include a processor configured to run an electronic ticket management application, a memory device configured to store data associated with the electronic ticket management application, an electronic display configured to display at least a portion of the data associated with the electronic ticket management application, and an input/output interface configured to receive an electronic ticket and the data associated with the electronic ticket for management by the electronic ticket management application. The electronic ticket management application may be configured to enable the electronic device to gain entry to an event and to obtain at least one other event-related benefit after the electronic ticket is received by the input/output interface.

Apparatuses, methods, and systems pertaining to the verification of portable consumer devices are disclosed. In one implementation, a verification token is coupled to a computer by a USB connection so as to use the computer's networking facilities. The verification token reads identification information from a user's portable consumer device (e.g., credit card) and sends the information to a validation entry over a communications network using the computer's networking facilities. The validation entity applies one or more validation tests to the information that it receives from the verification token. If a selected number of tests are passed, the validation entity sends a device verification value to the verification token, and optionally to a payment processing network. The verification token may enter the device verification value into a CVV field of a web page appearing on the computer's display, or may display the value to the user using the computer's display.

System, including a code scanner, for using multi-function codes, such as multi-function QR codes, MobiTags, ShotCodes, 2-dimensional bar codes, 3-dimensional bar codes, or images to open multiple ports of a telephone device. One of the ports is a text port, enabling the system to obtain the telephone number of a device that reads a code associated with an item and then generate a lead for follow-up by an agent. The lead is sent to the agent via a text or email message. The system may also pass the lead to other agents if the first agent doesn't respond, and it may also send additional information to the telephone device. The system may include a database of item-associated information and the capability of accessing the item-associated information for inclusion in outgoing messages to the agents and/or the telephone device.

Credit applicants may apply for instant credit, and use an instant account number (“IAN”) to make purchases after the instant credit has been granted. Fraud control methods may be used in authorizing the instant credit. When the IAN is issued to purchase airline tickets, it can be ensured that the applicant's last name matches the passenger's last name for the airline ticket being purchased, and that the ticket will not be renamed or sold. When the IAN is issued in conjunction with a partner's loyalty or rewards program, the applicant's account information with the rewards program is captured. It is ensured that the applicant has some tenure with the partner and that data submitted by the applicant is consistent with data on file with the partner.

According to one embodiment, a system includes a processor and an interface. The interface receives, from a terminal, planned-deposit information. The terminal is at a location that is remote from a deposit location. The processor associates a deposit identifier with the planned-deposit information and stores the planned-deposit information and the deposit identifier in a memory. According to one embodiment, a method includes recognizing, at a deposit location, a deposit identifier. The method includes identifying, based on the deposit identifier and information stored in a memory, a planned deposit. The method includes detecting that the planned deposit has been delivered to a depository and determining, by a processor and based on one or more business rules, an availability of funds associated with the planned deposit.

A transaction is preprocessed wirelessly in response to a wireless transaction preprocessing user device being in a queue for a point-of-transaction. The transaction that was preprocessed is then completed in response to the wireless transaction preprocessing user device reaching the point-of-transaction. Financial transactions and/or purchase of goods and/or services may thereby be preprocessed wirelessly and then completed at a point-of-transaction. Related devices and computer program products are also disclosed.

A banking system operates responsive to data read from data bearing records. The system includes an automated banking machine comprising a card reader. The card reader includes a movable read head that can read card data along a magnetic stripe of a card that was inserted long-edge first. The card reader includes a card entry gate. The gate is opened for a card that is determined to be properly oriented for data reading. The card reader can encrypt card data, including account data. The card data is usable by the machine to authorize a user to carry out a financial transfer involving the account.

A banking system is controlled responsive to data read from data bearing records. The banking system includes an automated banking machine. The machine is operable to carry out a financial transaction for a person responsive to a determination that the person is an authorized user of the machine based on correspondence between identifying data read by a reader of the machine and data store information. The machine includes a check acceptor that is operative to receive checks from authorized machine users. The check acceptor is operable to continuously move a received check along its transport path while simultaneously rotationally orienting the check into alignment with the transport path. A check determined not to have at least one property of an acceptable check is returned to the machine user. Acceptable checks are processed and stored in the machine.

An approach for associating a card (e.g., a transaction card, an identification card, etc.) that corresponds to a primary account with one or more ancillary accounts (e.g., a library account, etc.) includes obtaining information from the card and associating that information with an ancillary account. The card may then be used to access the ancillary account. The card may be a transaction card and the primary account may be a financial account. The ancillary account may be a library account. When the card is a transaction card, fees associated with the ancillary account may be charged to the financial account.

A mobile device utilizes an embedded near field communication (NFC) capability to interact with a contactless transaction card to automatically obtain information from the card, e.g. reducing or eliminating the burden of manual user entry of the account information or the like into the mobile device. The mobile device, for a financial account transaction example, may read the information from the card at the time of a transaction, e.g. to facilitate an on-line purchase, an in-store purchase, ATM transaction or the like. The mobile device may store the information from one or more contactless transaction cards, for use in future transactions of various types. The mobile device and/or a server in communication with the mobile device may track various user activities on the mobile device that also utilize information obtained from the contactless transaction card.

Communication between a retailer and a customer is disclosed. A payment card and a communication identifier addressing a wireless transceiver of a mobile apparatus are registered to an electronic service. The mobile apparatus receives, with the wireless transceiver, a plurality of packets relating to payments with the payment card of a plurality of trades of various commodities between the user and a plurality of various retailers, from the electronic service, extracts from the received plurality of the packets transaction information relating to the payments and supplementary information, and communicates, with a user interface, the extracted transaction information and the supplementary information to the user.

A ticket reading system comprising a portable head section with an aperture and means for removably affixing the head section to a stationary fixture; in the head section, a camera with a field of view over the aperture to read visible code elements of a ticket; an RFID antenna and module adjacent to the aperture to read RFID/NFC code elements from a device or tag; a wireless network communication module to communicate data packets among a processor and a wireless network access point; means for ticket validation feedback; instructions which cause: receiving a ticket identifier value from the camera or RFID module; sending a request via the wireless network for a server computer to validate the ticket identifier value; receiving a ticket validation response from the server computer; based upon the response, driving the means for providing ticket validation feedback to generate either valid response feedback or invalid response feedback.

A system and approach for conveying engineering and license data with a handheld or mobile device via a multi-dimensional code. Engineering data from a page such as a schematic may be generated, formatted, and encoded with a multi-dimensional code. The code in a visual presentation may be embedded in the schematic. A mobile device may scan the code. The device with an appropriate application may decode and un-format the engineering data from the code for a consumer or user. License data may be generated, encrypted, and encoded in a multi-dimensional code. The code in a visual presentation may be scanned and decrypted by the mobile device with an appropriate application, for a consumer or user.

The present invention relates to a security device for improving the marketing impact of an article of commerce. The device generally includes a housing having a base and a cover with the cover having at least one opening to allow for the insertion of an attachment mechanism. The housing element of the present invention in one embodiment is in a shape representing a particular theme such as a particular trademark, trade dress, special events, commemorative events, historical events and combinations thereof. The housing may contain an RFID device and/or an electronic article security device. The present invention also provides a method of attaching a security device described herein to an article of commerce.

An apparatus, device, method, computer program product, and system that obtains an end user assistance for an identified item within a geographic locale.

An embodiment of an apparatus for determining the attitude angles of a weapon includes a number of accelerometers for measuring the components of the acceleration of the weapon along the axes of a first reference system integral with weapon; a number of gyroscopes configured in such a way to measure the components of the angular speed of the weapon along the axes of the reference body; and a processing unit configured to compute a number of actual attitude angles of the weapon under dynamic conditions based on the components of the angular speed; determine a number of static attitude angles of the weapon under static conditions of the weapon based on the components of the acceleration; and correct the components of angular speed according to static attitude angles and to the actual attitude angles.

An optical device includes a housing containing a plurality of lenses. At least one of those lenses includes a reticle. An optical device and a processor are also located in the housing. A wind speed sensor is mounted to the housing and configured to send a wind speed signal corresponding to a wind speed to the processor. The processor calculates a wind speed based at least in part on the wind speed signal, and wherein the processor sends an output signal corresponding to the calculated wind speed to the output device.

An electronic device comprises a socket having a plurality of connection terminals that accommodates a card-type external device having a corner cut-out portion, a plurality of contact pads exposed on a surface of the card-type external device that are correspondingly connected to the connection terminals in response to insertion of the card-type external device into the socket. A detection unit detects erroneous insertion of the card-type external device into the socket in response to incorrect location of the cut-out portion during the erroneous insertion. A processor outputs a control signal in response to the detected erroneous insertion of the card-type external device.

A method includes transmitting from at least one of the imaging sensors to a controller a short frame data that is collected by the at least one of the imaging sensors when the illumination source is activated to provide the illumination light toward the target object with a first illumination level. The method further includes transmitting subsequently from the at least one of the imaging sensors to the controller a regular frame data that is collected by the at least one of the imaging sensors when the illumination source is activated to provide the illumination light toward the target object with a second illumination level that is determined based upon the short frame data. The size of the regular frame data being at least 50 times larger than the size of the short frame data.

A card reader may include a card conveying mechanism structured to convey the card; a magnetic head which is structured to abut with the card and performs at least one of reading of magnetic data recorded on the card and recording of magnetic data on the card; a head moving mechanism structured to move the magnetic head in a longitudinal direction of the card; and an abutting part structured to abut with one end of the card in the short-side direction of the card. The head moving mechanism may be configured such that, while the card conveying mechanism holds the card in a state that the one end of the card in the short-side direction of the card is pressed against the abutting part, the magnetic head is moved in the longitudinal direction of the card to perform at least one of reading and recording of magnetic data.

Disclosed is a system for managing multiple objects in an object zone. The system comprises multiple machine-readable object identification tags configured to be respectively attached to the multiple objects; a storage unit moving through the object zone to store the selected objects which are respectively attached with the machine-readable object identification tags; at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag attached to the storage unit; and multiple spaced reading units capable of remotely reading the multiple machine-readable object identification tags and the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag, wherein the objects attached with the machine-readable object identification tags within a predefined spatial range defined based on the at least one machine-readable storage unit identification tag are associated with the storage unit. A method thereof and a storage unit are also disclosed.

A reader for a card having an information strip, the reader comprising a first movable member, a read head capable of reading the information strip, the read head disposed on the first movable member and a second movable member which upon translation causes the first movable member to translate in a direction opposite to the second movable member. The reader includes a guide slot disposed in line with the direction of translation of the second movable element such that when a card is placed in the guide slot and subsequently moved transversely along the guide slot, the card urges the first movable member in the opposite direction and moving the head across the information strip as the information strip is moved in the opposite direction as the read head movement.

An improved document scanning device and a scanning method for checking the transparency and thickness of an identification document. In a preferred embodiment, any one surface of the document is illuminated by the illumination source facing the said surface and the opposite surface of the document is captured by the camera. The amount of light that passes through the illuminated surface of the document is measured and contrasted with the amount of light that passes through the same surface of a reference or original document. The scanning method is also capable of validating an identification document by detecting and authenticating any laser image imprinted on such document.

A system and method for transmitting visual data by displaying a synchronization video that includes synchronization code sequences on a first device, capturing the synchronization video using a video camera of a second device, parsing and decoding the synchronization code sequences on the second device, displaying an indication of which of the synchronization code sequences are compatible for visual data transmission on the second device, receiving a selected synchronization code sequence of the synchronization code sequences on the first device, and displaying a data code sequence corresponding to the selected synchronization code sequence on the first device, wherein the data code sequence includes encoded data, and capturing and decoding the data code sequence on the second device.

A method includes generating a machine readable code using each ink color implemented at a printer, printing the machine readable code on a first side of the medium, analyzing the machine readable code printed on the first side of the medium at a verification unit and detecting a side mismatch if the verification unit does not verify the machine readable code printed on the first side of the medium.

A method is provided for performing action commands on a mobile terminal. The method includes reading a 2D barcode to obtain 2D barcode information. The 2D barcode information includes at least an action command identifier and a call instruction for calling an application program interface (API) corresponding to the action command. The method also includes calling the API corresponding to the action command and completing execution of the action command.

A laser scanning symbol reading system includes an analog scan data signal processor for producing digital data signals, wherein during each scanning cycle, a light collection and photo-detection module generates an analog scan data signal corresponding to a laser scanned symbol, a multi-channel parallel scan data signal processor/digitizer processes the analog scan data signal along multiple cascaded multi-stage signal processing channels, to generate digital data signals corresponding thereto, while a synchronized digital gain control module automatically processes the digital data signals in response to start of scan (SOS) signals generated by a SOS detector. Each signal processing channel supports different stages of amplification and filtering using a different set of band-pass filtering and gain parameters in each channel, to produce multiple digital first derivative data signals, and/or multiple digital scan data intensity data signals, having different signal amplitudes and dynamic range characteristics for use in decode processing.