CA2132666A1 - Apparatus and method for counting bingo cards - Google Patents

Abstract

An apparatus for determining at least one dimension of a strip of bingo cards has a plurality of sensors located on the surface of a base unit. The dimension of the strip, i.e. the number of cards in that direction, corresponds to the number of sensors activated.
Advantageously, there are two rows of sensors extending in two directions from a corner. An activation sensor and a bar code reader can then be provided in the corner for reading the bar code of a single card, and the layout of other cards can then have a known mathematical relationship to the card in that corner. This apparatus can be used in conjunction with a method for controlling and monitoring the stocking and distribution of bingo cards, to enable accurate records to be maintained and to prevent fraud occurring.

Description

- 2~3~6 Title: APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR COUNTING BINGO CARDS

FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is concerned with the counting of bingo cards. More particularly, it is concerned with the determination of which bingo cards have been sold at a sales terminal, to ensure accurate stock control and prevent fraud.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Bingo is a well-established game of chance. The basic concept is that each player has a selection of numbers, randomly selected from a prescribed set of numbers, usually 1 to 75. The player's numbers are provided on a "card" or ticket, which customarily has the selected numbers arranged in a 5 x 5 square. The "cards" can be actual printed cards or tickets, or can otherwise be provided in various reusable forms, e.g.
electronically. Then, from the set of numbers, 1-75 or otherwise, numbers are randomly selected. This is commonly achieved by some device which has some visual appeal and reinforces the concept of the numbers are derived randomly. For example, the set of numbers are marked on a corresponding set of balls of equal size and weight which are agitated by a jet of air in a large transparent sphere. The balls are then selected and removed from the sphere randomly and the numbers read off in sequence.
Depending upon the game being played, players are expected to complete, for example, a full, straight line of five numbers in any direction, two lines, four corners, the entire periphery of the card, the whole card, etc. Indeed, within one game, different prizes can be awarded for completion of different lines, the whole card, etc.
The game of bingo is played at many different levels. It can be played purely recreationally. It is commonly played for relatively small prize amounts, which may be in the form of small gifts. More recently, interest in the game has grown and more importantly, charities have discovered the game as an effective way of raising funds. These games are run on a large scale, involving many players in a large hall.
The prizes are typically substantial cash sums.
In such games, to ensure the games are uniformly and fairly run, it is common practice to use disposable paper tickets or cards, which are pre-printed. It is also common practice for experienced players to play a number of different cards in any one game, e.g. in the order of a dozen cards.
Depending upon the nature of the game and the supplier, the bingo cards are typically divided in strips containing individual cards.
The individual strips can have a variety of strip lengths and depths. For example, a strip may have a length equivalent to eight cards and be three cards deep, for a total of 24 cards. To speed up play etc., in large halls, the cards are sold either at one or more central fixed locations, and also by floor sellers. A floor seller is an individual in the floor with a supply of cards, for sale, to customers. The floor sellers could also double as checkers of winning entries.
Since many experienced players will play a number of cards at once, it is common for a player to purchase all or part of a complete strip. The cash payed by the customers forms a basic pool of money for each game, from which is deducted the prize money and appropriate operating expenses, to leave a profit for the organization, e.g. a charity who is running the game. It will be appreciated that it is extremely important to maintain accurate and complete control of the supply of the bingo cards, where there are significant cash prizes.
It will be apparent that for these larger, fund-raising bingo games, there is then the immediate problem of controlling large quantities of bingo cards. At a minimum, it is necessary to maintain a control on these, to ensure proper accounting of funds received and prizes dispensed.
Also, in view of the large sums involved, there are many opportunities for fraud. Lax control on the cards, can give rise to many opportunities for 21 ~2666 fraud. For example, it is not unknown for people to acquire bingo cards, by theft or otherwise, directly from the printer, and then to use these unauthorized cards at a bingo game, without having purchased them for the appropriate face of value in the usual way. Alternatively, they may sell such cards to others, depriving the operator of revenue.
This problem has been recognized by others and the applicant is aware of at least one proposal for a computerized gaming management system. This relies upon hardware including cash registers, a computer, printer etc., and software including encrypted coding for communication between the different elements of the system. It is intended to provided a complete track on the flow of the paper cards.
These are logged into the system. As the cards are sold, they are logged out. This enables a variety of accounting calculations to be made, giving figures such as internal sales for a particular game, prizes awarded, profit etc.
However, a key weakness in this known system is that it relies essentially on some form of manual entry of the cards, both to log them in and to log them out. Thus, when boxes of cards are received from a printer, the number of cards received is entered (it is not known by the applicant to what extent individual serial numbers may or may not be entered both when logging in and when logging out). As the individual cards are sold, either individually or as portions of complete strips, in the course of play, these are again recorded on the system. Again, this requires manual entry. In either case, it will be appreciated that manual entry gives the possibility of errors being made in the number of cards entered or received, and the number of cards sold. In particular, at a busy bingo session, it will be readily appreciated that a busy seller of the cards can easily make a mistake in the number of cards sold. In any event, it requires the person selling the cards to make a manual entry in each case, which is time consuming and slows down the rate at which cards can be dispensed and sold.

4 213266~

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a suitable technique to enable complete and accurate tracking of bingo cards, both with a view to eliminating human error and preventing fraudulent activities.
Ideally, any such system should uniquely identify each bingo card and enable it to be tracked from production at a printing facility until it is used in a bingo hall. Inputs into the system should, to the greatest extent possible, be automated, and serial and other identification numbers should preferably be automatically read or entered, to eliminate human error, and also the possibility of fraud.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for determining at least one dimension of a strip comprising a plurality of bingo cards in a rectangular array, the apparatus comprising: a base unit having a surface for receiving a strip of bingo cards; a first row of first sensors mounted on the surface and extending in one direction, with each first sensor being activated by the presence of a bingo card; and first circuit means connected to the first sensors for determining the dimension of the strip in the one direction from the number of activated first sensors.
Preferably, the apparatus includes a second row of second sensors mounted in said surface and extending in a second direction, for determining a second dimension of the strip of bingo cards, each second sensor being activated by the presence of a bingo card; and second circuit means connected to the second sensors for determining the dimension of the strip in the second direction from the number of activated second sensors.
More preferably, the surface is generally rectangular and is adapted to receive a rectangular strip of bingo cards with a corner of the bingo card strip registering with a corresponding corner of the surface, wherein the first and second rows of sensors extend away from said corner 21'32666 of the surface.
The apparatus can include a bar code reader for reading a bar code on at least one bingo card. Advantageously, the bar code reader is located adjacent to the corner of the surface for reading the bar code of a bingo card located at the corner of the bingo card strip. The apparatus preferably then includes an activation sensor mounted for sensing when a bingo card strip has been located on the surface with the corner thereof registering with the corner of the surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES
For better understanding of the present invention and to show more clearly how it may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention and in which:
Figure 1 is plan view of an exemplary strip of bingo tickets;
Figure 2 is a plan view showing the strip of bingo tickets of Figure 1 cut into separate strips;
Figure 3 is a perspective view of an apparatus for measuring the strip size in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 4 is a plan view of the apparatus for Figure 3; and Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of circuitry of the apparatus of Figures 3 and 4.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Referring first to Figures 1 and 2, there is shown a strip 10 of bingo tickets or cards, with individual cards being indicated at 12. The strips 10 can have a variety of different configurations and typically individual manufacturers will have different standard arrangements in the cards, as well as different dimensions for individual cards.
The length of the strip is indicated at 14 and its depth àt ~1325~6 16. Both the length and depth are determined by the number of cards in each direction. Thus, in this exemplary embodiment, the strip length is 8 and the card depth is 3.
In known manner, each card 12 has a playing area 18 in which there is a 5 x 5 matrix of numbers. Conventionally, the numbers are selected from the series 1-75 and evenly distributed into 5 columns; i.e.
numbers selected from 1-15 are in the first column, numbers selected from 16-30 in the second column, etc.
Now, in accordance with the present invention a bar code 20 is provided, above the playing area 18 for each card. The bar code 20 is unique to each card and includes a variety of information, including details of the manufacturer, product code (preferably a Universal Product Code - UPC), colour of the sheet, a serial number unique to a box or series of strips or sheets, and an index number unique to each individual card.
Each index number is unique to a card, and more particularly is assigned a unique set of numbers from the range 1-75, so that from the index number alone, the whole card can be recreated for checking and other purposes.
Further, on any particular strip, in known manner, the cards and their index numbers have a known mathematical relationship.
In effectj if one knows the first index number, of the card in the top left hand corner of the sheet or strip, as well as the size of the strip, the associated index numbers for all other cards can be determined. Since any index number enables its corresponding card to be recreated, this in turn means that all the cards can be recreated from the index number of just one card.
Now, as noted above, a full sheet of 24 or more cards is too large for common usage. It is frequently cut into smaller sizes to give a more manageable number of cards. As Figure 2 shows, it can be cut into two strips indicated at 21 and 22. Conventionally, if this is done it requires the distributor or seller of the cards to manually separate the cards and determine exactly how many have been sold. Further, it has 2~32666 conventionally not been possible to recorded exactly which index numbers have been sold.
In accordance with the present invention, there is provided an apparatus shown in Figure 3, for automatically determining which cards have been sold. The apparatus is generally indicated by a reference 30 and includes a base unit 32. A sensor array 34 on the base unit comprises, as best shown in Figure 4, a first row 35 of first sensors extending in an X direction, and a second row 36 of second sensors extending in a Y direction. The first row 35 serves to determine the number of columns in the strip, i.e. the strip length, while the second row 36 determines the card depth or number of rows or cards.
An activation sensor 38 is provided at the top left hand corner of the base unit 32. The activation sensor 38 serves to sense when a strip is in position for reading the size of the strip. A card type sensor 39 isprovided, which as detailed below is used to determine whether or not a corner of the first card is missing.
To facilitate location of a strip on a base unit 32, along the top side 40 and left hand side 42, abutment members 43 are placed extending upwardly, so that in use a strip can be placed on top of the unit 32 and simply slid into the top left hand corner against these members. It will then activate the activation sensor 38. The apparatus or device 10 can have a body formed from sheet steel or the like, and in this case, the members 43 can be a continuous strip running around the corner.
For reading the bar code 20 of the card in the top left hand corner of a strip, a bar code reader 44 is provided.
To the left of the base unit 32 the sales terminal 46 includes a suitable key pad 48 and a Point Of Sale (POS) display 50.
At 52 and 53 there are buttons or switches, which, as detailed below are for confirming that bar code data should be read or indicating that it should not be read and entered.
Referring to the right hand side of Figure 3, this shows schematically the base unit 32. As shown, this is connected to an aerial 56 by an RF cable 55 for transmissions to and from floor sellers. As shown, there is a connection to the bar code reader 44 and one or more of the base units 32 could be provided, and is indicated at 58 there is a connection to a main unit.
Referring now to Figure 5, there is shown a schematic of the connections for the sensor ray 34. Here, two programmable logic devices 60 and 61 are provided for determining the strip dimensions in the X and Y directions respectively. Here, the programmable logic devices are PLS153AN, but it will be appreciated that any suitable device can be used.
With reference to Figure 5, the first sensors in the first row 35 are denoted by the references 35a, 35b, etc., while correspondingly the second sensors for the Y direction in the second row 36 are denoted 36a,36b etc.
In the embodiment of Figure 5, twelve sensors are provided in each direction. The sensors 35a-351 are connected to inputs of the logic device 60j while the sensors 36a-361 are correspondingly connected to the logic device 61. Each of the logic devices 60, 61 has four binary outputs, representative of the numbers 1, 2, 4 and 8 in known manner. The activation sensor 38 which senses when a card or strip is in place is connected to the programable logic devices 60 and 61, and activates them once the presence of a strip is sensed.
The programable logic device 60 will then determine which of its sensors 35a-351 has been activated to indicate the presence of a sheet. For example, if a strip with a length of 6 was placed on the base unit 32, sensors 35a-35f would be activated, with the sensors 35g-351 inactive.
The device 60 would recognize these 6 inputs and make its outputs for the numbers 2 and 4 active, i.e. for binary output of 110 corresponding to the number 6 in decimal notation.
Similarly, the logic device 61 will determine which of its 2 L'326fi 6 sensors 36a-361 has been activated. If for example, the sheet has a depth in the Y direction of 3 cards, then sensors 36a, b and c will be active, which in turn results in the outputs 1 and 2 of the device 61 being active.
As indicated at 64, there is a connection to a microprocessor 66. The microprocessor 66 is also connected to the switches or buttons 52 and 53, to a central computer 68 and to the bar code reader 44. As indicated at 70, a hand held bar code reader is connected to the computer 68.
The microporcessor interrogates each of the logic devices 60, 61 in turn. If the error or cancel button 52 is pressed, then no data is read, while if the enter button 53 is pressed then the strip size and bar code data is read. It is therefore possible for the microprocessor 64 to monitor the size of the strip and determine its dimensions in both the X and Y
directions.
The microprocessor then activates the bar code reader 44 to read the bar code of the card at the top of the left hand corner. As noted, from the information contained within this bar code, and knowing the size of the strip, index numbers and individual numbers of each individual card can be determined. As a practical matter, this information is not immediately retrieved or recreated. Rather, the bar code of the card at the top left hand corner is recorded. If it is necessary to retrieve an individual card for checking purposes, then this is achieved by decompressing the serial number for the desired card from the top left hand corner card, and then determining the full layout for that card. In other words, the index numbers and full cards for the full strip are recreated from that index number, only as required. The appropriate card could then be checked, and more particularly it is possible to provide the card on some overhead display, so that other patrons may see that it is indeed a winning card.
A variety of different sensors can be used both for the sensory 34 and for the activation sensor 38. Each sensor could be a photo 2~3266~

detector, a simply mechanical switch or other device. The exact choice of sensor will depend upon factors such as desired cost, durability etc.
A photodetector or optical sensor is preferred. Such a sensor relies on the reflective qualities of the paper stock. As such it can detect paper even if it is not entirely flat. Also, it can distinguish between other surfaces or an operator's hand, which may, accidentally or deliberately obscure a sensor.
Where photodetectors are used, the representations in the drawings would be openings in the top surface of the device. These could be covered by perspex with the detectors beneath.
The arrangement of the sensors will depend upon the strip sizes to be read or measured. If just strips from one manufacturer or strips all having similar configurations and similar card sizes are used, then a relatively small number of sensors can be used. In such a case, one simply needs one sensor for each increment in strip length or depth. The description given above assumes that this is the case. On the other hand, bingo halls routinely receive strips or cards from a variety of printers, for purposes of playing different games. As a result the strips and card sizes can vary greatly. To accommodate this, a relatively large number of sensors can be provided, as indicated in Figure 4. In such a case, each increment in length or depth of a strip will commonly activate two or more sensors, depending upon the exact size of each card. In such a case, information from the bar code will effectively identify the supplier and hence the size of each card. The information as well as the sensors activated can be combined by a microprocessor to determine the effective strip size and the number of cards present.
While individual strips of cards can be read by the bar code reader 44, it can also be used to determine when a series of strips have been dispensed. For example, as received from a printer, the strips are usually bound or glued together along their upper edges in set quantities, for example 25 strips. These would be numbered sequentially.

A complete book of 25 strips can be given to a floor seller.
Beforehand, the serial number from the top left hand corner of the top strip is read. Before the start of the next game, the floor seller returns any unsold strips and the card in the top left hand corner of the uppermost remaining strip is read. One can then determine which strips have been sold. For example, the computer can determine that the top sixteen strips have been sold and the other nine remain unsold. Due to the known relationship between the various serial numbers, all the strips and cards sold can be determined and decompressed as desired.
When individual sales are made to customers, a similar technique to that outlined above is used to determine which cards have been sold. In other words, the first and last serial numbers are read and the intervening serial numbers, for a series of strips, are determined from a known relationship.
A common practice, at least in Canadian towns and cities which are close to the US-Canadian border, is to permit patrons to play in different currencies. For example, they can select to play in either U.S. or Canadian dollars. To keep track of this, where a bingo card is sold in one of the two currencies, for example U.S. dollars, the top right hand corner of the card is cut off. When such a card is placed on the apparatus 30, the card type sensor at 39 remains uncovered and hence inactivated, to provide an indication that this card is being played in U.S. currency.
Where a complete strip or a number of cards being sold, it is a simple matter to cut off the top right hand corner of the card in the top left hand corner, even if it remains attached immediately to the right, with the cards being sold together.
When stock is received from a printer, bar codes are read usually from the outside of the box by the hand held bar code reader 70.
This enbles records to be kept of the serial numbers received from the printer so that cards fraudulently introduced into a bingo hall can be detected. It ensures that only cards read into stock can be read out again as h sale is made.
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Claims (12)

1. An apparatus for determining at least one dimension of a strip comprising a plurality of bingo cards in a rectangular array, the apparatus comprising: a base unit having a surface for receiving a strip of bingo cards; a first row of first sensors mounted on the surface and extending in one direction, with each first sensor being activated by the presence of a bingo card; and first circuit means connected to the first sensors for determining the dimension of the strip in the one direction from the number of activated first sensors.

2. An apparatus as claimed in claim 1, which further includes a second row of second sensors mounted in said surface and extending in a second direction, for determining a second dimension of the strip of bingo cards, each second sensor being activated by the presence of a bingo card; and second circuit means connected to the second sensors for determining the dimension of the strip in the second direction from the number of activated second sensors.

3. An apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein the surface is generally rectangular and is adapted to receive a rectangular strip of bingo cards with a corner of the bingo card strip registering with a corresponding corner of the surface, wherein the first and second rows of sensors extend away from said corner of the surface.

4. An apparatus as claimed in claim 3, which includes a bar code reader for reading a bar code on at least one bingo card.

5. An apparatus as claimed in claim 4, wherein the bar code reader is located adjacent to the corner of the surface for reading the bar code of a bingo card located at the corner of the bingo card strip.

6. An apparatus as claimed in claim 5, which includes an activation sensor mounted for sensing when a bingo card strip has been located on the surface with the corner thereof registering with the corner of the surface.

7. An apparatus as claimed in claim 6, wherein each of the first and second circuit means comprise first and second logic devices connected to the first and second sensors respectively, with each logic device generating an output representative of the number of sensors activated, and wherein the apparatus includes a microprocessor connected to the logic devices.

8. An apparatus as claimed in claim 7, which includes location members provided adjacent the corner of the surface, for locating a strip of bingo cards thereon.

9. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, which is provided with a point of sale terminal to which it is connected.

10. An apparatus as claimed inn claim 9, which includes an aerial connected thereto, for transmissions to and from carried by floor sellers.

11. A method of controlling an inventory of strips of bingo cards, each comprising a plurality of individual bingo cards, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a data field on each bingo card, including data sufficient to identify the respective card, data to identify the strip in which the card is located, and data sufficient to identify each of the card in the respective strip;
(b) when strips are received from a supplier, reading and recording sufficient data to identify each strip and each card thereof, into a central storage means;
(c) separating the strips into smaller strips of desired sizes for sale to customers;
(d) for each smaller strip recording data from at least one card, and the dimensions of that smaller strip, to enable all other cards in that smaller strip to be recreated.

12. A method as claimed in claim 11, wherein step (d) comprises recording data from the data field of the card in one corner of the smaller strip, and dimensions of the smaller strip in two directions extending away from that corner, representative of the number of cards in each direction.