U.S. Pat. No. 8,235,824

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Overview

This disclosure describes composite tabletops for electronic game tables. In one implementation, an exemplary tabletop is a composite structure, utilizing a channeled core that results in a semi-hollow tabletop structure. The channeled core may be constructed of solid foam or built-up foam that is molded, shaped, or cut out to create the channels. The channeled core can be sandwiched between wood, metal, or engineered composite top and bottom layers. The solid or built-up foam channeled core provides tabletop thickness to house electronics and other hardware for the electronic game while providing adequate structural rigidity, reducing weight, absorbing sound created by electronic equipment, optimizing cooling of enclosed components, and cushioning sudden impacts, both during shipping and during game play. The foam channeled core also decreases the weight and shipping costs of an electronic game table.

The channels serve multiple purposes, such as providing routing runs for cables between player stations and a central electronic server core, and directing airflow for cooling electronic or electromagnetic components. Channels for wire routing and for airflow can be designed into the negative space of cut solid foam. Additional layers can be added to the tabletop, for example, a finishing layer that includes a graphic overlay. Using foam to construct the channeled core also provides ease of manufacture as compared to alternative constructions that are more labor intensive (i.e., individual pieces of wood or metal framing). The layers, including the channeled core, can be assembled into a single tabletop piece using an adhesive or mechanical fasteners.

Example Electronic Game Tables

The composite tabletops described herein can be used to create game tables that have a shape or tabletop appearance similar to those described below. The exemplary composite game tabletops and the techniques for constructing them can also be used to make many other shapes and configurations of game tabletops that have the innovative features described herein.

FIG. 1shows an example layout of an electronic game table100. The illustrated example game table100has an arbitrary size that in shown version seats eight participants maximum. Other implementations can seat a different number of participants. The game table100has a user interface for each participant, i.e., participant user interfaces102,104,106,108,110,112,114, and116. A participant's user interface102may consist of an electronic display for presenting visual images and may further consist of a touch screen display for interactive capability. Depending upon implementation, each participant user interface102may also include various other forms of interactive interface, such as pointing devices, light sensors, wagering chip sensors, audio speakers, etc.

The illustrated example game table100may also include a common display118in the center of the game table100, for presenting visual information to all participants. The common display(s)118may present general information redundantly in two, four, or more visual orientations so that the displayed information is oriented correctly for each participant.

The example electronic game table100ofFIG. 1has an example layout that is useful for unhosted card games, although using a live dealer at game table100is not ruled out. The example game table100as shown typically uses virtual playing cards and virtual chips. However, the game table100can be configured to use any combination of real playing cards, virtual playing cards, real wagering chips, and/or virtual gaming chips. When real playing cards are used, a live shoe that reads the identity of each card sends the card identity information to the electronic processor (not shown) that runs the game. When real wagering chips are used, light sensors, optical sensors, scanning technology, weigh cells, RFID technology, etc., may be used with specially constructed chips or conventional standard chips to sense chip presence and chip values. The exemplary electronic game table100has an exemplary composite tabletop120to be described in more detail below.

FIG. 2shows another example layout of an electronic game table200. In the illustrated example game table200, multiple user interfaces202,204,206,208,210, and212form a semi-circular array for seating participants. The participant user interfaces may consist of electronic visual displays with touch screen capability or other forms of user interface. The example game table200is shaped to accommodate a live dealer on the opposing side of the semi-circular array, but using a live dealer or host is not required. When the example game table200is not hosted, a common display214can be included on the side opposing the participants' semi-circle. The exemplary electronic game table200has an exemplary composite tabletop120to be described in more detail below.

FIG. 3shows an example game processing system300that can be included in game tables, such as in the game tabletops for electronic game tables100and200. The illustrated configuration of the exemplary game processing system300is meant to provide only one example arrangement for the sake of overview. Many other arrangements of the illustrated components, or similar components, are possible within the scope of the subject matter. Such an exemplary game processing system300can be executed in hardware, or combinations of hardware, software, firmware, etc.

The exemplary game processing system300includes a computing device302, which may be a desktop, server, or notebook style computer, or other device that has processor, memory, and data storage. The computing device302thus includes a processor304, memory306, data storage308; and interface(s)310to communicatively couple with the participant “1” user interface102, the participant “2” user interface104, . . . , and the participant “N” user interface312. The game processing system300includes a gaming engine314, and game rules316, shown as software loaded into memory306.

The interfaces310can be one or more hardware components that drive the visual displays and communicate with the interactive components, e.g., touch screen displays, of the multiple participant user interfaces102,104, . . . ,312.

Example Composite Tabletop Construction

FIG. 4shows an exploded view of layer components of the example composite tabletop120for electronic games. The illustrated exemplary tabletop120is suitable for an electronic table game for up to ten players. The exemplary tabletop construction can be applied to many other types of game tabletops, such as a tabletop for game table100inFIG. 1that serves up to eight players and as a tabletop for game table200inFIG. 2that serves up to six players.

InFIG. 4, the exemplary tabletop120has a top layer402and a bottom layer404, each made of a hard material, such as wood, metal, or engineered composite. An engineered composite material is made from two or more constituent materials that remain separate and distinct on a macroscopic level while forming a single component. Example composite materials that can be used for the top layer402and the bottom layer404include fiber reinforced plastics in which the reinforcement fiber is wood, carbon-fiber composites, glass-fiber composites; fiber thermoplastics, glass mat thermoplastics, metal matrix composites, carbon-carbon composites (carbon fiber in a graphite matrix), engineered wood, plastic-impregnated laminates, such as FORMICA; etc.

The bottom layer404typically receives support from connected legs (not shown) and in turn provides support to a channeled core layer406and the top layer402. The top layer402provides the working-surface that interfaces with human users, or provides a base of support for one or more additional cover layers (not shown) that constitute the work-surface. The top layer402or the additional cover layers may have corresponding features for optimizing direct contact with human users, such as smoothness for skin contact, durability for wear, an ability to be cleaned, visual attractiveness, and graphics relevant to the particular game that the tabletop120is being used for. The top layer402may also have cutouts, e.g., for user interfaces, such as touch screen displays, common displays, and game controls.

The channeled core layer406constitutes a channeled spacer between the bottom layer404and the top layer402. In one implementation, because the channeled core layer406is made of foam, it is lightweight to work with and easily cut to make enclosures (e.g.,408) for equipment, such as player stations. The player stations may consists of a display, a touch screen display, a workstation computing device, or a laptop or notebook computer, depending on implementation of the electronic game table. The channeled core layer406greatly reduces the weight of an entire electronic game table over conventional table designs that use solid wood or metal mounting for various user interfaces. The channeled core layer406also reduces noise or sound generated by multiple player stations, i.e., when the players stations are computing devices that have audible parts, such as fans, hard drives, or even compact disc drives that generate sound.

Depending on a particular implementation, each duct (e.g., ducts410) cut into the foam or formed by the foam channeled core layer406serves the multiple purposes of routing wires, bundling the wires in some implementations, and creating a limited access opening410to the enclosure408for directing airflow. Because the enclosure408closely surrounds the electronic equipment it contains, thereby creating a limited enclosure space, any movement of air through the relatively narrow duct410creates a related airflow of sufficient cooling velocity immediately around the electronic equipment itself. Each enclosure typically has air holes (not shown) in the bottom layer404, or in an enclosure wall of the channeled core layer406, or even in the top layer402to allow air into or out of each enclosure space408. Once the top layer402, the bottom layer404, and the channeled core layer406are bonded together, a cooling fan in the electronic game table may draw air from the enclosures408via the ducts310creating a mild partial vacuum that draws cooling air into the enclosures408via the air holes. Alternatively, the cooling fan may force cooling air into the enclosures408via the ducts410thereby forcing air out of the air holes. The ducts410may also route cooling tubes when a liquid cooling system is used instead of an air cooling system.

The channeled core layer406can be made of solid foam, as introduced above, or can be built up from pieces of relatively stiff foam, leaving additional empty spaces in the structure of the channeled core layer406, e.g., between enclosure spaces408, so that the non-cutout parts of the foam are themselves hollow, being made of foam walls with space between. That is, the parts of the foam that would be solid foam when solid foam is used, are hollow when the channeled core structure is built-up using only foam walls instead of solid foam.

Many types of foam may be used for the channeled core layer406, depending on implementation. Candidate foams include polystyrene foams, such as extruded polystyrene foam with a closed-cell structure and a density of approximately 28-45 kg/cubic meter, e.g., STYROFOAM; polymethacrylimide foams, polyvinylchloride foams, e.g., with density of approximately 30-120 kg/cubic meter; polyurethane foams, such as LAST-A-FOAM FR-7100, a fine-celled high-density polyurethane foam (General Plastics Manufacturing Company, Tacoma Wash.); polypropylene foams including closed-cell thermoplastic olefinic foam; and polyethylene foams. Foam alternatives may also be used, such as KEVLAR paper expanded into layers of a mesh or honeycomb structure, e.g., NOMEX sandwich material (DuPont Corporation, Wilmington Del.). LAST-A-FOAM FR-7100, for example, at densities between approximately 64-160 kg/cubic meter, is an excellent medium for the channeled core layer406, with an exceptionally fine closed-cell structure that enhances paintability and finishing. It is easily bonded and finished with a wide variety of adhesives and coatings and is dimensionally stable, grain-free, and easy to shape with a variety of cutting processes. Lower-density LAST-A-FOAM FR-7100 hand-carves and may be shaped with common woodworking tools. Higher-density versions can be cut with powered or computer-numerical-control tools where more accuracy is desired. LAST-A-FOAM FR-7100 can be bonded, filled, sealed and painted with a wide variety of commercially available finishing products.

FIG. 5shows the exemplary composite tabletop120with the top layer402, the bottom layer404, and the channeled core layer406bonded together, e.g., with mechanical fasteners (e.g., screws, bolts, nails, staples, etc.) or with an adhesive suitable for foam or for the material selected to construct the channeled core layer406. Each enclosure408is designed to closely surround the electronics and hardware of a player station, e.g., by conforming to the size and shape of the player station, leaving a few centimeters of space around the outside of the hardware for air cooling.

The openings in the top of the exemplary composite tabletop120are then occupied by display hardware and player stations, thereby occluding all the top openings in the composite tabletop120. Wires from each player station are directed through the ducts410to a common area502, which may be occupied by a central controller or server, as well as cooling equipment. In one implementation, the electronic game table includes a central support pedestal (not shown) that contains central control/server hardware and the cooling equipment. Then, wires are routed through a central opening502into the pedestal, and cooling air may also be ducted through the central opening502(i.e., the central opening into the pedestal).

Example Method

FIG. 6shows an exemplary method600of constructing a composite tabletop for an electronic game table. In the flow diagram, the operations are summarized in individual blocks.

At block602, material, such as a rigid foam, is shaped into a channeled core layer for a composite tabletop of an electronic game table. When foam is used, such as polystyrene or polyvinylchloride foam, the foam may be molded into at least part of the channeled core layer or the foam may be cut into the channeled core layer, for example, cut by a hot wire cutting technique.

The material, such as foam, is molded, cut, or formed into the channeled core layer, which has an enclosure space for each player station in the electronic game table and wherein the foam forms duct spaces between each enclosure space and a central space in the channeled core layer. The enclosure spaces are designed to closely approximate the hardware of each display or player station to be mounted, so that when a positive or negative airflow is applied to the duct space of each enclosure, the close fit of the enclosure space ensures a sufficient airflow velocity to cool the player station hardware and electronics.

The duct spaces may also be formed as conduits or with extra channels to be used as conduits for wires (or cooling tubes) between the enclosures for the player stations and the central space. The central space typically has a central controller or computer server, i.e., a network hub, and typically has a main heat management system, such a central cooling fan, even though there may be peripheral cooling fans for each player station.

Various foam materials may be used for the channeled core layer, depending on implementation. For example, the material may be a polystyrene foam, a polymethacrylimide foam, a polyvinylchloride foam, a polyurethane foam, a polypropylene foam, a polyethylene foam, or even an expanded paper or cardboard mesh or honeycomb.

At block604, the channeled core layer is sandwiched for attachment between a rigid bottom layer and a rigid top layer. The bottom layer supports the composite tabletop while the top layer forms a cover or cover support, and has openings for mounting player stations, displays, controls, and various user interfaces that depend upon game implementation. The channeled core layer is attached to the top layer and the bottom layer with an adhesive that is compatible with rigid foam or other material used to create the channeled core layer. The layers may also be fastened together with mechanical fasters, such as screws, nails, bolts, staples, etc.

At block606, player stations are mounted in the composite tabletop. The player stations consist of at least a display and typically consist of a computing device or a workstation. When the hardware is mounted in the composite tabletop, the electronic game table as a whole is favorably lightweight because of the presence of the channeled core layer. The composite tabletop absorbs unwanted noise, such a humming, hard drive clicks, cooling fan white noise, etc., generated by the hardware and electronics. The channeled core layer helps absorb shocks to the mounted electronics and hardware, for example, when an impact occurs during shipping or when a player pounds a first on the table. Foam construction of the channeled core layer also greatly simplifies game table construction over conventional methods of building up the hardware mountings out of wood or metal.

CONCLUSION

Although exemplary systems have been described in language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described. Rather, the specific features and acts are disclosed as exemplary forms of implementing the claimed systems, methods, and structures.