System for machine reading and processing information from gaming chips

A system for processing information represented optically on gambling chips, comprising:

• a gaming table having a plurality of player stations each associated with a chip location on the table within which one or more chips to be bet can be placed;
• an opto-electrical device associated with each of the plurality of locations, each opto-electrical device being mounted to the table in the vicinity of the location with which it is associated facing to receive light reflected from one or more gambling chips at the respective chip location and not facing to receive light from the associated player station, each opto-electrical device providing electrical signals related to the light received thereby;
• and
• a programmed processor coupled to the opto-electrical devices, the processor being caused by programming to process the electrical signals provided by the opto-electrical devices, and thereby process information related to the information represented optically on the gambling chips.

A system for processing information which is represented optically on each of a plurality of gambling chips from a plurality of chip locations on a gaming table, comprising:

• the gaming table;
• an opto-electrical device associated with each of the plurality of chip locations, each optical device being mounted to the table in the vicinity of the chip location with which it is associated to receive light reflected from gambling chips at the respective chip location and providing electrical signals related thereto;
• a programmed processor coupled to the at least one opto-electrical device;
• at least one indicator device associated with each chip location, each indicator device being coupled to the processor;
• at least one input device coupled to the processor;
• the processor being caused by programming to process the electrical signals provided by the at least one opto-electrical device, and to control each indicator device in response to the signal input by the at least one input device and processing of the electrical signals, and to associate information carried by electrical signals with respective optical devices that provided light to which the respective electrical signals are related in response to information input by the at least one input device, thereby processing and associating information represented optically on the gambling chips.

A system for processing information which is represented optically on each of a plurality of gambling chips from a plurality of chip locations on a gaming table, and other information, comprising:

• the gaming table;
• an opto-electrical device associated with each of the plurality of chip locations, each optical device being mounted to the table in the vicinity of the chip location with which it is associated to receive light reflected from gambling chips at the respective chip location and providing electrical signals related thereto;
• a programmed processor coupled to the at least one opto-electrical device;
• at least one indicator device associated with each chip location, each indicator device being coupled to the processor;
• at least one input device coupled to the processor;
• the processor being caused by programming to process the electrical signals provided by the at least one opto-electrical device, and to control each indicator device in response to the signal input by the at least one input device and processing of the electrical signals, and to associate information carried by electrical signals with respective optical devices that provided light to which the respective electrical signals are related in response to information input by the at least one input device, thereby processing and associating information represented optically on the gambling chips;
• wherein the at least one input device comprises at least one of a comp card reader and a playing card sensor.

A system for processing information which is represented optically on each of a plurality of gambling chips from a plurality of chip locations on a gaming table, and other information, comprising:

• the gaming table;
• an opto-electrical device associated with each of the plurality of chip locations, each optical device being mounted to the table in the vicinity of the chip location with which it is associated to receive light reflected from gambling chips at the respective chip location and providing electrical signals related thereto;
• a programmed processor coupled to the at least one opto-electrical device;
• at least one indicator device associated with each chip location, each indicator device being coupled to the processor;
• at least one input device coupled to the processor;
• the processor being caused by programming to process the electrical signals provided by the at least one opto-electrical device, and to activate the at least one indicator device to selectively indicate one of a plurality of conditions related to the signal input by the at least one input device and processing of the electrical signals.