text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jan 27, 2009
|Filing date
|May 10, 2007
|Priority date
|Sep 1, 2004
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Andrea Di Palma, Antonio Perrone
|Original Assignee
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (2), Referenced by (3), Classifications (11), Legal Events (3)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application is a continuation of application Ser. No. 11/221,548, filed Sep. 8, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,286,962.
The present invention relates to the data processing field. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method of monitoring a data processing system. The invention further relates to a computer program for performing the method, and to a product embodying the program. Moreover, the invention also relates to a corresponding data processing system.
Applications for monitoring data processing systems play a key role in their management. For example, those applications are used to detect any critical condition in the system (so that appropriate corrective actions can be taken in an attempt to remedy the situation). Typically, the essential information relating to the critical conditions being detected is logged; the information is then available for off-line analysis through data warehousing techniques.
For this purpose, predefined state parameters of the system (such as a processing power consumption, a memory space usage, a bandwidth occupation, and the like) are measured periodically. The information so obtained is then interpreted according to a decision tree. The decision tree includes intermediate nodes each one defining a test based on the state parameters; the branches descending from the intermediate node correspond to the possible outcomes of the test. Each leaf node identifies the condition of the system (correct or critical). Typically, the tests are based on comparisons between one or more state parameters and corresponding threshold values. The threshold values are defined statically by an administrator of the system; for example, the occurrence of a low response time of the system can be inferred when the processing power consumption exceeds 70% and at the same time the memory space usage exceeds 60%.
A drawback of the solution described above is that the definition of the threshold values is strongly dependent on the characteristics of the system to be monitored. Therefore, this process implies a deep knowledge of the system; in any case, the results are always dependent on the skill of the administrator. Moreover, the threshold values cannot be defined in general terms for every system. For example, a processing power consumption lower than 70% can be acceptable in most practical situations; however, a far lower threshold value (for example, 50%) could be necessary in critical applications. Likewise, the behavior of the system usually changes at run-time, so that the threshold values that have been set at the beginning can be no longer valid later on. As a consequence, the threshold values must be selected according to the worst case, thereby increasing the detection of (alleged) critical conditions.
In any case, the available solutions can only be used to recover the correct operation of the system. Indeed, the decision tree detects any critical condition when it has already occurred and the system cannot continue working properly. Therefore, those solutions are completely ineffective in preventing the occurrence of problems in the system.
A possible solution could be that of lowering the threshold values; in this manner, it is possible to reduce the risk of experiencing any malfunctioning in the system (since the critical conditions are detected in advance). However, this approach has a deleterious effect on the operation of the system; indeed, the use of lower threshold values involves a dramatic increase of the detection of (alleged) critical conditions.
An additional drawback is due to the fact that the corrective actions that are taken in response to the detection of the critical conditions can be ineffective. Particularly, in many situations it is not possible to ascertain whether the critical condition detected by the monitoring application actually requires any corrective action. A typical example is that of a transient phenomenon, wherein the system automatically recovers to its correct operation; in this case, it would be preferred to take no correction action (since any intervention on the system could worsen the situation).
The present invention proposes a solution, which is based on the idea of estimating an evolution of the system to be monitored; in this way, any critical condition of the system is detected in advance according to the result of the estimation.
Particularly, an aspect of the present invention provides a method of monitoring a data processing system. The method starts with the step of providing a set of samples of one or more performance indicators of the system. An expected value of each performance indicator is estimated through a predictive algorithm based on the corresponding set of samples. A critical condition of the system is then detected according to the expected values.
The proposed solution provides a preventive approach. In other words, the method tries predicting the future evolution of the system so as to detect any possible critical condition in advance. In this way, it is possible to take corrective actions in order to prevent the actual occurrence of the problems.
This result strongly improves the reliability of the system; therefore, the resource consumption for data logging and data warehousing can be dramatically reduced.
In addition, the devised solution is very effective. Indeed, the corrective actions can now be taken only when the behavior of the system indicates that a true critical condition is very likely to occur; this allows discarding dummy situations that do not require any corrective actions (for example, in transient phenomena).
The above-mentioned advantages are clearly perceived in high dynamic environments, wherein the conditions of the system to be monitored change continually (even if other applications are not contemplated).
The preferred embodiments of the invention described in the following offer further advantages.
Particularly, the set of samples consists of a sequence of samples in temporal succession. Each expected value is estimated by applying a linear predictive filter to the sequence of samples according to a corresponding sequence of weights.
This algorithm is very simple, but at the same effective.
As a further improvement, the sequence of weights is dynamically updated according to a comparison between one or more samples of the set and the corresponding expected values.
The above-mentioned feature reduces the accuracy of the estimation; however, this is more than compensated for by the simplicity of the implementation.
In another embodiment, the sets of samples of the performance indicators are provided by measuring a current value of a plurality of state parameters of the system. A current value of the performance indicators is determined from the current values of the state parameters; those current values of the performance indicators are then stored.
As a consequence, the estimation is performed on aggregated values (instead of on the raw state parameters); therefore, the computational complexity of the method is strongly reduced.
A way to further improve the solution is to convert the current value of each state parameter into a corresponding input fuzzy variable. One or more fuzzy-logic rules are then applied; those rules define one or more output fuzzy variables as a function of the input fuzzy variables (with each output fuzzy variable that is associated with a corresponding performance indicator). Each output fuzzy variable is now converted into the current value of the corresponding performance indicator.
This feature provides an adaptive approach; in other words, the method dynamically learns the contour conditions and modifies its behavior accordingly. Particularly, the proposed solution is independent of the characteristics of the system to be monitored; as a consequence, the tuning of the method is strongly simplified. Moreover, the same solution can be deployed to multiple systems (irrespective of their characteristics); at the same time, the method self-adapts to changing conditions of the systems.
Typically, each input fuzzy logic variable is represented by a plurality of properties (each one having a corresponding distribution of confidence). In a preferred implementation, the distributions of each input fuzzy logic variable are updated dynamically according to statistical information of the corresponding state parameter.
In this way, the inference rules can be defined in general terms (with the properties of the fuzzy variables that have different meanings on each system).
Advantageously, each performance indicator is converted into a logic value (indicative of an occurrence of the critical condition) according to a comparison between the performance indicator and a threshold value.
As a result, the proposed solution can be plugged into a standard monitoring application without requiring any change.
A further aspect of the present invention provides a computer program for performing the above-described method.
A still further aspect of the invention provides a program product embodying this computer program.
Moreover, another aspect of the invention provides a corresponding data processing system.
The novel features believed to be characteristic of this invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as these and other related objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood by reference to the following detailed description to be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
With reference in particular to
Typically, the solution of the invention is used to monitor multiple endpoints in a data processing system with distributed architecture (each endpoint consisting of the above-described computer 100). In this case, the same monitoring application is deployed to each endpoint so as to control its operation directly; the results of the monitoring are usually collected by a central server periodically (for example, every night).
Similar considerations apply if the computer has a different structure, includes equivalent units, or consists of other data processing entities (such as PDAs, mobile phones, and the like). Moreover, the solution of the invention is also suitable to be used in a system wherein the endpoints are controlled centrally by the server; in any case, the application of the proposed solution in a stand-alone computer (or more generally in any other data processing system) is not excluded.
Considering now
Particularly, an agent 200 is used to monitor relevant hardware and/or software resources 205 of the above-described computer. For this purpose, the monitoring agent 200 includes an analyzer 210, which periodically measures state parameters of the computer. More in detail, the state parameters are collected by a module 215 according to predefined resource models 220. Each resource model 220 identifies the key state parameters that define correlated resources 205 in a specific context; for example, the resource model 220 involves the measuring of a processing power consumption, a memory space usage, a bandwidth occupation, and a number of concurrent users for controlling the response time of a web application.
The collected state parameters are supplied to a module 225, which converts them into fuzzy logic variables. Fuzzy logic is an approach to computing based on degrees of truth, or confidences (rather than the usual true and false values of the Boolean logic). For this purpose, each fuzzy variable is associated with a set of linguistic properties (typically in an odd number), which properties define qualitative levels of the fuzzy variable (such as very low, low, normal, high and very high). Each property is defined by the confidence that the fuzzy variable has this property; the confidences (ranging from 0 for false to 1 for true) are very similar to probabilities, except that they do not need to sum to one. For example, in the above-mentioned case the fuzzy variable can be 0.05 very low, 0.12 low, 0.65 normal, 0.35 high, and 0.22 very high. The confidences (of generic fuzzy variables x and y) can be combined with standard operators, such as:
x AND Y=Minimum(x,y)
x OR Y=Maximum(x,y)
In the specific application of the monitoring agent 200, each state parameter is preferably associated with a fuzzy variable having three properties (low, normal and high). As shown in
Returning to
IF (Pb is High OR Pu is High) THEN Iw is High (meaning that the workload of the computer is high when either the bandwidth occupation or the concurrent users are high). Assuming that Pb is 0.22 High and Pu is 0.75 High, we have that Iw is High with a confidence equal to Maximum(0.22,0.75)=0.75.
The output fuzzy variables so obtained are supplied by the engine 230 to a module 240 (hereinafter called "defuzzifier"), which converts them into the corresponding (crisp) performance indicators; preferably, the performance indicators are normalized to range from a minimum value (for example, 0) to a maximum value (for example, 100). As shown in
This choice strongly reduces the computation complexity, at the same time maintaining an acceptable degree of approximation. For example, let us suppose that the output fuzzy variable is 0.7 Low, 0.8 Normal and 0.3 High; the application of the above-mentioned algorithm to the distributions shown in the figure provides a performance indicator equal to 43.
Returning to
The current values of the performance indicators so obtained are provided to a predictor 260, which estimates their expected values in the future. More in detail, for each performance indicator (generically denoted with I) a set of samples of its current values (taken at s successive measuring cycles preceding the current one, such as 10-20) are buffered into a corresponding queue 265. The samples stored in the queue 265 are input to a corresponding Linear Predictive Filter (LPF) 270, which estimates the expected performance indicator (denoted with I) from a linear combination of its samples. The linear combination is typically implemented as a weighted sum of the samples. Denoting with n the current cycle, the expected performance indicator at the next cycle �(n+1) will be:
�(n+1)=Σi=0 . . . s-1 w(i)�I(n−i)
wherein w(0),w(1) . . . w(s−1) are the weights associated with the samples I(n),I(n−1) . . . I(n−s+1), respectively. Likewise, the expected performance indicator at a still next cycle �(n+2) is estimated according to an updated set of samples, obtained by adding the expected performance indicator �(n+1) and discarding the oldest one. The same operation can be reiterated, so as to estimate the expected performance indicator �(n+p), p cycles ahead from the current one. Of course, the extension of the prediction reduces its accuracy since the expected performance indicator is based more and more on values that are themselves estimated (instead of being true samples); a good compromise between the opposed requirements of a long prediction and a high accuracy can be achieved by setting the parameter p to a value in the range from 1 to 15 (for example, 8).
The weights w are stored into a table 275 (which is accessed by the predictive filter 270). The best results of the predictive filter 270 are obtained by setting the weights w according to the auto-correlation function of the samples; however, this would require the theoretical knowledge of an infinite sequence of samples. Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention the predictive filter 270 is implemented with an adaptive structure; in this case, the weights w are calculated dynamically in an iterative manner by an optimizer 280 (from an initial set of values).
For this purpose, an error e between the true performance indicator I and its corresponding estimated value � (i.e., e=I−�) is used as a feedback to correct the weights w. Preferably, the optimizer 280 exploits the steepest descent algorithm to determine the values of the weights w that minimize the mean square error. For example, starting from each weight of the current cycle n, denoted with w(n), it would be possible to calculate the corresponding weight w(n+p) p cycles ahead by applying the following formula:
w (n+p) =w (n)−μ�{circumflex over (∇)}(n+p)
wherein μ is a parameter defining the speed of convergence of the algorithm, and {circumflex over (∇)}(n+p) is the gradient of the mean square error e(n+p) relating to the expected performance indicator �(n+p) that is estimated at the current cycle n. By solving the above-mentioned equation, we have:
w (n+p) =w (n)+2μ�e(n+p)�I(n)
However, the above-mentioned formula would require the availability of the error e(n+p) at the time of computation (current cycle n). Therefore, in a preferred embodiment of the invention, the weight w(n+p) is calculated by applying the following approximated formula:
The expected performance indicators � are then supplied to a threshold filter 285, which converts them into corresponding problem flags Fp. Each problem flag Fp consists of a logic value (false or true) that indicates the occurrence of a corresponding critical condition in the computer (when asserted). Particularly, the filter 285 sets the problem flag Fp to false when the corresponding expected performance indicator � is lower than a predefined threshold value (for example, 0.7); otherwise, the filter 285 sets the problem flag Fp to true.
The problem flags Fp are then provided to a standard action manager 290. The action manager 290 performs predefined actions in response to the detection of any critical condition in the computer (in an attempt to recover its correct operation); in addition or in alternative, the action manager 290 can send a notification to an administrator of the system.
Similar considerations apply if the programs and the corresponding data are structured in another manner, or if different modules or functions are provided. However, the solution of the invention is also suitable to be implemented with different state parameters, or with fuzzy variables having different and/or additional properties (for example, very high and extremely high); likewise, in more sophisticated implementations the distributions have other shapes, or the operators applied to the input fuzzy variables are resolved in a different way. Moreover, the predictor can estimate the expected performance indicators for a different number of cycles ahead (down to a single one), or the threshold can be set to a different value (even customized for each performance indicator).
Considering now
The method verifies at block 309 whether a training process for defining the distributions of the fuzzy variables must be run. If so, the blocks 312-321 are executed, and the method then passes to block 324; conversely, the flow of activity descends into block 324 directly. Typically, the training process is always active during a startup phase of the computer for a suitable period until the distributions of the fuzzy variables reach a steady condition (staring from a default configuration wherein the distributions are defined by triangles having identical amplitudes and uniformly spaced throughout the corresponding universe of discourse); then, the training process is run periodically (for example, every night) to account for intervening modifications of the environment. In this way, the training process is active only for short periods; therefore, this process (being quite resource consuming) does not adversely affect the performance of the monitored computer.
Considering now block 312 (training process), the mean value m and the normalized variance σ of the logged values of each state parameter and performance indicator (generically denoted as crisp variables) are calculated.
For each fuzzy variable, the central points xj of the triangles defining the distributions of the corresponding properties (with j=0 . . . 2 in the example at issue) are defined at block 315. Particularly, the central point x0 of the first property (low) and the central point x2 of the last property (high) is set to the minimum value and to the maximum value, respectively, of the corresponding crisp variable; the central point x1 of the remaining property (normal) is instead set to the mean value m of the crisp variable. The algorithm can be readily extended to situations wherein the number of properties is higher; in this case, the central point xj of any other property is calculated by the formula:
Continuing to block 318, the amplitude Aj of the triangles defining the distributions of the corresponding properties are then defined as:
A test is now made at block 321 to determine whether all the crisp variables (state parameters and performance indicators) have been processed. If not, the method returns to block 312 to repeat the same operations for a next fuzzy variable. Conversely, the flow of activity descends into block 324.
Considering now block 324, the state parameters are converted into the corresponding input fuzzy variables. The method proceeds to block 327, wherein the output fuzzy variables (associated with the performance indicators) are evaluated by applying the inference rules. The output fuzzy variables so obtained are then defuzzed at block 330, in order to provide the corresponding performance indicators. Proceeding to block 333, each performance indicator so obtained is inserted into the corresponding queue (removing the oldest value). At the same time, both the state parameters and the performance indicators are logged into the statistic repository at block 335.
A loop is then performed for each performance indicator (starting from the first one); the loop begins at block 336, wherein the corresponding s samples in the queue are routed to the associated predictive filter, so as to estimate the expected performance indicator �(n+p) p cycles ahead. Continuing to block 342, the weights w(n+p) for p cycles ahead are calculated from the available information. The expected performance indicator �(n+p) is then compared with the corresponding threshold value at block 343. If the expected performance indicator �(n+p) exceeds the threshold value, the associated problem flag Fp is asserted at block 344; conversely, the problem flag Fp is deasserted at block 345. In both cases, the method continues to block 348, wherein a test is made to determine whether all the performance indicators have been processed. If not, the method returns to block 336 to repeat the same operations for a next performance indicator. Conversely, the flow of activity descends into block 351.
Considering now block 351, if one or more problem flags Fp are asserted (to denote the occurrence of the corresponding critical conditions), the method passes to block 354; in this case, predefined correction actions are performed to recover the correct operation of the computer. The method then ends at the final block 357; the same point is also reached from block 351 directly when no problem flag Fp is asserted.
Similar considerations apply if the method includes equivalent or additional steps. In any case, the solution of the invention is also suitable to be carried out with the training process that is executed with another policy (for example, whenever a significant change in the corresponding statistics occurs); likewise, the central points and/or the amplitudes of the distributions can be calculated with different formulas.
Although the invention has been described above with a certain degree of particularity with reference to preferred embodiment(s) thereof, it should be understood that various changes in the form and details as well as other embodiments are possible. Particularly, it is expressly intended that all combinations of elements and/or method steps that substantially perform the same function in the same way to achieve the same results are within the scope of the invention.
For example, the method can be based on other performance indicators of the system, or any number of samples (down to a single one) can be provided for each performance indicator.
Moreover, the linear predictive filters can be implemented in a different way.
Likewise, the weights can be updated by applying other formulas.
Alternatively, the state parameters are converted into the input fuzzy variables and/or the output fuzzy variables are converted into the performance indicators in a different way (for example, calculating the center of gravity exactly with integrals or applying other techniques, such as the mean of maximum method). Likewise, the inference rules can be applied in another manner (for example, by combining the distributions of the input fuzzy variable to obtain the corresponding distributions of the output fuzzy variables).
Similar considerations apply if the distributions of the fuzzy variables are updated according to other statistical information (for example, of higher order).
Moreover, the expected performance indicators can be converted into logic values with more sophisticated algorithms (for example, changing the threshold values dynamically).
It will be also apparent to those skilled in the art that the additional features providing further advantages are not essential for carrying out the invention, and may be omitted or replaced with different features.
For example, filters of higher order or of the Kalman type can be used to estimate the expected performance indicators.
In any case, the use of weights that are statically defined (for example, according to the auto-correlation function of the samples) is not excluded.
Moreover, the application of the estimation to the state parameters directly (instead of to the performance indicators) in contemplated and within the scope of the invention
The performance indicators are also suitable to be determined using other techniques (for example, based on neural networks); however, the solution of the invention leads itself to be implemented even applying the estimation to generic performance indicators that are collected in a standard way.
Alternatively, the distributions of the fuzzy variables can be determined with another technique (even statically).
In any case, the use of the expected performance indicators directly (without any conversion into logic values) is envisaged.
Moreover, the programs can be distributed on any other computer readable medium (such as a DVD); alternatively, the programs are pre-loaded onto the hard-disk, are sent to the computer through the network, are broadcast, or more generally are provided in any other form directly loadable into the working memory of the computer. However, the method according to the present invention leads itself to be carried out with a hardware structure (for example, integrated in a chip of semiconductor material), or with a combination of software and hardware.
Naturally, in order to satisfy local and specific requirements, a person skilled in the art may apply to the solution described above many modifications and alterations all of which, however, are included within the scope of protection of the invention as defined by the following claims
|Cited Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Sep 13, 1999
|Apr 27, 2004
|Qinetiq Limited
|Layer processing
|Nov 23, 2004
|Sep 5, 2006
|General Electric Company
|System and method for predicting component failures in large systems
|Citing Patent
|Filing date
|Publication date
|Jul 31, 2006
|Feb 23, 2010
|Sun Microsystems, Inc.
|Method and apparatus for managing workload across multiple resources
|Jun 4, 2009
|Mar 29, 2016
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Network traffic based power consumption estimation of information technology systems
|Dec 9, 2010
|International Business Machines Corporation
|Network traffic based power consumption estimation of information technology systems
|U.S. Classification
|702/182, 702/189, 702/179, 709/224, 702/186, 714/48
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|Sep 10, 2012
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|Jan 17, 2013
|Surcharge for late payment
|Jan 17, 2013
|Fee payment
Year of fee payment: 4


text:
Prices, promotions, styles, and availability may vary. Our local stores do not honor online pricing. Prices and availability of products and services are subject to change without notice. Errors will be corrected where discovered, and Lowe's reserves the right to revoke any stated offer and to correct any errors, inaccuracies or omissions including after an order has been submitted.
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Video Industry News Video Company News Technology Industry News Technology Company News Novelty Industry News Novelty Company News Gay Industry News Gay Company News Legal Industry News All Company News
Released: Mar 03rd, 2008
Running Time: 123 Min
Cast: Mario Rossi, Rebeca Linares, Mark Ashley, Evan Stone, Maya Hills, Aurora Snow
Critical Rating: AAA 1/2
Genre: Feature
This parody is pretty good, and often funny, but it just falls short of any type of award pre-nomination, which brings up the question, "What type of award?"
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Retailing: Definitely worth seeing for the humor, whacky characters and parody value.


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Hazardous waste collection on SaturdayApril 26,2013Hazmat collection
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This category contains articles and pages about drugs in the Grand Theft Auto series.
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BEST WESTERN Garden Inn And Suites
BEST WESTERN Garden Inn And Suites
Hotel Guest Rating: 7.1/10
5663 Highway 20 N.E.
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Welcome to the BEST WESTERN Garden Inn And Suites
Thanks to free Wi-Fi access, a generous complimentary breakfast and comfy accommodations, the pet-friendly Best Western Garden Inn and Suites is a popular home base in Cartersville for Priceline guests.
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Upon check-in photo identification and credit card are required. All special requests are subject to availability upon check-in. Special requests cannot be guaranteed and may incur additional charges. Guests are required to show a photo identification and credit card upon check-in. Please note that all Special Requests are subject to availability and additional charges may apply.
Hotel Guest Reviews of the BEST WESTERN Garden Inn And SuitesOur hotel ratings and reviews are from real hotel guests. Priceline.com ensures that its reviews are guests-only by proactively sending hotel surveys to customers after they've completed their hotel stays. In the post-stay surveys, priceline.com hotel customers are asked a number of questions about their stay and the hotel. On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the best, the survey asks guests to rate their overall experience and specifically rate the hotel's cleanliness, staff and location. Priceline.com does not allow site visitors to post unsolicited hotel reviews.
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I found my room to be spotless and odor free, which was a pleasant surprise, after what I had noticed in the lobby. The mattresses could stand to be upgraded, but were acceptable. I would highly recommend this hotel as a very good value. The owners are doing an excellent job providing a clean, comfortable location for travelers. Cudos to them!
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Hello all,
I am trying to make my .htaccess file writeable so WordPress can write information for me. I changed the permission on the server from just user to user and group owned. However my .htaccess file still isn't writeable from WP. What else do I need to do to make this happen?


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It was inspirational to see the article in UofL Magazine about the involvement of Darrell Griffith and STAR in the research of autism treatment.
My wife, Nancy, and I relocated to Indianapolis in 2000 at the same time our daughter, Marissa, was diagnosed with autism. She is now nine, nonverbal and receives outstanding support in her school and community. I am very active in SPRED (Special Religious Education) at our church. My wife is active with Autism Awareness of Indiana, which works in the community to create opportunities for people with autism.
I believe we could plan events that could benefit both Kentucky and Indiana and raise awareness and funding that would assist with autism-related programs. One thought I had in watching the recent Jimmy V classic basketball games was to arrange another "Big Four" classic in Conseco field house with Louisville, IU, Purdue and ND. The proceeds could contribute to the autism programs in Kentucky and Indiana. With Darrell's name, maybe Charlie Weis at Notre Dame (he has a daughter with autism) and even Doug Flutie's involvement, maybe it could happen.
In closing I just wanted you to know that the work of Darrell Griffith and the STAR program means a lot to me and my family. Nancy and I are working in Indiana to take the awareness to the next level. Please feel free to call or email us so we can share ideas and keep working toward a cure.
Thanks for a job well done,
Marty and Nancy Pate
Indianapolis, Ind.
Playing God
I have been following your articles and letters on 2008 Alumnus of the Year Wes Unseld and would like to share with you the wonderful experience I had with him. As a modern languages major with an emphasis on French, I was part of the "French Players," an amateur theater group under the tutelage of Professor Mary Jo Fink, when, in the spring of 1967, it was decided to put on a play titled Le Jeu d'Adam, a 12th century French language "Mystery" play about the story of Adam and Eve. I was cast in the role of Adam, and Jill Hayden was cast in the role of Eve (to my delight). But we needed someone big and overpowering to play God, and Wes was suggested. At first he refused, because he knew no French, then hesitated and then agreed. I taught him his lines phonetically, which he learned quickly and without an accent—proof of the level of intelligence of this man who went on to become, among many other accomplishments, president of the NBA Players Association.
Put this in context: an African-American playing God in what had always been an all-white play—in Louisville—in 1967. UofL was ahead of the curve when integrating its athletic teams (which is why Wes and his roommate Butch Beard came to UofL) and we had no hesitation in inviting an African-American to have a role in our play—but the role of GOD?!? It was truly a ground-breaking event—well attended and widely appreciated by the audience.
Aside from spending lots of time with Wes teaching him his lines, my two favorite memories of that experience were walking across campus with him when kids would ask him for his autograph and he would sign "God," and when he chastised Adam (me) for sin. At one point he was so into his role I asked for a time out because I thought I was about to be struck by lightning!
If God can be defined (Merriam-Webster) as a being or object believed to have more than natural attributes and powers and to require human worship, Wes fits the definition.
Chris Stout 67A
Ridgewood, NJ
The Reynolds Building
I always enjoy receiving the UofL Magazine. Louisville represents some of the best times of my life for many varied reasons. In the fall 2008 issue there is a black and white print of the Reynolds Metals Co. building. Is there any way I could obtain a print of this image? As a student of photography I know the photographic archives was housed in this building. I took many photography courses at UofL back in the late '70s.
Sam Frank 81DMD
Pittsburgh, Pa.
(Editor's note: The Photographic Archives are now housed in Ekstrom Library. They feature almost 2 million photographs with associated records and are available to researchers and casual browsers. Visit library.louisville.edu/ekstrom/special/ to learn more.
More 'Fighting Spirit'
WOW, the fall issue of the UofL alumni magazine was spectacular!! There was SO much to read that was interesting and inspiring—"Best Ever" issue for me in 40 years as a UofL alumna!! Hope you'll continue the great variety of feature writing during the 2009 New Year.
Visuals of the UofL Fighting Cardinal Bird within the fall magazine prompted me to share its history with your readers. While living in Louisville and working as corp analyst for Humana Inc. (circa 1980), I was asked by CEO David Jones to head up Humana's first corporate program for UofL season football tickets and tailgaters. At that time, the Cardinal logo was a pretty mild-mannered bird, so I worked with Humana's communications and graphics personnel to give the Cardinal bird a more "fighting spirit" via gritting teeth, fierce eyes, etc.
When our 1980 Humana employee football campaign ended, I received an unexpected phone call from the UofL Athletic Director. He asked me "IF" UofL could permanently adopt Humana's Fighting Cardinal Bird as their logo. All of my Humana cohorts were both surprised & flattered. We, of course, said YES, and the rest is 29-year logo history!! On behalf of ALL my Humana co-workers, we are SO pleased that "our" Cardinal Bird logo has endured and engendered "more" of the great UofL Fighting Spirit.
Marilyn King Hankins 69A
Orlando, Fla.
(Editor's Note: Accounts of when the Cardinal Bird got teeth and how the logo evolved throughout the years vary.)
Impressed with A&S
I am just writing to say that, as a former student, faculty member and dean at UofL, I am extremely impressed with the recent activities of the College of Arts and Sciences. We had a committed but small group of active alumni when I was dean, and it is very nice to see how that has expanded over the years. That is a tribute to the A&S administration and to the dedicated alumni. I will be there in February for induction in the Hall of Honor. That is also a really nice addition to the college's activities, and I am honored to be part of it.
Lois Cronholm 67A
Bala Cynwyd, Penn.


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Hansbrough ready for final year of college life
Published: Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 8:07 a.m.
Last Modified: Thursday, October 16, 2008 at 8:09 a.m.
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) -- For Tyler Hansbrough, the value of another year at North Carolina can't be measured in NBA dollars. It's not just about records, titles or trophies, either.
The reigning player of the year is also back for something else: one more season to be a kid before basketball becomes a business.
"I like my situation," Hansbrough said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I really enjoy college. I felt like this is where I want to be. I want to be a part of this team because I consider all my teammates like my brothers, and I didn't want to leave them behind for another year because I was wanting to do something else. I mean, I enjoy this more than anything."
Sure, he likely would have been a first-round pick had he entered the 2008 NBA draft. Instead, he decided to stay in Chapel Hill, where he could break the program's 30-year-old career scoring mark in the first month of the season and his Tar Heels are loaded for another shot at the national championship he so desperately wants.
He has earned the right to become the eighth player in program history to have his jersey retired. He's the first AP player of the year to return to school since LSU's Shaquille O'Neal in 1991. And he's probably the biggest name to skip the draft and return for a fourth season since Tim Duncan more than a decade ago.
"Obviously with him, like Tim Duncan, there is something there besides the money," said Dave Odom, who coached Duncan at Wake Forest. "That's not wrong either, and we need to celebrate that. ... I've never seen any player who stayed four years and graduated who ended up being worse for the extra year and the diploma in his hand walking away from there."
Jay Bilas, a former Duke player and ESPN analyst, doesn't question the decision. He figures the 6-foot-9, 250-pound forward would have gone in the middle of the first round had he left school and likely won't see a huge spike or drop in his draft stock.
"You hear that a lot from people that he is who he is, and who he is very good," Bilas said. "I think some people look at it like a negative that he's an established commodity, that people know what they're getting. That can be a really good thing. There's so many guys who get drafted on potential higher than maybe they're worth and end up being a disappointment. He's going to play a dozen years in the NBA and make more money than any of us can count."
A repeat performance on the court and then some is something Hansbrough and his teammates will be expected to produce this season. The top six scorers are back from a team that won a school-record 36 games to reach the Final Four. The pressure to win a national championship will be immense, and everyone will be ready to pass judgment on whether Hansbrough's return helps or hurts his NBA draft stock.
No matter. The guy nicknamed "Psycho T" for his relentless oncourt style knows he made the right call.
"I realize everybody's going to put that target on my back by coming back," he said. "I'm not going to place any added pressure on myself. I'm just going to try to do the things that help my team win. I'm not going to try to live up to any expectations. I think as long as our team is doing fine, everybody will be happy."
Still, there will be repeated questions for him that count down his pursuit of the school's all-time scoring and rebounding records, as well as the Atlantic Coast Conference scoring mark set by Duke's J.J. Redick in 2006. But Hansbrough's roommate, fellow senior Bobby Frasor, doesn't expect Hansbrough to have trouble with the increased scrutiny. He sees a different side of him.
Frasor describes Hansbrough as the guy who tells "terrible" jokes and has a "strange" sense of humor, who has the "weirdest" taste in music and even dances while listening to of all things the '80s song "Puttin' on the Ritz" on his iPod.
Hansbrough, on track to graduate with a degree in communication studies, shares an offcampus house with Frasor and senior Marcus Ginyard, along with former team manager and since-graduated Preston Puckett. His family's financial stability his father, Gene, is an orthopedic surgeon took out the monetary need to leave school, especially for a guy described by his father as someone who "doesn't need Rolexes and Escalades to be a happy person."
"People see the 'Psycho T' personality and they associate that with him off the court, like he's going to bite your head off if you come up to him or that he eats raw meat," Frasor said. "When he steps on the court, it's true: he's in a different mind-set. Even in pickup (games) or practice, you can't joke around with him. But off the court, once you get to know him and he opens up, he's a character."
Fans got a glimpse at his other side when photos surfaced on the Internet this year of Hansbrough and Frasor jumping off a fraternity house balcony and into a pool during an end-of-semester party. While they probably made Hall of Fame coach Roy Williams squeamish and created quite a buzz, Hansbrough shrugged it off as the kind of carefree moment he came back to college to experience.
"(Williams) kind of laughed about it," Hansbrough said. "You could tell there was a sense of, 'Don't do that again, please.' But it was fun. You know, what do you do when one of your best friends jumps off the roof and everybody's chanting your name to jump off? Say, 'Oh no, I can't guys, I could get injured jumping off it?' Yeah, you're going to do it. There was like 15 other people that did it before me, I checked out the situation and thought it was fine.
"I'd do it again. Same thing."
Still, Frasor said Hansbrough handles his celebrity well. He has seen how diners in area restaurants turn for a glimpse or whisper to each other when the hard-to-miss forward is in the room. He noticed when Hansbrough left several of his awards in the cab of his late-model pickup truck for a stretch while others were tucked away in his closet instead of being on display.
Then there's the endless autograph requests, including one in which he signed a TV remote control because that's all the seeker had handy. Not that Hansbrough seems to mind; he was once the eager youngster trying to get player autographs while attending basketball camps at Three Rivers Community College in his hometown of Poplar Bluff, Mo. The thrill he felt each time he got one keeps him signing just about everything to return the favor particularly for children.
As for all those magazines featuring him on the cover they're just about everywhere in Chapel Hill these days Hansbrough is most interested in grabbing copies for his parents.
"A lot of times I don't know (he's on them) until I see them," said his mother, Tami. "I'll say, 'Why didn't you tell me?' and he'll say, 'I just didn't think about it.' I'm not saying it's not important, and certainly I love to see my son on a (magazine) cover. I just don't think it's something Tyler would seek out."
The expectations facing Hansbrough on and off the court could be overwhelming, but at least for now he is keeping it all in perspective.
"I think there's a lot of good players out there right now that could easily take over," Hansbrough said. "I have to keep doing the same things that got me in this position. It's just about getting a little better or it could go away quickly."
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Roberto Martinez insists the relationship between Everton and Chelsea won't eventually see young Toffees stars Ross Barkley and John Stones join the West London club.
Reports indicated Everton's loan signing of Christian Atsu may have included first option on the prized English youngsters for Chelsea, per Sky Sports. Martinez has denied this is the case and believes Atsu's appearance is aided by the club's excellent work during Romelu Lukaku's loan spell last year, which eventually led to his full transfer.
Sky Sports reports Martinez's comments ahead of Everton's Premier League opener away at Leicester on Saturday:
We have a good relationship and a professional relationship and I want to believe that they feel that they (Chelsea) can trust us in sending players out on loan. I don't think that relationship goes any further.
The chairman (Bill Kenwright) has been instrumental on forging that relationship more than anyone. He has developed that bridge between the two clubs and there is a possibility for both to use it in a good way, but there is no commitment in any sort of future deals.
Martinez will be thankful for Chelsea's willingness to send players over on loan. Lukaku emerged as one of the Merseyside club's heroes last season, scoring 15 goals and providing six assists in 31 appearances, per WhoScored.com. He joined Everton permanently this summer and is set to remain the focal point of Martinez's attack for years to come.
The Spanish manager has made excellent use of the loan system across his year with the club. Alongside Lukaku, both Gareth Barry and Gerard Deulofeu made an impact during their temporary spell at Goodison Park, the former of which was also snapped up on a permanent basis this summer. Deulofeu recently joined Sevilla on loan, per Sky Sports, forcing Martinez to look elsewhere for inspiration on the wings.
Atsu is the chosen man this campaign, despite Chelsea's initial reservations about his potential lack of playing time, per Darren Lewis of the Mirror. While any hitches in the deal were worked out, Evertonians may be worried Chelsea are happy to continue offering sweeteners ahead of a raid on the club's brightest talents.
As noted by Charles Perrin of the Daily Express, Everton's ability to hold onto their key players indicates the team will continue heading in the right direction:
We sent out a strong signal of intent! Roberto Martinez emphasises importance of keeping Barkley at Everton: http://t.co/kPXrpeaUwD #EFC— Charles Perrin (@charlesperrin7) August 13, 2014
Which player will leave Everton first?
Keeping Barkley for the peak of his career would be a massive achievement for the club. His rise to fame is similar to that of Wayne Rooney's, who was quickly snapped up for a move to Manchester United a decade ago. While Barkley's finishing ability isn't as explosive as Rooney's, he possesses the ability to inject pace, power and ambition into the club's play.
It is inevitable that interest will arrive, especially as Barkley has already begun to forge an international career for himself. Letting him go would would ensure teammates and supporters know the club isn't capable of filling his ambitions, a realisation that could cause unrest within the squad.
Instead of throwing his key men away, Martinez has done well to sign many to new contracts. Both Barkley and Stones have inked new deals, per Paul Joyce of the Express. Seamus Coleman and midfielder James McCarthy are also among those who have committed.
The lack of interest in Leighton Baines this summer ensures Martinez has the core of his future side nailed down. Elite clubs often overpower developing teams in order to maintain their dominance—Tottenham's "partnership" with Real Madrid highlights this—so it is profitable for Martinez to establish his ambitions won't be downtrodden by the rich.
Everton face a difficult task when trying to replicate last season's fifth-place finish, but Martinez is going about improving the team in the right way. He is cautious when it comes to spending money, highlighted by the loan deals, and is protective of assets who can thrust the club to greatness somewhere down the line.
His ability to maintain this attitude will ultimately define whether Everton are to be considered Champions League contenders for years to come.


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|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|13 Dec 2011
|Filing date
|10 Feb 2006
|Priority date
|10 Feb 2005
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Richard Soltys
|Original Assignee
|Bally Gaming, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (182), Non-Patent Citations (37), Referenced by (5), Classifications (6), Legal Events (6)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
1. Field of the Invention
This description generally relates to the field of gaming, and more particularly to systems and methods of automating table gaming, for example, games played with playing cards such as blackjack, baccarat, and poker.
2. Description of the Related Art
Existing devices store playing cards in a stack, which is supported at an angle to simultaneously expose portions of each of the playing cards. A reader images or scans an exposed portion of each of the playing cards to read one or more markings carried by the playing cards. The markings may take a variety of forms, for example the markings may take the form of standard rank and suit markings such as the ranks two-ten, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, or the suits Clubs, Hearts, Spades, Diamonds. The markings may alternatively or additionally take the form of one or more machine-readable symbols carried on a portion of the playing cards, for example, carried along one or more edges of the playing cards. One possible drawback to this approach is that adjacent playing cards may be stuck together for any number of reasons, which prevents the exposure and consequently the successful reading of the markings from all of the playing cards. Consequently, it is estimated that the read accuracy associated with these type of discard readers may be as low as approximately 80%.
In one aspect, a system operable with a gaming table includes a first card receiving compartment for placing a plurality of playing cards; a first unit located under the gaming table to receive the playing cards from the compartment, and a second, modular unit. The first unit includes a first reader to successively read each of the playing cards of the plurality of playing cards and a controllable elevator moveable to a card-loading position to receive at least some of the plurality of playing cards that have been read by the reader and further moveable to a card-accessible position above the gaming table where at least some of the playing cards within the elevator are made accessible for game play. The second, modular unit is detachably coupleable to the first unit and includes a second card receiving compartment, an erasing device, and a printing device, wherein the erasing device is operable to erase at least a portion of the playing card passing thereby and the printing device is operable to provide an amount of printed matter to the at least the erased portion of the playing card.
In the drawings, identical reference numbers identify similar elements or acts. The sizes and relative positions of elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale. For example, the shapes of various elements and angles are not drawn to scale, and some of these elements are arbitrarily enlarged and positioned to improve drawing legibility. Further, the particular shapes of the elements as drawn, are not intended to convey any information regarding the actual shape of the particular elements, and have been solely selected for ease of recognition in the drawings.
In the following description, certain specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. However, one skilled in the art will understand that the invention may be practiced without these details. In other instances, well-known structures associated with computers, computer networks, readers and machine-vision have not been shown or described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring descriptions of the embodiments of the invention.
Unless the context requires otherwise, throughout the specification and claims which follow, the word "comprise" and variations thereof, such as, "comprises" and "comprising" are to be construed in an open, inclusive sense, that is as "including, but not limited to."
Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. Thus, the appearances of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Further more, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments.
The headings provided herein are for convenience only and do not interpret the scope or meaning of the claimed invention.
The playing cards are directed from the input compartment along a media path via a conveyor system 14 (
The playing cards carry markings, for example, machine-readable symbols such as barcode symbols. The conveyor system 14 moves the playing cards one-by-one past a reader 16 (
In one embodiment, the reader 16 is a point scanner. In this embodiment, the machine-readable symbol may include two tracks, a first track encoding an identifier and a second track encoding timing information, allowing the reader to determine or compensate for variations in the velocity of the playing card(s) as the playing card(s) moves past the reader 16. One advantage of reading the playing cards individually is to achieve a greater read rate of the cards, as compared to current discard readers that image only a small exposed edge portion of the playing cards arranged in a sloped stack.
In one embodiment, the playing cards each have more than one machine-readable symbol. In such an embodiment, multiple readers (e.g., point scanners) or a two-dimensional imager could be used to read the multiple machine-readable symbols carried by the playing cards. Using multiple symbols can provide a more robust system 10 in the event that one of the machine-readable symbols is unreadable.
After each playing card is read by the reader 16, the conveyor system 14 directs the playing card into an output compartment, which can store up to eight decks of playing cards. An elevator mechanism 18 guides the output compartment vertically with respect to the surface of the gaming table. The input compartment may be mounted on guide shafts 20. A stepper motor 22 incrementally controls the vertical position of the output compartment 18. The stepper motor 22 is capable of moving the output compartment 18 up or down by approximately the thickness of one playing card. After a desired amount of playing cards have been placed in the output compartment or by command of the dealer, the stepper motor 22 drives the elevator 18 up through an opening 24 located in a frame 26 of the device 10, in which the opening 24 coincides with an opening in the gaming table. The elevator mechanism 18 moves all the playing cards in the output compartment above the surface of the gaming table and makes them accessible (e.g., accessible to the dealer so the dealer can remove the playing cards, and for example, shuffle the playing cards for the start of a new hand).
The information read from the playing cards can be processed through the casino computing system. For example, when a dealer collects the playing cards from the patrons in a selected order and then places the playing cards into the system 10, the information obtained from reading the cards can be used to determine a collected, discarded, or final sequence. The collected, discarded, or final sequence can be used to determine identity of playing cards forming each participant's hand, for example allowing the determination of the number and identity of hit cards taken by each player. The collected, discarded, or final sequence allows the collection of statistics, analysis of playing patterns, and recreation of the card game. A knowledge of the collected, discarded, or final sequence may be used with or without a knowledge of the starting sequence to, for example, detect cheating.
The card management device 102 may be similar in form and function to the device 10 described above and in view of
The modular erasing and printing device 104 includes an opening 116 to receive a second set of playing cards. One purpose for the modular erasing and printing device 104 is to erase at least a portion of a playing card and then re-print that portion. By way of example, as the playing cards are fed into the modular erasing and printing device 104, each card is routed along a card path 118 to an erasing device 120. The erasing device 120 may be operated to erase the symbols, barcode elements, or backing designs from the second set of playing cards. In one embodiment, a special ink used on the playing cards can be activated when the special ink is exposed to a certain wavelength (e.g., infrared, ultraviolet) of light, exposed to an amount of heat, or exposed to an amount of pressure to neutralize the ink and thus create a "clean" or "bare" region on at least a portion of each playing card. Alternatively, the erasing device 120 may employ electronic reusable paper technology, which is commonly referred to as "e-paper" or "smart paper," where the card is subjected to a voltage as it passes by the erasing device 102.
The Xerox Palo Alto Research Center (PARC) developed e-paper, which comprises a thin layer of transparent plastic in which millions of small beads, somewhat like toner particles, are randomly dispersed. Each of the beads are contained in an oil-filled cavity and each bead is free to rotate within its respective cavity. The beads are "bichromal," with hemispheres of two contrasting colors (e.g. black and white, red and white), and charged so they exhibit an electrical dipole.
In the illustrated embodiment, the playing cards shall be referred to as e-cards. The erase device 120 applies a voltage to a surface of the e-card to get the beads to rotate and make one of the two possible colors visible. Voltages can be applied to the surface to create visible images such as text, symbols, or pictures. The visible image will persist until new a voltage pattern is applied. It is appreciated that there are many ways that an image can be created using e-paper technology. For example, the e-cards can be fed into the erasing device 120 where the current visible images are erased and then fed into a printing device 122 where a new voltage pattern is applied to the e-card and a substantially new e-card is created (e.g., the e-card could be quickly changed from a 2♥ to a J
The printing device 122 may operate via well known printing technology, such as liquid ink jet or laser printing, which are two of the most common printing technologies existing in the present marketplace. Additionally or alternatively, the printing device 122 may operate in a manner similar to the erasing device 120 described above. In one embodiment, the printing device 122 re-activates the special ink by exposing it at an adjusted wavelength (e.g., infrared, ultraviolet) of light, an adjusted amount of heat, or an adjusted amount of pressure to generate an image on at least the "clean" or "bare" region of the playing card.
Once the playing card has been re-printed, the playing card is directed past a second reader 124. Re-printing the playing card may entail printing any portion of a front or a back of the playing card. The second reader 124 is located just after the printing device 122 in the illustrated embodiment. The second reader 122 may be a point scanner, CMOS or CCD imager, or some other type of optical reader capable of reading symbols and barcodes from a playing card.
Additionally or alternatively, the printing device 122 can sequentially print playing cards from card blanks or from previously erased cards according to a generated sequence. The newly printed or re-printed playing cards are then directed past the reader 124 where the printed matter on the playing card can be verified against a known, generated sequence and to further quality check the playing card to insure that the printed symbols and machine-readable symbols are readable. Generated sequences can be produced and the appropriate cards printed for each hand, for an entire deck of fifty-two playing cards, for a number of decks, or for any number of cards. One advantage of the printing device 122 is that the system 100 may replace the combination of a card shoe, an automatic shuffler, and a discard reader. In the game of Baccarat, for example, where the playing cards are routinely disposed of after only one hand of game play, these cards instead may be fed into the modular erasing and printing device 104 of the system 100 and be re-used for later-played hands. By reusing the playing cards, the casino may be able to save money by having to purchase fewer decks of playing cards and may be able to reduce their inventory of decks of playing cards.
The reader 16 of the system 10 provides for an improved read accuracy of the playing cards by selectively moving the playing cards past the reader 16, one-by-one. The reader can be set to read one edge of the playing card or several edges of the playing card. This latter approach provides redundancy in reading the machine-readable symbol, which increases the accuracy.
Another advantage is that friction rollers are used to selectively route the playing cards past the optical reader, one-by-one. The friction rollers have the ability to force one playing card to move relative to an adjacent playing card, even if there is some amount of stickiness between adjacent playing cards. Thus, this type of card feeding configuration greatly increases the likelihood that each playing card will be read and that none of the playing cards will be hidden or covered by an adjacent playing card during the reading process.
Yet another advantage is that the collected playing cards, after they have been routed to the elevator, can be commanded to the table surface and readily presented for reshuffling. The elevator further provides a clandestine method of storing the collected playing cards under the gaming table.
Another advantage is that the playing cards end up in the elevator in an ending sequence that is reversed from the starting sequence. The reversed sequence provides another means for monitoring activities at the gaming table to determine if any of the playing cards have been tampered with (e.g., removed, added, etc.).
One problem addressed by the above described approach is to make the playing cards reusable. In many casinos, playing cards are used only a few times to mitigate the chance that marked cards are being recirculated into the games. In addition, some casinos use the playing cards only once before disposing of the playing cards. Used playing cards are typically re-sorted by hand and resold as used. A large casino may use about 400,000 decks of playing cards per month. In short, hundreds of millions of barely used playing cards are discarded every year.
The system 10 provides an opportunity to make the playing cards reusable by erasing and reprinting. This process also generates playing cards with new values, thus subverting the attempts of card markers to track cards that they believed are being recycled in the casino. The system provides the ability to generate sequences of playing cards according to a predetermined set of odds because the sequence can be generated virtually and stored in the printer memory.
The various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. All of the above U.S. Patents, patent applications, Provisional Patent Applications and publications referred to in this specification, to include, but not limited to U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,460,848; 6,712,696; 6,520,857; 6,517,436; 6,530,836; 6,579,180; 6,530,837; 6,663,490; 6,527,271; 6,579,181; 6,517,435; 6,533,662; 6,595,857; 6,533,276; 6,758,751; 6,688,979; 6,652,379; 6,685,568; 6,857,961; and U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 10/862,222; 11/030,609; 10/756,044; 10/360,846; 10/358,999; 10/823,051; 10/934,785; 10/966,835; 10/981,132; 10/703,414; and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/562,772 are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Aspects of the invention can be modified, if necessary, to employ various systems, devices and concepts of the various patents, applications and publications to provide yet further embodiments of the invention.
These and other changes can be made to the invention in light of the above-detailed description. In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all card reading systems and methods that operate in accordance with the claims. Accordingly, the invention is not limited by the disclosure, but instead its scope is to be determined entirely by the following claims.
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|U.S. Classification
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
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|9 May 2006
Owner name: BALLY GAMING INTERNATIONAL, INC., NEVADA
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