Sega Corporation

Fumihiro Kato

Toshikazu Yoshida

Takao Yamauchi

Hidenori Shiba

Toshiyuki Kaji

Yoshitaka Maeyama

Junichi Tsuchiya

Jinichiro Okuda

Mitsuhiko Kakita

Akira Nishino

Toru Ohara

Takaharu Terada

The present invention relates to a card stack reader, a card thereof, a card case, a method for manufacturing the card, a game machine using the same, and a computer-readable storage medium on which a game program is recorded. The card stack reader comprises an imaging unit which reads an image from a peripheral side portion of a stack of cards, each card having a read code along a peripheral side edge thereof, the read code identifying the card, and a code recognizing unit which recognizes the read code of each card from the image read by the imaging unit.

Card for use with a game apparatus

A card game apparatus includes a large-size panel display, a main control unit that controls screens on the large-size panel display, and a plurality of terminal apparatuses that are communicably connected to the main control unit. A game player purchases an integrated circuit card and, for example, eleven player cards on each of which, a soccer player's photograph is printed. When the game player arranges the player cards on a player card arrangement panel of one of the terminal apparatuses, card data recorded on the back of the player card will be read by an internal image sensor. Then, a team is organized by the player cards, and a game starts. The game player can direct a player's position and formation by changing placement of the player card.

Card game device, card data reader, card game control method, recording medium, program, and card

A card game system, including a plurality of terminal apparatuses, a card data reading unit for detecting unique data of each of cards when an operator arranges and manipulates a set of cards selected by the operator on a flat surface of the panel on the terminal apparatus, and a game execution unit which is arranged to organize a playing team in a virtual game space based on the data detected from the cards placed on the flat surface of the panel and to execute a game against another playing team organized on another terminal apparatus connected via a network. A progress of the game is controlled in response to manipulation by the operator with the cards on the panel, a main control unit to which individual game data is transmitted from the plurality of the terminal apparatuses, and a display connected to the main control unit.

A game apparatus includes a game execution unit, casing, card arrangement panel, luminator that illuminates the panel, sensor unit that receives light from the panel and generates image data, and recognition unit to separate data of each card, and detect positions of the cards. Each of the plurality of cards is printed with a game character on one of its surfaces and formed on the other of the surfaces with a code pattern including data relating the game character. The sensor unit generates data of the image including the code patterns of the cards on the panel. The recognition unit separates data of each card, and detects position on play field of cards arranged on the panel, from the data of the image and supplies information thus obtained to the execution unit. The execution unit executes a game in response to card manipulation by an operator.

Embodiments describe a card stack reader having an imaging unit which reads an image from a peripheral side portion of a stack of cards, each card having a read code along a peripheral side edge thereof, the read code indentifying the card, and a code recognizing unit which recognizes the read code of each from the image read by the imaging unit.

Card stack reader, card thereof, card case, method for manufacturing card, game machine using the same, computer-readable storage medium on which game program is recorded

Growing community of inventors

Yokohama, Japan

Fumihiro Kato