1. A method of operating a reference voltage regulator for an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) employing VSS-sensing with a reference level, said reference voltage regulator including an oscillator, a control block, a reference generator, a comparator, a pulse generator, a driver and a reference voltage output, said method comprising:
the oscillator sending requests for sampling and correction to the control block between accesses of the eDRAM;
the control block sending a pulse defining a time interval during which sampling and correction occurs to the pulse generator;
the reference generator providing the reference level to the comparator;
the comparator comparing the reference level with a sampling of a reference voltage to decide if the reference voltage requires correction;
the comparator sending a correction request to the pulse generator if the reference voltage requires correction;
the pulse generator generating a correction pulse for the driver according to the correction request from the comparator; and
the driver adjusting the reference voltage during the correction pulse.
2. The method of claim 1, further comprising
adjusting a rate for sampling and correction so that the rate is higher when a difference between the reference level and the reference voltage is larger.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the adjusting comprises using an internal delay in the comparator that is inversely proportional to the difference between the reference level and the reference voltage.
4. The method of claim 1, further comprising
for an access, the control block receiving from a memory control logic in the eDRAM requests for sampling and correction.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pulse generator generates the correction pulse with a width that is wider upon receipt of the requests for sampling and correction from the memory control logic.
6. The method of claim 4, further comprising
the control block starting a new comparison cycle to correct the reference voltage after the access.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising
amplifying, by a differential amplifier of the reference voltage regulator, a difference between the reference level and the reference voltage and sending the amplified difference to the comparator.
8. The method of claim 1, further comprising
the pulse generator resetting the comparator to launch a new comparison cycle when the pulse generator generates the correction pulse.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising
smoothing the reference voltage by a reservoir capacitor coupled to an output of the driver.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the reservoir capacitor is implemented with Metal Insulator Metal (MIM) capacitors.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein the oscillator is a temperature controlled oscillator (TCO).
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the oscillator sends the requests for sampling and correction through a frequency divider of the reference voltage regulator to the control block.
13. A method of regulating a reference voltage for an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) employing VSS-sensing with a reference level, said method comprising:
an oscillator sending requests for sampling and correction through a frequency divider to a control block between accesses of the eDRAM;
the control block sending a pulse defining a time interval during which sampling and correction occurs to a pulse generator;
a reference generator providing the reference level to a comparator;
the comparator comparing the reference level with a sampling of the reference voltage to decide if the reference voltage requires correction;
the comparator sending a correction request to the pulse generator if the reference voltage requires correction;
a pulse generator generating a correction pulse for a driver according to the correction request from the comparator;
the driver adjusting the reference voltage during the correction pulse; and
a differential amplifier amplifying a difference between the reference level and the reference voltage and sending the amplified difference to the comparator;
wherein a rate for sampling and correction is adjusted to be higher when the difference between the reference level and the reference voltage is larger.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rate is adjusted by using an internal delay in the comparator that is inversely proportional to the difference of the reference level and the reference voltage.
15. The method of claim 13, further comprising
a memory control logic in the eDRAM sending requests for sampling and correction to the control block for an access.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the pulse generator generating the correction pulse with a width that is wider when the memory control logic sends the requests for sampling and correction.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising
the control block starting a new comparison cycle to correct the reference voltage after the access.
18. The method of claim 13, further comprising
the pulse generator resetting the comparator to launch a new comparison cycle when the pulse generator produces the correction pulse.
19. A method of regulating a reference voltage for an embedded dynamic random access memory (eDRAM) employing VSS-sensing with a reference level, said method comprising:
a temperature controlled oscillator (TCO) sending requests for sampling and correction through a frequency divider to a control block between accesses of the eDRAM;
the control block sending a pulse defining a time interval during which sampling and correction occurs to a pulse generator;
a reference generator providing the reference level to a comparator;
the comparator comparing the reference level with a sampling of the reference voltage to decide if the reference voltage requires correction;
the comparator sending a correction request to the pulse generator if the reference voltage requires correction;
a pulse generator generating a correction pulse for a driver according to the correction request from the comparator;
the driver adjusting the reference voltage during the correction pulse; and
a differential amplifier amplifying a difference between the reference level and the reference voltage and sending the amplified difference to the comparator;
wherein
a rate for sampling and correction is adjusted to be higher when the difference between the reference level and the reference voltage is larger; and
when a memory control logic in the eDRAM sends requests for sampling and correction for an access, the control block starts a new comparison cycle to correct the reference voltage after the access.
20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:
the pulse generator generating correction pulses with a width that is wider when the memory control logic sends the requests for sampling and correction.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A table game system comprising:
a plurality of playing cards, each of the cards including an ultraviolet-ray reaction code comprising at least two sets of code elements arranged along one side of a face of the card, the ultraviolet-ray reaction code representing at least a number of a card; and
a card shooter apparatus comprising:
a card housing for containing the cards,
a card guide unit that guides cards which are pulled out one by one from the card housing,
one or more card detecting sensors that detect the existence or non-existence of each card which is pulled out along a card guiding direction of the card guide unit, and
one or more black light sensors that read the ultraviolet-ray reaction code from each card guided by the card guide unit.
2. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the card shooter apparatus further comprises:
a measurement validityinvalidity determining means that determines whether or not the card has normally passed along the card guide unit on the basis of detection signals of the one or more card detecting sensors.
3. The game table system according to claim 1, wherein the card shooter apparatus further comprises:
a number specifying means that specifies the number of the card associated with the ultraviolet-ray reaction code on the basis of detection signals from the one or more black light sensors.
4. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the card shooter apparatus further comprises:
a winlose determining means that determines a result of a card game on the basis of the ultraviolet-ray reaction codes of the cards that are sequentially read by the one or more black light sensors.
5. The table game system according to claim 4, wherein the card shooter apparatus further comprises:
an output means that outputs the result determined by the winlose determining means.
6. The table game system according to claim 5, wherein the output means includes one or more lamps that display the result determined by the winlose determining means.
7. The table game system according to claim 5, wherein the output means includes a monitor that is provided on a housing of the shooter apparatus.
8. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the card shooter apparatus further comprises:
a reading instruction means that controls at least the start of reading of the ultraviolet-ray reaction code by the one or more black light sensors on the basis of a detection signal from the one or more card detecting sensors indicating whether a card has been detected.
9. The table game system according to claim 1, further comprising an attitude judgment means which determines whether the card passed through the card reading sensors in a proper attitude on the basis of detection signals of the one or more card detecting sensors.
10. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the card guide unit comprises:
a card guide surface; and
card guide rails provided at edges of the card guide surface;
wherein a card passage gap is formed between the card guide surface and the card guide rails.
11. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the card shooter apparatus further comprises:
a cover that protects the one or more black light sensors from outside light.
12. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the code elements are arrayed in the card guiding direction of the card guide unit.
13. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-ray reaction code is provided on a region of the card where a mark of the card is not provided.
14. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-ray reaction code is spaced from an edge of the card.
15. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the sets of code elements are stacked inwardly from an edge of the card.
16. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein each of the one or more black light sensors correspond to one of the plurality of sets of code elements.
17. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the number of a card is specified from the arrangement of the code elements in the ultraviolet-ray reaction code.
18. The table game system according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet-ray reaction code is associated with at least the number and suit of the card.
19. A table game system comprising:
a plurality of cards, each of the cards including an ultraviolet-ray reaction code comprising at least two sets of code elements arranged along one side of a face of the card, the ultraviolet-ray reaction code representing at least a number of a card; and
a card shooter apparatus comprising:
a card housing for containing the cards,
a card guide unit that guides cards which are pulled out one by one from the card housing,
one or more card detecting sensors that detect the existence of each card which is pulled out along a card guiding direction of the card guide unit,
one or more black light sensors that read the ultraviolet-ray reaction code from each card guided by the card guide unit,
a winlose determining means that determines a result of a card game on the basis of the numbers of the cards that are sequentially read from the ultraviolet-ray reaction codes on the cards, the reading of each ultraviolet-ray reaction code is determined on the basis of detection signals from a combination of the one or more black light sensors and the one or more card detecting sensors, and
an output means that outputs the result determined by the winlose determining means.
20. The table game system according to claim 18, wherein the combination of the one or more black light sensors and the one or more card detecting sensors comprises four sensors that are used for card reading.