Patents Examined by Adetokunbo Torimiro
  • Patent number: 7883417
    Abstract: A disclosed gaming system allows game configuration of gaming machines in the gaming system via wireless transmissions from a hand-held device. For instance, via the hand-held device, a user can configure a plurality of gaming machines in range of the device with different games or hardware settings. Further, via the hand-held device, a user can gather information from a number of gaming machines in range of the device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Vincent Carmelo Bruzzese, Scott Paul Shelley, Richard E. Rowe
  • Patent number: 7883412
    Abstract: A system for detecting and controlling collusion in a game with a plurality of participating players includes a gaming server and a number of portals in the form of websites on the World Wide Web in the Internet. Each of the portal websites is an online casino website hosted on a corresponding casino web server (not shown). Each of the casino websites is accessible by one or more would-be poker players. Each player accesses the website using a computer with a display and an associated pointing device. The system further includes an administration facility, which communicates with the gaming server along a communication channel, and a collusion detection server in communication with the gaming server via the communication channel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Waterleaf Limited
    Inventors: David A. Daniel, Ricardo S. Pessanha
  • Patent number: 7878900
    Abstract: A reveal request is initiated through a result reveal station by a person (user) who has previously been assigned a number of sweepstakes entries in an assignment order from a set of available sweepstakes entries for a sweepstakes game. This reveal request represents a request to reveal one or more of the results associated with the assigned sweepstakes entries. The reveal station employs a game presentation including various graphics and audio effects to show sweepstakes results in an entertaining fashion. In response to the reveal request, or perhaps even prior to the reveal request, one or more sweepstakes entries are selected to be revealed for the reveal request. The sweepstakes entries are selected in an order different from the order in which the sweepstakes entries were assigned to the user based on a set of game characteristics associated with the game presentation provided at the reveal station.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2011
    Assignee: Multimedia Games, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifton E. Lind, Jefferson C. Lind, Brian A. Watkins, Eric W. Brown
  • Patent number: 7846028
    Abstract: Interactive methods and apparatus for infrared (IR) shooting games between participants are disclosed. The infrared transmitting and receiving toy has an interface display, switches, and an IR device for transmitting and receiving first or second data between participants, including tag or hit information and special attack information in response to user actuation of one or more inputs. The information processor generates a hit or tag tally upon receiving first data from IR receiver, and generates an activity upon receiving second data including a video-game or puzzle style activity on the interface display. In a further embodiment, the information processor is capable of storing gameplay experience, and the information processor may alter gameplay capabilities based on the accumulated gameplay experience of many games.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2006
    Date of Patent: December 7, 2010
    Assignee: Shoot the Moon Products II, LLC
    Inventors: David B. Small, Brian D. Farley, Wayne R. Park
  • Patent number: 7837550
    Abstract: One or more player Bingo cards are generated using a universe of Bingo indicia, optionally with player input. In an optional embodiment, the player may select all or a portion of the Bingo indicia on a player Bingo card, or regenerate a player Bingo card. A selection set of pairs are generated, each pair consisting of a Bingo indicium and a playing card. The pairs of the selection set are compared to the player Bingo cards and, on each player Bingo card, locations matching the Bingo indicium of a pair are replaced with the corresponding playing card of the pair. The player is rewarded if a pattern on the player Bingo card matches a winning Bingo pattern. The player is also rewarded for having a poker hand formed from the playing cards along predetermined poker patters on the player Bingo card match a winning poker hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2010
    Assignee: Karaway Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Wayne Odom
  • Patent number: 7815525
    Abstract: Disclosed are a ball for use in a sporting activity, and a tracking system for tracking the ball. The ball comprises a microchip embedded in the ball. The microchip is adapted to transmit an information specific to a location of the ball to the tracking system. The tracking system is configured to locate the ball based on the information specific to the spatial location of the ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2010
    Inventor: Calvin Small
  • Patent number: 7811173
    Abstract: An apparatus and methods to provide a game system utilizing a normal household DVD player. The apparatus typically uses multiple remote controls and a game disc to provide an interactive game such as a quiz game. The game disc manipulates the address locations within the DVD to provide movement throughout the disc and the remote controls similarly at an offset to the address locations to source particular media files on the disc to be displayed on an associated television or similar device. The remote controls are also provided with a mechanism to avoid conflict between near simultaneous signals that include receivers within the remote controls to receive the signals, resolve the first remote control operated and only allow an operational code from that remote control to be received by the DVD player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: PC Concepts Limited
    Inventors: Michael P. C. Lau, Francis C. H. So
  • Patent number: 7811166
    Abstract: Products and processes are disclosed for receiving a lottery record associated with a sale of a lottery ticket. The lottery record includes a plurality of lottery numbers, and a condition for creating at least one entry that includes the lottery numbers in a lottery drawing. It is determined if the condition is satisfied. The at least one entry in the lottery drawing is created only if the condition satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 12, 2010
    Assignee: Walker Digital, LLC
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, Stephen C. Tulley, James A. Jorasch
  • Patent number: 7789745
    Abstract: Products and processes are disclosed for receiving a lottery record associated with a sale of a lottery ticket. The lottery record includes a plurality of lottery numbers, and a condition for creating at least one entry that includes the lottery numbers in a lottery drawing. It is determined if the condition is satisfied. The at least one entry in the lottery drawing is created only if the condition satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2010
    Assignee: Walker Digital, LLC
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, Stephen C. Tulley, James A. Jorasch
  • Patent number: 7780535
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for actively controlling the impact between a club head and a golf ball. A golf club head has a face with an actuator material or device mechanically coupled to influence face motion. The face actuation controls impact parameters, impact properties, or resulting ball parameters such as speed, direction and spin rates resulting from the impact event between the face of the club and the golf ball. Further, the apparatus has a control device for determining the actuation of the face. Several embodiments are presented for controlling parameters such as ball speed and direction. The invention can use energy derived from the ball impact, converted into electrical energy, and then reapplied in a controlled fashion to influence an aspect of the face, such as position, velocity, deformation, stiffness, vibration, motion, temperature, or other physical parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Inventors: Nesbitt W. Hagood, Jason Horodezky
  • Patent number: 7771271
    Abstract: In accordance with one or more embodiments, an information deriving device is associated with at least one gaming device. The information deriving device is operable to derive information about occurrences (e.g., payouts obtained, wagers placed, reactions of player, balance of credit meter, etc.) at the gaming device, without cooperation of the gaming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Geoffrey M. Gelman, Russell P. Sammon, Magdalena M. Fincham
  • Patent number: 7758411
    Abstract: An electronic poker table and method provide an electronic poker game to a plurality of players. The electronic poker table includes a table having a table top with a playing surface, a plurality of electronic player interaction areas located around a periphery of the table top, and a game computer. Each electronic player interaction area provides a player interface for interaction with one of the players. Each player interface has a rabbit button. At least one hand of the electronic poker game is administered using virtual cards. A winner for the at least one hand is determined and a pot is awarded to the winner. The hand includes at least one common card and, after the winner has been determined, a player may view any undealt common cards by actuating the rabbit button.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: PokerTek, Inc.
    Inventors: James T. Crawford, III, Gehrig Henderson White
  • Patent number: 7753791
    Abstract: The present invention is directed, in part, to providing duplicate instances of a particular interactive game on multiple wireless devices. When a first instance of an interactive game is initiated on a first wireless device, a unique identifier is assigned to that particular instance. The unique identifier may then be sent to a second wireless device, which may use the unique identifier to initiate a duplicate instance of the interactive game. The unique identifier may be sent through any messaging scheme for wireless devices, such as text messaging.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: GCSUB 60, Inc.
    Inventor: Joshua Hartwell
  • Patent number: 7736223
    Abstract: An electronic gaming method and system with a game preview display. A field of game symbols is presented on the game display to the player as a preview for deciding whether or not to play the displayed game. If the player decides to play the game, the player selects a field element to turn the symbol displayed into a wild symbol. The player's selection of the field element for the wild symbol location is received by the game software which determines and displays each winning combination of symbols that is formed by such wild symbol location selection. A new game field can then be constructed and previewed on the game display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Inventor: Michael R. Pace
  • Patent number: 7736235
    Abstract: A game apparatus generates a game image for display on a display screen. A size and a shape of an attack input supplied to the game apparatus is determined and one or more characteristics of an attacked game character is changed based on one or both of the size and shape of the supplied attack input.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kouzou Tahara, Kenta Sato
  • Patent number: 7713122
    Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method of conducting a wagering game having a basic game and a secondary game is disclosed. A wager is received from a player to play a basic game. A plurality of bonus objects are provided within the basic game. The bonus objects are capable of being collected in the basic game. A secondary game is initiated and at least one collected bonus object is provided as a player-selectable bonus object within the secondary game. The bonus object may be capable of providing an enhanced payout in the secondary game. A system is further provided for playing the above-described wagering game having a basic game and a secondary game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: Larry J. Pacey
  • Patent number: 7713129
    Abstract: An image processing system includes a fixed-type game machine and a hand-held type game machine. To the hand-held type game machine, an imaging cartridge is attached, and therefore, when an operator photographs a face image of a desired object, for example, face image data corresponding thereto is produced. In addition, by operating an operating switch of the hand-held type game machine, the operator can input feature data representing a feature of the object. The hand-held type game machine transmits the face image data and the feature data to the fixed-type game machine. The fixed-type game machine deforms provisional three-dimensional character data selected by the operator based on the feature data, and attaches the face image data to the deformed provisional three-dimensional feature data so as to compose an image. A composed image is displayed on an image display device by an animation based on the feature data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 6, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2010
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoichi Yamada, Tomoaki Yoshinobu
  • Patent number: 7690985
    Abstract: A slot machine that has a bonus feature related to the “15 puzzle.” An empty space symbol can appear, thereby allowing other symbols to slide around the matrix, creating different payout combinations. The symbols can slide around to create an optimal arrangement of the symbols, and then the player can be paid on paylines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Olympian Gaming LLC
    Inventors: Jon H Muskin, Stacy Friedman
  • Patent number: 7690993
    Abstract: A game apparatus includes a CPU, and the CPU generates a game Background Music (BGM) corresponding to a proceeding situation of a game, and etc. The CPU selects data, from a main memory conductor, according to the proceeding of the game, and etc., and generates BGM data regarding one or more track data included in the conductor data. When generating the BGM data, rhythm data, within a rhythm group designated by the track data, is selected in predetermined order or at random, and phrase data, within the same designated phrase group, is selected at random. Then, the BGM data is generated from the selected rhythm data and the phrase data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2010
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazumi Totaka, Mitsuhiro Hikino
  • Patent number: 7686692
    Abstract: A method, a system and an article of manufacture are provided to generally enable computer interactivity for any type of application. The method is also capable of providing interacting functionality with a computer game. The method includes presenting a pattern code defined by at least two tags. Applying a light toward the pattern code at a specific time. Then, the method moves to capturing a first video frame of the pattern code before the light is applied to the pattern code, such that the first video frame defines a first characteristic of the pattern code. A second video frame is then captured for the pattern code when the light is applied to the pattern code, such that the second video frame defines a second characteristic of the pattern code. The method then enables decoding of the first characteristic and the second characteristic of the pattern code to produce decoded information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Richard L. Marks