Patents Examined by Justin L Myhr
  • Patent number: 11439901
    Abstract: A method of obtaining data from a video game includes: inputting a video image of the video game comprising at least one avatar, detecting a pose of the avatar in the video image, assigning one or more avatar-status boxes to one or more portions of the avatar, determining, based on the pose of the avatar, a position of at least one avatar-status box with respect to the avatar using a correlation between avatar poses and avatar-status boxes, producing avatar-status data for the avatar indicative of the position of the at least one avatar-status box with respect to the avatar in the video image, generating one or more indicator images for the avatar in accordance with the avatar-status data, and augmenting the video image of the video game comprising at least the avatar with one or more of the indicator images in response to the pose of the avatar, in which the step of determining the position of the at least one avatar-status box with respect to the avatar includes providing, to a correlation unit trained to d
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventor: Daniel Goldman
  • Patent number: 11430300
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present concept provide an electronic gaming device that facilitates wagering by multiple players on a single gaming device. Also provided is a method of sharing game play on such a gaming device, where the method includes receiving a wager from a first player at a first gaming station, receiving a wager from a second player at a second gaming station, initiating a gaming event that is displayed at the first and second gaming stations, and awarding prizes associated with gaming outcomes displayed at the first and second gaming stations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: ACRES TECHNOLOGY
    Inventor: John F. Acres
  • Patent number: 11420096
    Abstract: Example embodiments relate to systems, methods, apparatuses, and computer readable media relating to a user interface, that may for example, receive and/or process physical activity data and allow interaction with the received information in novel implementations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventors: Sam Amis, Christopher Andon, SantoshKumar Balakrishnan, Jenny Campbell
  • Patent number: 11425204
    Abstract: Disclosed is a computer-implemented method of (and system for) operating instances of a game having a plurality of game positions that can be occupied by players, such as a poker-type game. The method comprises assigning a player a plurality of weights relating to game positions, where each weight indicates a bias towards placement of the player at a game position. When a player has played in a first game at a given position, the weights are updated to indicate an altered bias towards placement at each position. The player is then assigned to a second game based on the updated weights.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Assignee: RATIONAL INTELLECTUAL HOLDINGS LIMITED
    Inventors: Serguei Bourenkov, Vadim Sheikhman, Dmitri Ligoum
  • Patent number: 11413547
    Abstract: A method for gaming including receiving game states of game plays of players playing a gaming application. The method includes tracking game play progression for each of the game plays based on game states, wherein game play progression is defined by a corresponding set of relationship characteristics. A first game play of a first player is associated with a first set of relationship characteristics. The method includes identifying for the first player players having corresponding game plays that include one or more relationship characteristics from the first set of relationship characteristics. The method includes surfacing the identified players for display to the first player. Each surfaced players have a corresponding game play progression that is related to the first game play progression. Each surfaced players is associated with a corresponding communication warning indicator that provides relative game play progression between game plays the corresponding surfaced player and the first player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC
    Inventors: Warren Benedetto, Landon Noss
  • Patent number: 11410490
    Abstract: Intelligent gaming tables and methods of providing game play through the gaming tables are described herein. The gaming table includes a table having a table surface, a plurality of player stations, and a common display configured to display gaming content to a plurality of players. The gaming table further includes an interface configured to communicate with a plurality of user input devices. The gaming table includes a gaming controller. The gaming controller is configured to communicate with the plurality of user input devices through the interface, receive location information relating to touches or contacts detected on the table surface, analyze the information relating to the touches or contacts, identify a user performing each of the touches or contacts with the table surface, and implement player input instructions contained within the information relating to the touches or contacts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Binh T. Nguyen, Richard E. Rowe, Mark C. Nicely, Bryan D. Wolf, Brian Underdahl
  • Patent number: 11393294
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides a spinning reel game having a base game, from which a hold and spin feature game is triggered when a determined number of configurable symbols are displayed in a base game outcome. When the feature game is triggered, the configurable symbols are held in place on the display and the player is provided one or more spins during the feature game in which to collect additional configurable symbols. Any additional configurable symbols are retained on the display during subsequent spins until the feature game is completed. Each reel on the game display includes a respective multiplier meter that is adjusted when a multiplier symbol is displayed on the reel in a base game outcome. The multiplier symbols include dynamic multiplier symbols that increment the multiplier meters by a defined amount and static multiplier symbols that lock a meter at a defined multiplier value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 19, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Marks, Hua Xu
  • Patent number: 11380160
    Abstract: Hybrid gaming machines, platforms, systems, and/or methods have both skill-based gaming element and game-of-chance gaming elements, and include a linked contest; wherein contest software may monitor gaming activity from a plurality of players playing on a plurality of hybrid gaming machines that have both skill-based gaming element and game-of-chance gaming elements; and wherein that contest software may reward a prize to one or more players of that plurality of players who have won the contest, based on a predetermined aspect of the player's game play on those hybrid gaming machines that have both skill-based gaming element and game-of-chance gaming elements. The skill-based gaming elements may include use of three-dimensional (3D) virtual interactive worlds or portions thereof. The game-of-chance gaming elements may include use of random number generator(s) and/or pay table(s). The game-of-chance gaming elements may comply with gaming regulatory agencies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Inventor: Howard Letovsky
  • Patent number: 11376503
    Abstract: A system and method for creation of interactive user interfaces without software code authoring knowledge. The method involves recording of an author's input to a physical input device during, and in synchronization with, video content, which may be displayed to the author, or may be recorded or streamed. The timing, nature, and sequence of the user inputs define time-specific target inputs for a player during a gameplay session. During a gameplay/interaction session, the same video content is displayed to the player, and the player receives prompts to provide physical inputs to the player's device that match the physical inputs provided by the author to the author's device during the game creation session. The prompts may include a modified view of the video content in which the video content is displayed misaligned with a display screen of the player's device, or with a display surface of a display environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 5, 2022
    Assignee: OVERPLAY GAMES, INC.
    Inventor: Daniel Projansky
  • Patent number: 11361624
    Abstract: A method may involve determining which slot symbols will be presented on a display system for an instance of a slot game. The symbols may include one or more mystery symbols and one or more trigger symbols. The method may involve controlling the display system to present first visual effects corresponding to the instance of the game. The first visual effects may include moving symbols and landing of the one or more mystery symbols and the one or more trigger symbols. The method may involve controlling the display system to present second visual effects corresponding to the one or more mystery symbols. The second visual effects may include a first revealed mystery symbol image corresponding to a first mystery symbol. The first revealed mystery symbol image and the trigger symbols, taken together, may correspond to a feature award. The method may involve presenting third visual effects corresponding to the feature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Hanna Lee Sanborn, Chad La Guardia, Erick T. Ching
  • Patent number: 11361517
    Abstract: A rhythm-based video game (“game”) is disclosed. In the game, a player slashes blocks representing musical beats using a pair of energy blades resembling a lightsaber. A gaming console renders multiple digital objects, e.g., digital blocks, digital mines and digital obstacles, that are approaching a player in a virtual space. The gaming console also renders a digital representation of an instrument, e.g., a lightsaber (“digital saber”), using which the player slashes, cuts or otherwise interacts with the digital blocks to cause a digital collision between the digital saber and the digital blocks. The player can score by slashing the digital blocks, not hitting the digital mines and avoiding the digital obstacles. The game presents the player with a stream of approaching digital objects in synchronization with music, e.g., a song's beats, being played in the game. The pace at which the digital blocks approach the player increases with the beats.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Facebook Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Vladimír Hrin{hacek over (c)}ár, Ján Ilavský
  • Patent number: 11354982
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn from the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated. The gaming system includes an electronic display device adapted to display an active array of symbol positions that are populated by symbols randomly generated from one or more spins of a set of symbol-bearing reels. The active array may be progressively expanded in response to collecting a requisite number of special symbols among the randomly generated symbols at each active array size.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 7, 2022
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: John K. Kearns, Mariela Polena
  • Patent number: 11348401
    Abstract: A method of conducting a wagering game includes: conducting a base game on an electronic gaming machine; detecting a first trigger condition in the base game; initiating a feature game in response to the first trigger condition; detecting a second trigger condition in the feature game; granting access to a plurality of bonus feature game levels in response to the second trigger condition; and determining an outcome of the feature game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 31, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: James Kroon
  • Patent number: 11338197
    Abstract: A portable information handling system interacts with a game controller through either a direct connection at a wired interface at the sides of opposing controller housings and the information handling system housing or through a bridge having a bridge housing that directly couples to the controller housing as a bridge to the information handling system, such as with a wireless interface. Embedded code executing on a controller processor in the controller housing supports a controller state machine that interacts directly with the information handling system or with a bridge state machine executing as embedded code on a bridge processor. Updates to the embedded code may be communicated both to and from the controller through the information handling system or the bridge.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
    Inventors: Gerald R. Pelissier, Yagiz C. Yildiz, Kevin M. Turchin, Huan Hsun Cheng, Chia Han Li
  • Patent number: 11341805
    Abstract: A symbol frame mechanic for a gaming device is described. The symbol frame mechanic generates a random based game outcome in a game instance of a base game that triggers a supplemental game feature. The random based game outcome includes a plurality of target feature symbols. The symbol frame mechanic generates a plurality of feature symbol frames at symbol window positions with the target feature symbols. The target feature symbols trigger generation of the feature symbol frames. The symbol frame mechanic determines a current symbol frame state according to the feature symbol frames and generate a random based game outcome in a game instance of the supplemental game feature. The symbol frame mechanic updates the current symbol frame state based on combining the random based game outcome in the game instance of the supplemental game feature with the current symbol frame state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Christmas Uberuaga, Scott Delekta, Allon Englman
  • Patent number: 11328553
    Abstract: A method may include determining a first base game outcome of a first instance of a base game; controlling a display system to present the first base game outcome in a first window of one or more display devices of the display system; and in response determining whether a first feature game trigger condition of a feature game exist. Then in response to this determining, controlling the display system to present a first feature game in a second window of the one or more display devices concurrently with presenting the base game in the first window of the one or more display devices; determining a second base game outcome of a second instance of the base game; determining a first feature game outcome of a first instance of the feature game; controlling the display system to present the second base game outcome in the first window; and controlling the display system to present the first feature game outcome in the second window.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Cash Imutan, Bradley Hendricks
  • Patent number: 11328557
    Abstract: A gaming machine that provides an operation unit, a display unit and a control unit. The operation unit is configured to receive an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display a first feature symbol display area, a second feature symbol display area and a third feature display area. Each display area includes a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. The control unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and the display unit and is configured to provide a primary game and a feature game. The three display areas are used in the feature game in turn. Any appearance of a predetermined symbol in one of the display areas is copied in to the next display area(s) in sequence.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 10, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11305191
    Abstract: In a multiplayer video game, virtual cameras are controlled by continually assessing and ranking storylines relating to the interactions of various players during a game session. A ranking for each storyline may be based on various factors such as, but not limited to, what the players can see, the distance between certain players, nearby game items or in-game. Subsequently, at least one virtual camera is navigated to provide a view of the highest-ranking storyline, subject to certain limitations on how the camera can move, transition, or otherwise display the interactions between players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 19, 2022
    Assignee: Activision Publishing, Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew Tieger, Matthew Duncan, John Philippe Wetmiller, Matthew John Krystek
  • Patent number: 11298619
    Abstract: An information processing system for controlling movements of a character (200) in a virtual three-dimensional space, comprising movement control unit (231) that controls the movements of the character (200), and a switching determination unit (232) that determines switching of the movement of the character (200) by the movement control unit (231) between a three-dimensional movement in the virtual three-dimensional space and a movement in a predetermined surface (211) provided in the virtual three-dimensional space. The movement control unit (231) determines a speed of the character (200) after the switching on the basis of a speed of the character (200) before the switching when the switching is performed between the three-dimensional movement in the virtual three-dimensional space and the movement in the predetermined surface (211).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 12, 2022
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Wataru Tanaka, Kenta Motokura
  • Patent number: 11295572
    Abstract: Pressure and time sensitive inputs for gaming devices, and related devices, systems, and methods, are disclosed. An input device includes a pressure sensor to detect an amount of pressure applied to the input device by a player of the gaming device. A processor circuit receives, from the pressure sensor of the input device, a first pressure parameter value corresponding to a first amount of pressure being applied to the input device by the player at a first time. Based on the first pressure parameter value, a time value is determined corresponding to an amount of time that the player has continuously applied pressure to the input device in a first range of pressure amounts, wherein the first amount of pressure is within the first range of pressure amounts. Based on the first pressure parameter value and the time value, a user interface element of the gaming device is modified.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 5, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Michael Russ, Sven Aurich