Patents Examined by Michael Grant
  • Patent number: 8142274
    Abstract: A gaming device that enables players to accumulate awards by activating an award distributor having a plurality of award symbols and at least one selection group activator symbol. The gaming device provides the player with a plurality of activations where an award is associated with each award symbol indicated in each activation. When a selection group activator symbol is indicated, the gaming device displays at least one selection set having a plurality of selections associated with selection awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one selection and provides the associated selection award to the player. The number of available selections in the selection set decreases by one after the player picks a selection. If the selection group activator symbol is subsequently indicated, the player picks from the remaining available selections in the selection set.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 15, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2012
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Anthony J Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 8128478
    Abstract: A gaming system displays a plurality of bingo cards each containing at least one column, each column having at least one square. Each square includes a random number selected from a range associated with that column. The gaming system displays each bingo card and an initially-empty accumulation area. Balls are drawn from a pool of balls, each ball associated with a number. As the balls are drawn, any square on any of the bingo cards containing the number of the drawn ball is marked with a suitable indicator. A primary award is provided for combinations of marked squares on one or more of the bingo cards. The gaming system displays the balls in the accumulated area in the order in which they are drawn. The gaming system provides a secondary award for combinations of balls displayed in the accumulation area.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Adam M. Meyer
  • Patent number: 8128470
    Abstract: A competition cheat-preventing system and method are applicable in a pigeon racing competition, wherein racing pigeons each wear a pigeon ring. An encrypted code-generating module is configured to generate contest encrypted codes from contest codes of the racing pigeons through specific parameter calculations. A barcode converting module is configured to convert the contest encrypted codes into two-dimensional barcodes. A barcode reading module is configured to read the two-dimensional barcodes to obtain original contest encrypted codes. An information transmission module is configured to transmit the original contest encrypted codes to a computer apparatus. An information-receiving module is configured to receive the original contest encrypted codes. A barcode decoding module is configured to perform reverse calculations to restore the original contest encrypted codes to original contest codes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2012
    Inventors: Jin-Hao Chao Cheng, Yu-Lun Ho
  • Patent number: 8123617
    Abstract: A game system of the present invention has a plurality of gaming machines capable of communicating with each other via a communication line. The plurality of gaming machines each have an input device operable to input an insurance BET. The plurality of gaming machines carry out the following processing. The plurality of gaming machines store a first predetermined value in a memory and count the insurance BET input from the input device in an accumulative manner. Then, the plural types of symbols displayed on the display are automatically re-arranged. As result of repeating a game, if it is judged that the insurance BET number accumulatively counted at least two or more gaming machines from the plurality of gaming machines has reached the first predetermined value, the accumulated insurance BET numbers are summed up.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2012
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Tomoaki Oomori
  • Patent number: 8113944
    Abstract: A game of chance includes receiving a stake corresponding to a target game-item from a player. In each phase of the game, a random integer is selected and a game-item corresponding to that integer is removed from play. If the target game-item is removed from play, the player is awarded a return and the game of chance ends. If specific game-items or combinations of game items are removed from play, the player is defeated, and the game of chance ends. A subsequent phase of the game of chance begins if the player is not defeated or awarded a return.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: John Miller, Jason York, Jeffrey Blazier
  • Patent number: 8113942
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the gaming system includes a plurality of symbols for a play of the primary game, wherein at least one symbol from this set of symbols is a designated symbol. In this embodiment, for a play of the primary game, the gaming system randomly displays a plurality of symbols from the set of symbols. If the plurality of displayed symbols include a designated symbol, the gaming system triggers a bonus sequence, determines a number of bonus symbol generations for the bonus sequence, and determines which symbols are displayed in symbol position locations relative to or having a predetermined relationship to the symbol position location of the displayed designated symbol. The gaming system then determines a sub-set of symbols which includes the symbols that were determined to be displayed in symbol position locations relative to or having a predetermined relationship to the symbol position location of the designated symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2012
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Benjamin C. Hoffman, Paulina Rodgers, Christmas C. Parker
  • Patent number: 8109824
    Abstract: A gaming system and method enables a player to assign at least one amplifier to at least one accumulator. In one embodiment, the amplifier causes an increase in the rate of advancement for the accumulator. In one embodiment, the gaming system provides the player any awards associated with the level of one or more of the accumulators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: February 7, 2012
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Gregory F. Frank, Christopher T. Brune, Ryan W. Cuddy
  • Patent number: 8092297
    Abstract: A gaming system includes a controller linked to a plurality of gaming devices. The central server tracks: (i) a quantity of gaming devices being actively played by players, or (ii) a quantity of players actively playing at the gaming devices. The controller determines the players' eligibility for different awards based on the tracked quantity. When the controller tracks a first quantity, the controller provides the active players with an opportunity to win a first award. When the central server tracks a second quantity, the central server provides the active players with an opportunity to win a second award. As the tracked quantity changes, the controller determines or modifies the number of awards available to the players actively playing at the gaming devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2012
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Rogelio S. Decasa, Kelsy J. Grace, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 8070593
    Abstract: A gaming system and method which provides a community group event to a plurality of players at a plurality of the gaming devices in the gaming system. Each gaming device participating in the group event is associated with an individual group event eligibility timer. Such individual group event eligibility timers regularly decrement based on time and may increment based on one or more aspects of the player's gaming experience, such as wagers placed. If the individual group event eligibility timer associated with a gaming device participating in the group event lapses before the conclusion of a group event timer or mode, that gaming device is eliminated from the group event. Upon the conclusion of the group event, a group event award is shared amongst the players at the remaining or non-eliminated gaming devices (i.e., the gaming devices associated with individual group event eligibility timers with any amount of remaining time).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Daniel J. DeWaal, Glen Keith Russell, Alexandria Estella Ponte Sutich, Anthony J. Baerlocher, David H. Muir
  • Patent number: 8070594
    Abstract: A machine having a card processing assembly. The machine has a plurality of card holders connectable to the card processing assembly. One card holder is configured to hold data cards associated with one condition. At least one other card holder is configured to hold data cards associated with another condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 6, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Joseph R. Hedrick, William R. Wells, Franco Crivelli, Greg Parrott
  • Patent number: 8062127
    Abstract: A dispute resolution model for next generation action/skill casino games comprising a variety of friendly onscreen methods to demonstrate the fairness of a disputed game or simply to allow the player to eliminate confusion created by fast action wagering. Such methods may include running on-demand instant replays of segments of wagered games to allow both players and operators to verify those games' fairness and providing the player with historical information regarding the operation of the casino game and/or the gaming machine. The historical information includes historical win information to demonstrate the distribution of previous wins; Skill vs. luck historical information to demonstrate the exact role both luck and skill played in a player's game outcome; and peer comparison historical information to enable the player to compare the recent payback history of a given game to identical games on the casino floor, and to show the player which machines have been the luckiest over a given period of time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: November 22, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Cameron Anthony Filipour, Thierry Brunet de Courssou, Alexander Popovich, Adam Singer
  • Patent number: 7988547
    Abstract: A jackpot wagering system includes a number of player terminals, a random event generator and an accumulation facility. Each player terminal is operable by a respective player to place a corresponding wager on one or more different turns of a game of chance, while the accumulation facility is responsive to placement of each wager to accumulate a portion thereof in an accumulation account; The random event generator is activatable by placement of each wager to generate a random event upon which an outcome of a turn of the game of chance is based, the outcome being one of a number of possible outcomes that includes a favorable outcome causing the player who placed that wager to win the contents of the accumulation account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2011
    Assignee: Waterleaf Limited
    Inventor: Martin Moshal