Patents Examined by Werner G Garner
  • Patent number: 11679322
    Abstract: An interactive bowling system using scoring systems and/or other computer infrastructures which interact with visual and/or audio effects within the bowling center. The system includes a management system having stored therein instructions to provide special effects associated with one or more events to one or more special effects components. Upon an occurrence of an event, the management system: determines that the occurrence of the event is associated with one or more special effects; and provides the instructions to the one or more special effects components to effectuate the special effects associated with the one or more events.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: DFX: SOUND VISION
    Inventors: Michael Bovino, Andrew Juliano, Gennaro Esposito
  • Patent number: 11682268
    Abstract: A lottery gaming system that enables a player to select any one of a plurality of different geographic areas in which they predict that a designated winning lottery ticket will be purchased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Assignee: IGT GLOBAL SOLUTIONS CORPORATION
    Inventors: Bradford Heathcote, Aaron Michael Koll, Sarah Simpkins
  • Patent number: 11682269
    Abstract: A system, method, and non-transitory medium employ a user computer including an input/output device for providing a graphical user interface (GUI) to the user; and a game server, interacting with the user computer, for displaying game screens on the GUI to conduct a game with representations of two two-sided cards having a pair of sides hidden from the user; wherein display of the hidden pair of sides of the two two-sided cards to the user by the game server determines a winning state.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 20, 2023
    Inventor: Stewart Lamle
  • Patent number: 11670137
    Abstract: A method is described for running a feature on a gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming consoles linked by a communication network. The method comprises running at least one elimination round of the feature. A set of participating gaming consoles are determined for the elimination round and a group of options is displayed on the participating gaming consoles. Selections of options from the group are entered by players at the participating gaming consoles and a winning option is displayed from the group of options. Consoles are eliminated from the set of participating consoles unless the winning option was selected at the respective console; and further elimination rounds are commenced unless termination criteria are met. A flashing sequence of lights and sounds may be exhibited to reveal the winning option.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2023
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Clive Evan Davies
  • Patent number: 11660536
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus provide for carrying out a method for rendering a virtual-three dimensional space on a display, including: acquiring information indicative of a position of a head mounted display worn on a head of a user; acquiring information indicative of a position of an input apparatus for use by the user; acquiring information indicative of an instruction entered in the input apparatus; and generating an image of the virtual three-dimensional space to be displayed on the head mounted display at a viewpoint position and a sightline direction, where the generating includes generating an image of the input apparatus at the position in the image determined on a basis of a relative position with the head mounted display of the input apparatus, and where the generating includes generating an image of a hand of the user when the user controls the input apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Nicolas Doucet, Yutaka Yokokawa, Gento Morita, Keiichiro Ishihara, Yuki Miyamae, Kazutomo Sasaki, Ngo Tuyen Thibaud, Masafumi Noda, Takumi Yoshida
  • Patent number: 11660532
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an accessory having a plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, a plurality of light sources, wherein each light source emits a controllable spectrum of light through a corresponding one of the plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, and a controller coupled to the plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, and the plurality of light sources. The controller can be operable to detect tactile contact of each of the plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, receive status information associated with a video game, and adjust the spectrum of light emitted by at least a portion of the plurality of light sources according to the status information to indicate one or more aspects of the video game. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: STEELSERIES ApS
    Inventors: Kim Rom, Jacob Wolff-Petersen
  • Patent number: 11660537
    Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gaming console having a controller to receive a request to decrease or increase at least one of a plurality of sounds generated by a gaming application to enhance at least one condition in the gaming application, and modify sound produced by the gaming application according to the request. Additional embodiments are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 30, 2023
    Assignee: STEELSERIES ApS
    Inventors: Jacob Wolff-Petersen, Tino Soelberg
  • Patent number: 11657670
    Abstract: A gaming device may comprise various components, including a main cabinet, a game controller, and a display assembly. The display assembly may comprise a display panel. The display panel may define a number of planar display regions, where each planar display region is offset from a neighboring planar display region by a respective offset angle so as to display information to a player of the gaming device at different angles. The display assembly may additionally be provided with an electrical connector and/or an attachment mechanism to releasably couple the display assembly to the game cabinet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2023
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Villanueva, Garrett Hill
  • Patent number: 11636730
    Abstract: A system that interconnects multiple accounts associated with a gaming establishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Kevin M. Higgins, Jeffery Shepherd, Erik Petersen, Lance Yuan, Mike Zarlenga, Dwayne A. Davis, Sina Miri
  • Patent number: 11628362
    Abstract: A terminal apparatus, which may include a display unit that displays a game content positioned in a virtual space, a storage unit that stores information related to a predetermined position in the virtual space, a retrieving unit that retrieves instructions for moving including a moving direction given by a player, a calculating unit that calculates a route from a position of the game content in the virtual space to the predetermined position, a determining unit that determines whether or not the calculated route satisfies a predetermined condition related to the moving direction, and a display control unit that controls display of the game content such that the game content moves to the predetermined position along the route when it is determined that the route satisfies the predetermined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2023
    Assignee: GREE, Inc.
    Inventors: Koji Kakizawa, Shota Shimoda
  • Patent number: 11625987
    Abstract: Provided are systems and processes for generating virtual sporting events. An example method comprises obtaining reference content data comprising reference video, audio, and statistics of a plurality of original sporting events. The reference content is segmented into a plurality of event segments which are identified based on predefined milestones and comprises corresponding video data segments, audio data segments, and statistical play data. The event segments are classified with one or more categories based on the corresponding data and the event segment information is stored. An event segment is selected as a virtual event segment for each time segment of the virtual sporting event based on various predetermined criteria. The virtual event segments are desensitized by at least partially removing color and sound. Virtual event data is mapped to each of the virtual event segments and virtual event information is generated based on the progress of the virtual sporting event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: FAYBLE, LLC
    Inventors: Alan S. Moskowitz, Bidit Acharya, Matthew Benjamin Naranjo, Susan Elizabeth Wilson
  • Patent number: 11625972
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to gaming machines, systems, and methods. As an example, a method is disclosed that includes receiving an invitation that provides a description of audio content to be shared, providing a query to a user of an electronic gaming machine requesting a confirmation to play the audio content to be shared, receiving a positive response to the query, sending a command to a different electronic gaming machine to transmit the audio content to be shared, receiving the audio content to be shared from the different electronic gaming machine, identifying a subset of a plurality of speakers from a speaker array to activate based on a determined position of the user relative to the speaker array, and causing the identified subset of the plurality of speakers to output the audio content to be shared as part of a directed sound beam.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 11, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Yue Hang Tang
  • Patent number: 11620871
    Abstract: A gaming system, including a game outcome server, an account handling device and a client device communicatively coupled via network, is described. The game outcome server may be operable to send command, instructions, data or combinations thereof that allow an interface for a wager-based game to be generated on the client device, generate a game outcome for the wager-based game that is displayed on the client device and generate an update to a player balance maintained on the account handling device. The account handling device is operable to provide gaming services related to the game play on the client device including a) web-site hosting where the web-site lists available gaming services including games provided by the game outcome server, b) accounting, c) money handling including player account management and d) player eligibility functions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Paul Douglas Miltenberger, Kaushal Sheth, Ryan Michael Fissell, Carmen Atienza Tan, Andy O. Bryson, Shanmugapriyan Devaraj, Theodore Yuchiang Cheng
  • Patent number: 11620874
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of networked electronic gaming machines and a wireless network that communicates with mobile devices carried by attendants. The method detects when an electronic gaming machine is engaged by a player and disables at least one adjacent electronic gaming machine. When the player disengages from the electronic gaming machine, it is disabled and an attendant is dispatched to the electronic gaming machine via their mobile device to implement a cleaning protocol. When the cleaning protocol is completed, the attendant so indicates via an input on the mobile computing device, and the electronic gaming device is enabled for play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2023
    Assignee: Acres Technology
    Inventors: John F. Acres, James Acres
  • Patent number: 11615669
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems, apparatus, and methods for rendering supplemental information on an electronic gaming machine, where the supplemental information does not relate to game play on the machine. The supplemental information can include safety warnings, maintenance information, or other information. The electronic gaming device can detect user interactions with the electronic gaming machine, such as using sensors or a player interface that includes a touchscreen. The user interactions can be compared with a condition associated with the supplemental information. Feedback, such as visual, audio, or haptic feedback, or a combination thereof, can be provided to indicate to the user whether the condition is satisfied. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited
    Inventor: Bruce W. Essex
  • Patent number: 11610451
    Abstract: An interactive token system includes one or more interactive tokens, such as an interactive coin. The interactive token includes a display that displays one or more images. The interactive token may be releasably engaged with a slot disposed on a wearable device or an interactive token station. Once engaged, the wearable device or interactive token station is able to wirelessly communicate with the interactive token, receive information from the interactive token, display information relating to the interactive token, control actions of the interactive token, and/or use the interactive token as part of a game or trading interaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 21, 2023
    Assignee: Universal City Studios LLC
    Inventors: Dante Lamar Bruno, Matthew Miller
  • Patent number: 11605262
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display first and second display areas. A number of free bonus may be awarded during a primary game. During the free spins, any occurrences of a predetermined symbol is copied to the second display area. After the free spins, a secondary bonus may be provided using the second display area and the copied symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 6, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11600145
    Abstract: Gaming systems and methods which utilize sporting event wager virtual tickets in association with placed sporting event wagers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Kevin Higgins, Dwayne R. Nelson, Jeffery Shepherd
  • Patent number: 11600132
    Abstract: A projection surface gaming system for projecting video images onto a physical gaming table is described herein. The projection surface gaming system includes a video projection device, an object sensing system, and a controller including a processor. The processor is programmed to execute an algorithm including the steps of projecting a first image on a surface of the physical gaming table using the video projection device, detecting a player's interaction with an area of the physical gaming table displaying the first image using the object sensing system, and projecting a second image on the surface of the gaming table in response to detecting the player's interaction with the area of the first image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 7, 2023
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Thomas E. Soukup, Sina Miri
  • Patent number: 11594097
    Abstract: A system that utilizes an application running on a mobile device to provide a service window associated with a gaming establishment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Kevin M. Higgins, Dwayne R. Nelson