Patents by Inventor Bryan D. Wolf

Bryan D. Wolf has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Patent number: 9858750
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming system including a central controller, a central display which includes a plurality of display segments and a plurality player stations. The display segments are configured to each separately display one of a plurality of games, to co-act to display a plurality of games, or to co-act to display one game. Each player station is configured to enable a player to play one or more of the games displayed by the display segments. The gaming system enables a plurality of players to play a group game on the central display, a plurality of players to simultaneously play multiple group games on the central display, and a plurality of players to each simultaneously play multiple individual games on the central display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 2, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: James K. Kovacs, Anthony J. Baerlocher, Michael M. Oberberger, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9842466
    Abstract: Gaming systems, gaming devices and methods that provide games that control volatility. In one embodiment, the gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to select values, or cells associated with values, that are displayed in a particular arrangement. The player selected values are distributed to other values or cells according to one or more predefined rules. In one embodiment, one or more of the player selectable values are progressive award values. At some point during the game, the gaming system randomly picks one of the remaining values that have not been selected and provides an award to the player based at least in part on the selected value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Ernie M. Lafky, Bryan D. Wolf, Paulina Rodgers, Cameron A. Filipour, Adam M. Meyer, Adam M. Singer
  • Patent number: 9805555
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosed gaming device include a housing which supports a plurality of mechanical reels and a plurality of stop input devices which are configured to provide a Pachisuro-style slot game. Each of the plurality of reels is associated with a different one of the plurality of stop input devices. Each stop input device enables a player to stop the respective reel when the reel is spinning by activating the stop input device. Each reel includes a plurality of stop positions and each stop position includes a symbol. The gaming device also includes a processor and a memory device. For each reel, the processor randomly determines the stop position at which the reel ultimately stops based on a virtual map stored in the memory device for an initiating stop position of that reel which is selected by the player's activation of the stop input device for that reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 31, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9792773
    Abstract: A gaming system providing a falling symbol obstacle board game. The gaming system displays a symbol starting position, a plurality of symbol ending positions, and a plurality of obstacles. The gaming system selects one of a plurality of symbols, displays the symbol moving from the symbol starting position into one of the symbol ending positions along one of a plurality of symbol paths through the obstacles, and displays the symbol at the symbol ending position at the end of the symbol path. The gaming system repeats selecting symbols, displaying the symbol moving from the symbol starting position to a symbol ending positions along a symbol path, and displaying the symbol at the symbol ending position at the end of the symbol path until a termination condition is satisfied, after which the gaming system determines whether any winning combinations of the symbols are displayed at the symbol ending positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Mark C. Nicely, Jason D. Kremer, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9773377
    Abstract: A gaming system which displays a community game to one or more participating players. During the community game, the gaming system accumulates one or more community game tokens for one or more participating players. The gaming system subsequently assigns a value to each community game token redeemed by each participating player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Dwayne R. Nelson, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20170228960
    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: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Binh T. Nguyen, Richard E. Rowe, Mark C. Nicely, Bryan D. Wolf, Brian Underdahl
  • Patent number: 9721434
    Abstract: After the main ball drop of a bingo game, a player may be given a free extra bingo number. A probability of awarding a free ball may be determined, at least in part, according to a desired paytable percentage for the bingo game. In some implementations providing multi-card bingo games, a player is required to hit a predetermined pattern on more than one bingo card in order to obtain a progressive award. The number of hits in the pattern(s) and/or the number of bingo cards involved may be determined according to a desired progressive award size and/or a desired probability of obtaining the progressive award. Players may have an opportunity to purchase an additional bingo number or a block of a plurality of additional bingo numbers after the main ball drop. The block may be offered at a discount compared to the price of an individual additional bingo number.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: James Coleman, M. Ali Saffari, Mark Bansemer, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9704341
    Abstract: A gaming apparatus and method is provided that is capable of rewarding a distributed jackpot to players using gaming units that are electronically linked to one another. The distributed jackpot may be shared among non-winning players when a winning result is achieved by a winning player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Bryan D. Wolf, Gregory A. Schlottman, William R. Brosnan
  • Patent number: 9640027
    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: August 24, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 2, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Binh T. Nguyen, Richard E. Rowe, Mark C. Nicely, Bryan D. Wolf, Brian Underdahl
  • Patent number: 9633507
    Abstract: A server includes a memory, a network interface configured to receive data related to a game available as part of a gaming system, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive the game data via the network interface, determine demand for the game within a gaming environment based on the game data and determine a weighting factor associated with the game based on the demand, and upload the game at one or more gaming machines within the gaming environment based on the weighting factor. The prominence of the game within the gaming environment varies according to the weighting factor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Bryan D. Wolf, Dorothy Cheung
  • Patent number: 9626833
    Abstract: The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of players with an opportunity to win a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the gaming system. The gaming system accumulates a quantity of progressive event points for each player playing at one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points for a designated player to determine which one or more of the progressive awards the designated player wins. In another embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points to determine the designated player's probability of winning one or more of the progressive awards. Accordingly, the gaming system provides a point-based system in which either a progressive award to win or a probability of winning a progressive award is determined based on the quantities of progressive event points accumulated by the players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 18, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Ryan W. Cuddy, Mohammed A. Saffari, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9613494
    Abstract: The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides and tracks bonus event eligibility points accumulated by players playing the gaming devices in the gaming system. Upon a triggering of a bonus event, the gaming system generates, for each bonus event eligibility point accumulated for each player, a random number from a predefined range of numbers. The gaming system determines which one of the accumulated bonus event eligibility points is the designated bonus event eligibility point, such as by determining which bonus event eligibility point is associated with the highest valued random number generated. The gaming system then enables the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point to participate in the bonus event. In the bonus event, one or more awards are provided to the player that accumulated the designated bonus event eligibility point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 4, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Bryan D. Wolf, Ryan W. Cuddy, Eric D. Satterlie
  • Patent number: 9569932
    Abstract: A gaming system which provides a persistence game which utilizes predetermined game outcomes. One or more predetermined game outcomes include a persistence game award value. If a predetermined game outcome including such a persistence game award value is selected to be provided to the player in association with a current play of a primary game, the gaming system determines whether to provide this persistence game award value to a player in association with the current play of the primary game, or to store this persistence game award value to be subsequently provided to a player in association with a subsequent play of the primary game. The determination of whether to provide or store the persistence game award value is based on the then current progress of the persistence game (i.e., the current state of an accumulation meter).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Mark C. Nicely, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20170004672
    Abstract: After the main ball drop of a bingo game, a player may be given a free extra bingo number. A probability of awarding a free ball may be determined, at least in part, according to a desired paytable percentage for the bingo game. In some implementations providing multi-card bingo games, a player is required to hit a predetermined pattern on more than one bingo card in order to obtain a progressive award. The number of hits in the pattern(s) and/or the number of bingo cards involved may be determined according to a desired progressive award size and/or a desired probability of obtaining the progressive award. Players may have an opportunity to purchase an additional bingo number or a block of a plurality of additional bingo numbers after the main ball drop. The block may be offered at a discount compared to the price of an individual additional bingo number.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: James Coleman, M. Ali Saffari, Mark Bansemer, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Publication number: 20170004683
    Abstract: A gaming system providing a falling symbol obstacle board game. The gaming system displays a symbol starting position, a plurality of symbol ending positions, and a plurality of obstacles. The gaming system selects one of a plurality of symbols, displays the symbol moving from the symbol starting position into one of the symbol ending positions along one of a plurality of symbol paths through the obstacles, and displays the symbol at the symbol ending position at the end of the symbol path. The gaming system repeats selecting symbols, displaying the symbol moving from the symbol starting position to a symbol ending positions along a symbol path, and displaying the symbol at the symbol ending position at the end of the symbol path until a termination condition is satisfied, after which the gaming system determines whether any winning combinations of the symbols are displayed at the symbol ending positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2016
    Publication date: January 5, 2017
    Inventors: Mark C. Nicely, Jason D. Kremer, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9530284
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and methods for providing a card game that employs multiple-sided playing cards. In various embodiments, the gaming system enables a player to play one or more games which utilize one or more sets or decks of multiple-sided playing cards or multiple-sided tiles. In such embodiments, a first side of each multiple-sided playing card is associated with one of a plurality of playing cards from a first set or deck of playing cards for a first game and a second side of each multiple-sided playing card is associated with one of a plurality of playing cards from a second, different set or deck of playing cards for a second, different game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 27, 2016
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Mark C. Nicely, Ana Rollins, Colin Ferris, John Grime, Bryan D. Wolf
  • Patent number: 9524615
    Abstract: A gaming system and method which displays a plurality of symbol displays having symbol sets distributed about circumferential paths thereof. The gaming system enables the player to select one or more directions of spin or circumferential paths for the symbol displays, and then spins the symbol displays in the selected direction(s) or along the selected circumferential paths. After the gaming system stops the spinning, each symbol display displays at least one randomly generated symbol of the symbol set extending along the circumferential path of that symbol display which corresponds to the direction of spin of that symbol display. The gaming system evaluates the displayed symbols for any winning combinations. The gaming system provides the player any awards associated with the displayed winning combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Jib I. Daeges, Bryan D. Wolf, Dorothy Cheung
  • Patent number: 9524620
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the disclosed gaming device include a housing which supports a plurality of mechanical reels and a plurality of stop input devices which are configured to provide a Pachisuro-style slot game. Each of the plurality of reels is associated with a different one of the plurality of stop input devices. Each stop input device enables a player to stop the respective reel when the reel is spinning by activating the stop input device. Each reel includes a plurality of stop positions and each stop position includes a symbol. The gaming device also includes a processor and a memory device. For each reel, the processor randomly determines the stop position at which the reel ultimately stops based on a virtual map stored in the memory device for an initiating stop position of that reel which is selected by the player's activation of the stop input device for that reel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Bryan D. Wolf, Theodore M. Gail, Tracy L. Powell, Ali M. Saffari
  • Publication number: 20160358416
    Abstract: A gaming system including a plurality of gaming machines is provided. The gaming machines may be configured to provide bonus games with persistent. The gaming machines may be configured to allow a player to enroll in bonus game with persistence and generate a record locator, such as printed ticket that allows a record of a state in the bonus game with persistence to be accessed at a later time. A server coupled to the plurality of gaming machines may maintain records of various states in the bonus game with persistence. When a valid record locator is presented at a gaming machine, these records may be checked out and updated via game play at the gaming machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 16, 2016
    Publication date: December 8, 2016
    Inventors: Daryn G. Kiely, William R. Brosnan, Richard Glasser, Adrian R. Marcu, Erik B. Petersen, William C. Little, Jeffery S. Shepherd, Bryan D. Wolf, Steven G. LeMay
  • Publication number: 20160343206
    Abstract: A server includes a memory, a network interface configured to receive data related to a game available as part of a gaming system, and a processor. The processor is configured to receive the game data via the network interface, determine demand for the game within a gaming environment based on the game data and determine a weighting factor associated with the game based on the demand, and upload the game at one or more gaming machines within the gaming environment based on the weighting factor. The prominence of the game within the gaming environment varies according to the weighting factor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Publication date: November 24, 2016
    Inventors: Bryan D. Wolf, Dorothy Cheung