Patents by Inventor Chad Little

Chad Little 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: 11978314
    Abstract: A networked computer system for providing promotional awards to casino property patrons is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server including a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to receive an activity signal from at least one player tracking server indicating corresponding patron activity. The processor is programmed to determine whether the patron activity data indicates a qualifying promotional event, and responsively select a promotional award, generate an escrowed award record associated with the corresponding patron activity, and modify the award escrow data file to include the generated escrowed award record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2024
    Assignee: Station Casinos
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel
  • Publication number: 20240127672
    Abstract: A networked computer system for displaying images associated with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) is described herein. The networked computer system includes a computer server coupled to a plurality of EGMs located within a casino property. The computer server includes a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to display an animated sequence of computer-generated images on a display device of a corresponding EGM including the steps of querying a blockchain system to identify a casino charm NFT owned by a casino patron, querying a charms content database to retrieve image data associated with the identified casino charm NFT, and rendering an image of the identified casino charm NFT on a game screen displayed on the corresponding EGM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 31, 2023
    Publication date: April 18, 2024
    Inventors: Tom Mikulich, Pat Gordon, Jon Von Tobel, William Chad Little
  • Patent number: 11783672
    Abstract: A networked computer system for displaying images associated with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) is described herein. The networked computer system includes a computer server coupled to a plurality of EGMs located within a casino property. The computer server includes a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to display an animated sequence of computer-generated images on a display device of a corresponding EGM including the steps of querying a blockchain system to identify a casino charm NFT owned by a casino patron, querying a charms content database to retrieve image data associated with the identified casino charm NFT, and rendering an image of the identified casino charm NFT on a game screen displayed on the corresponding EGM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2023
    Assignee: Station Casinos LLC
    Inventors: Tom Mikulich, Pat Gordon, Jon Von Tobel, William Chad Little
  • Publication number: 20230177922
    Abstract: A networked computer system for providing promotional awards to casino property patrons is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server including a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to receive an activity signal from at least one player tracking server indicating corresponding patron activity. The processor is programmed to determine whether the patron activity data indicates a qualifying promotional event, and responsively select a promotional award, generate an escrowed award record associated with the corresponding patron activity, and modify the award escrow data file to include the generated escrowed award record.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 28, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel
  • Publication number: 20230177921
    Abstract: A networked computer system for displaying images associated with non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on electronic gaming machines (EGMs) is described herein. The networked computer system includes a computer server coupled to a plurality of EGMs located within a casino property. The computer server includes a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to display an animated sequence of computer-generated images on a display device of a corresponding EGM including the steps of querying a blockchain system to identify a casino charm NFT owned by a casino patron, querying a charms content database to retrieve image data associated with the identified casino charm NFT, and rendering an image of the identified casino charm NFT on a game screen displayed on the corresponding EGM.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 24, 2022
    Publication date: June 8, 2023
    Inventors: Tom Mikulich, Pat Gordon, Jon Von Tobel, William Chad Little
  • Patent number: 11544674
    Abstract: A networked computer system for generating promotional offers for casino property patrons is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server including a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to display an offer selection screen including an event calendar displaying a period of calendar dates, a period token balance associated with the period of calendar dates including an amount of tokens, and a plurality of promotional offers associated with the casino patron, with each promotional offer being displayed with an associated number of tokens. The processor receives a selection of one of the displayed promotional offers and a calendar date, assigns the selected promotional offer to the selected calendar date, reduces the period token balance by the number of tokens associated with the selected promotional offer, and modifies a patron account file to include the selected promotional offer assigned to the selected calendar date.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 3, 2023
    Assignee: Station Casinos LLC
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel
  • Patent number: 11488447
    Abstract: A networked computer system for providing promotional awards to casino property patrons is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server including a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to receive an activity signal from at least one player tracking server indicating corresponding patron activity. The processor is programmed to determine whether the patron activity data indicates a qualifying promotional event, and responsively select a promotional award, generate an escrowed award record associated with the corresponding patron activity, and modify the award escrow data file to include the generated escrowed award record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 1, 2022
    Assignee: STATION CASINOS LLC
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel
  • Publication number: 20220156872
    Abstract: A networked computer system for providing a casino patron loyalty program is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server that is coupled to a plurality of player tracking servers. The promotions management computer server includes a processor programmed to execute an algorithm including the steps of receiving a gaming request signal from a player tracking server indicating a request from a patron to initiate a gaming session, displaying a gaming charm selection screen on the gaming device, receiving a patron selected gaming charm and responsively generating an escrowed award record in an award escrow data file that includes a session ID, the patron ID, the device ID, and a charm ID associated with the patron selected gaming charm.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 18, 2021
    Publication date: May 19, 2022
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel, Tom Mikulich, Pat Gordon
  • Publication number: 20210279691
    Abstract: A networked computer system for generating promotional offers for casino property patrons is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server including a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to display an offer selection screen including an event calendar displaying a period of calendar dates, a period token balance associated with the period of calendar dates including an amount of tokens, and a plurality of promotional offers associated with the casino patron, with each promotional offer being displayed with an associated number of tokens. The processor receives a selection of one of the displayed promotional offers and a calendar date, assigns the selected promotional offer to the selected calendar date, reduces the period token balance by the number of tokens associated with the selected promotional offer, and modifies a patron account file to include the selected promotional offer assigned to the selected calendar date.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2020
    Publication date: September 9, 2021
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel
  • Patent number: 10884589
    Abstract: A social networking system identifies a user's relative preference for objects maintained by the social networking system, such as pages associated with movies, restaurants, businesses, or other content. To obtain the user's preferences, the system provides pairs, or groups, of objects to a user and prompts the user to indicate a preference between the objects in each pair. This obtained information about the user's relative preferences is stored in conjunction with the user's profile, which can then be used to select content subsequently presented to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Pike, Yuankai Ge, Chad Little
  • Publication number: 20200005598
    Abstract: A networked computer system for providing promotional awards to casino property patrons is described herein. The networked computer system includes a promotions management computer server including a processor programmed to execute an algorithm to receive an activity signal from at least one player tracking server indicating corresponding patron activity. The processor is programmed to determine whether the patron activity data indicates a qualifying promotional event, and responsively select a promotional award, generate an escrowed award record associated with the corresponding patron activity, and modify the award escrow data file to include the generated escrowed award record.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 28, 2019
    Publication date: January 2, 2020
    Inventors: William Chad Little, Jon Von Tobel
  • Patent number: 10339753
    Abstract: The gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to simultaneously or concurrently play a plurality of games at a gaming device regardless or independent of if the gaming device accounting system in communication with the gaming device is configured to support such simultaneous or concurrent game play. The gaming system disclosed herein additionally or alternatively enables a player to simultaneously play a plurality of games wherein certain of the games are eligible to operate with a remote host and certain of the games are ineligible to operate with the remote host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2019
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Dwayne R. Nelson, William R. Brosnan, Kevin M. Higgins, William Chad Little, Larry R. Hollibaugh, Erik B. Petersen, Adrian R. Marcu
  • Patent number: 10178197
    Abstract: A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 8, 2019
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott Dunn, Robert William Cathcart, Cameron Alexander Marlow, Mukund Narasimhan, Yuankai Ge, Venkataramanan Iyer Nandagopal, Chad Little
  • Patent number: 9558618
    Abstract: A gaming machine, such as a video slot or video poker machine, may be configured to use a message-oriented protocol. An application on the gaming machine may request subscription to a topic managed by a message broker. The application may receive a message published to the topic by another application and alter its execution in response.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 31, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Erik B. Petersen, Kevin Higgins, David L. Kern, Jr., Russell Klenk, Danny Miles, William Chad Little
  • Publication number: 20160196717
    Abstract: The gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to simultaneously or concurrently play a plurality of games at a gaming device regardless or independent of if the gaming device accounting system in communication with the gaming device is configured to support such simultaneous or concurrent game play. The gaming system disclosed herein additionally or alternatively enables a player to simultaneously play a plurality of games wherein certain of the games are eligible to operate with a remote host and certain of the games are ineligible to operate with the remote host.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2016
    Publication date: July 7, 2016
    Inventors: Dwayne R. Nelson, William R. Brosnan, Kevin M. Higgins, William Chad Little, Larry R. Hollibaugh, Erik B. Petersen, Adrian R. Marcu
  • Patent number: 9293000
    Abstract: The gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to simultaneously or concurrently play a plurality of games at a gaming device regardless or independent of if the gaming device accounting system in communication with the gaming device is configured to support such simultaneous or concurrent game play. The gaming system disclosed herein additionally or alternatively enables a player to simultaneously play a plurality of games wherein certain of the games are eligible to operate with a remote host and certain of the games are ineligible to operate with the remote host.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2016
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Dwayne R. Nelson, William R. Brosnan, Kevin M. Higgins, William Chad Little, Larry R. Hollibaugh, Erik B. Petersen, Adrian R. Marcu
  • Patent number: 9189921
    Abstract: A gaming system harvests a current progressive value from available gaming devices. A protocol is implemented that incorporates the current progressive value with current geolocation data associated with the available plurality of gaming devices as a universal progressive data feed. The universal progressive data feed is published.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: November 17, 2015
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: David J. Spencer, Kevin Higgins, Chad Little
  • Publication number: 20150207901
    Abstract: A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2015
    Publication date: July 23, 2015
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott Dunn, Robert William Cathcart, Cameron Alexander Marlow, Mukund Narasimhan, Yuankai Ge, Venkataramanan Iyer Nandagopal, Chad Little
  • Patent number: 9021056
    Abstract: A social networking system leverages user's social information to evaluate content submitted for inclusion in objects. If the evaluated submission is accepted, the submission is added to the content of an object. Accepted submissions are also used to predict associations between metadata and objects. Metadata is used to predict which objects will match user searches for information. The social networking system also provides a user interface configured to prompt users to submit information to objects. When a user completes a submission to an object, the user is provided with other options for groups of objects to contribute to. The objects offered are chosen to increase the likelihood that the user will choose to provide submissions to one of the provided objects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2015
    Assignee: Facebook, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Scott Dunn, Robert William Cathcart, Cameron Alexander Marlow, Mukund Narasimhan, Yuankai Ge, Venkataramanan Iyer Nandagopal, Chad Little
  • Publication number: 20140274349
    Abstract: A gaming system harvests a current progressive value from available gaming devices. A protocol is implemented that incorporates the current progressive value with current geolocation data associated with the available plurality of gaming devices as a universal progressive data feed. The universal progressive data feed is published.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 12, 2013
    Publication date: September 18, 2014
    Applicant: IGT
    Inventors: David J. SPENCER, Kevin HIGGINS, Chad LITTLE