Patents by Inventor Collin A. Helsen

Collin A. Helsen 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).

  • Hand-forming card shuffling apparatuses including multi-card storage compartments, and related methods
    Patent number: 9566501
    Abstract: Card shufflers usable in forming and dispensing randomized playing card hands for use in playing card games include a card input mechanism for inputting cards into the card shuffler, a card storage device for receiving cards from the card input mechanism and temporarily storing cards within the card shuffler, and a card output mechanism for outputting shuffled cards from the card shuffler. The card storage device may include a wheel configured to rotate within the card shuffler. The rotatable wheel may have a plurality of card storage compartments therein, each of which may be sized and configured to hold two or more cards therein. Related methods involve the use of such card shufflers in playing card games.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: James B. Stasson, Robert J. Rynda, James P. Helgesen, Troy D. Nelson, Paul K. Scheper, Ronald R. Swanson, Collin A. Helsen, Nathan J. Wadds
  • REMOTELY SERVICEABLE CARD-HANDLING DEVICES AND RELATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS
    Publication number: 20160236068
    Abstract: An automatic card-handling device, having a card-handling device that includes a controller, the card-handling device configured for shuffling an input set of cards and delivering an output set of cards resulting from the shuffling; and a communication module operably coupled to the controller, wherein the communication module is configured for sending and receiving information related to operation of the card-handling device across a communication port configured for operable coupling to a cellular network, wherein the information related to the operation of the automatic card-handling device includes information about the use of the card-handling device; and wherein a factor in a usage fee for the card-handling device is use of the card-handling device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Publication date: August 18, 2016
    Inventors: Nathan J. Wadds, Collin A. Helsen, Zbigniew Czyzewski, James P. Helgesen, Russ Marsden
  • System for billing usage of a card handling device
    Patent number: 9320964
    Abstract: An automatic card handling device, having a card handling device that includes a controller, the card handling device configured for shuffling an input set of cards and delivering an output set of cards resulting from the shuffling; and a communication module operably coupled to the controller, wherein the communication module is configured for sending and receiving information related to operation of the card handling device across a communication port configured for operable coupling to a cellular network, wherein the information related to the operation of the automatic card handling device includes information about the use of the card handling device; and wherein a factor in a usage fee for the card handling device is use of the card handling device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 20, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Nathan Wadds, Collin Helsen, Zbigniew Czyzewski, James Helgesen, Russ Marsden
  • HAND-FORMING CARD SHUFFLING APPARATUSES INCLUDING MULTI-CARD STORAGE COMPARTMENTS, AND RELATED METHODS
    Publication number: 20160030831
    Abstract: Card shufflers usable in forming and dispensing randomized playing card hands for use in playing card games include a card input mechanism for inputting cards into the card shuffler, a card storage device for receiving cards from the card input mechanism and temporarily storing cards within the card shuffler, and a card output mechanism for outputting shuffled cards from the card shuffler. The card storage device may include a wheel configured to rotate within the card shuffler. The rotatable wheel may have a plurality of card storage compartments therein, each of which may be sized and configured to hold two or more cards therein. Related methods involve the use of such card shufflers in playing card games.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2014
    Publication date: February 4, 2016
    Inventors: James B. Stasson, Robert J. Rynda, James P. Helgesen, Troy D. Nelson, Paul K. Scheper, Ronald R. Swanson, Collin A. Helsen, Nathan J. Wadds