Patents by Inventor Gene Spoor
Gene Spoor 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).
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Patent number: 9898898Abstract: A gaming device includes a cabinet, a display coupled to the cabinet, and a reel assembly positioned within the cabinet. The reel assembly includes a reel configured to rotate, and a reel strip coupled to the reel and including a symbol having a first image and a second image. The gaming device also includes a light source located within the cabinet and configured to selectively project a light for backlighting the reel strip, wherein the light source has a first mode for projecting the light in a first configuration and a second mode for projecting the light in a second configuration, and a game controller coupled to the cabinet and configured to control the light source. The first image is viewable when the light source projects the light in the first configuration to backlight the reel strip, and the second image is viewable when the light source projects the light in the second configuration to backlight the reel strip.Type: GrantFiled: November 25, 2013Date of Patent: February 20, 2018Assignee: IGTInventors: James Brewer, Gene A. Spoor
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Publication number: 20150087384Abstract: A gaming device includes a cabinet, a display coupled to the cabinet, and a reel assembly positioned within the cabinet. The reel assembly includes a reel configured to rotate, and a reel strip coupled to the reel and including a symbol having a first image and a second image. The gaming device also includes a light source located within the cabinet and configured to selectively project a light for backlighting the reel strip, wherein the light source has a first mode for projecting the light in a first configuration and a second mode for projecting the light in a second configuration, and a game controller coupled to the cabinet and configured to control the light source. The first image is viewable when the light source projects the light in the first configuration to backlight the reel strip, and the second image is viewable when the light source projects the light in the second configuration to backlight the reel strip.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 25, 2013Publication date: March 26, 2015Applicant: IGTInventors: James Brewer, Gene A. Spoor
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Patent number: 8517817Abstract: Gaming machines, systems and methods that present reel-based games are disclosed. Reel symbols can move or appear to move from one gaming reel to another gaming reel. Such reel symbols may include lenticular images, such as those that are implemented onto a medium via a lenticular process, whereby the medium is then applied to various gaming machine reels so that a viewer can perceive effects such as motion and depth. The medium can be a multi-image sheet containing regions of overlapping images where different images are visually predominant at different viewing angles, and the movable base can comprise a gaming reel. Multiple gaming reels can be used, and can be adapted to rotate in any direction.Type: GrantFiled: July 15, 2011Date of Patent: August 27, 2013Assignee: IGTInventors: Kirk A. Tedsen, Gene A. Spoor, Keith S. Murry
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Publication number: 20110269526Abstract: Gaming machines, systems and methods that present reel-based games are disclosed. Reel symbols can move or appear to move from one gaming reel to another gaming reel. Such reel symbols may include lenticular images, such as those that are implemented onto a medium via a lenticular process, whereby the medium is then applied to various gaming machine reels so that a viewer can perceive effects such as motion and depth. The medium can be a multi-image sheet containing regions of overlapping images where different images are visually predominant at different viewing angles, and the movable base can comprise a gaming reel. Multiple gaming reels can be used, and can be adapted to rotate in any direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 15, 2011Publication date: November 3, 2011Applicant: IGTInventors: Kirk A. Tedsen, Gene A. Spoor, Keith S. Murray
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Patent number: 8002628Abstract: Gaming machines, systems and methods that present reel-based games are disclosed. Reel symbols can move or appear to move from one gaming reel to another gaming reel. Such reel symbols may include lenticular images, such as those that are implemented onto a medium via a lenticular process, whereby the medium is then applied to various gaming machine reels so that a viewer can perceive effects such as motion and depth. The medium can be a multi-image sheet containing regions of overlapping images where different images are visually predominant at different viewing angles, and the movable base can comprise a gaming reel. Multiple gaming reels can be used, and can be adapted to rotate in any direction.Type: GrantFiled: November 14, 2007Date of Patent: August 23, 2011Assignee: IGTInventors: Kirk A. Tedsen, Gene A. Spoor, Keith S. Murray
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Publication number: 20080064485Abstract: Gaming machines, systems and methods that present reel-based games are disclosed. Reel symbols can move or appear to move from one gaming reel to another gaming reel. Such reel symbols may include lenticular images, such as those that are implemented onto a medium via a lenticular process, whereby the medium is then applied to various gaming machine reels so that a viewer can perceive effects such as motion and depth. The medium can be a multi-image sheet containing regions of overlapping images where different images are visually predominant at different viewing angles, and the movable base can comprise a gaming reel. Multiple gaming reels can be used, and can be adapted to rotate in any direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2007Publication date: March 13, 2008Inventors: Kirk Tedsen, Gene Spoor, Keith Murray
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Patent number: 7311607Abstract: Inexpensive yet effective three-dimensional image displays for gaming machines are disclosed. Images are implemented onto a medium via a lenticular process, and the medium is applied to various gaming machine surfaces whereby a viewer can perceive effects such as motion and depth. Steps can include developing a game theme, designing visual images for this game theme, generating digital files containing these visual images, previewing these digital files, modeling the visual images in a computer assisted simulation, implementing these visual images onto a medium, attaching the medium to a movable base, and installing the movable base to the gaming machine. The medium can be a multi-image sheet containing regions of overlapping images where different images are visually predominant at different viewing angles, and the movable base can comprise a gaming reel. Multiple gaming reels can be used, and can be adapted to rotate in any direction.Type: GrantFiled: September 8, 2004Date of Patent: December 25, 2007Assignee: IGTInventors: Kirk A. Tedsen, Gene A. Spoor, Keith S. Murray
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Publication number: 20060052152Abstract: Inexpensive yet effective three-dimensional image displays for gaming machines are disclosed. Images are implemented onto a medium via a lenticular process, and the medium is applied to various gaming machine surfaces whereby a viewer can perceive effects such as motion and depth. Steps can include developing a game theme, designing visual images for this game theme, generating digital files containing these visual images, previewing these digital files, modeling the visual images in a computer assisted simulation, implementing these visual images onto a medium, attaching the medium to a movable base, and installing the movable base to the gaming machine. The medium can be a multi-image sheet containing regions of overlapping images where different images are visually predominant at different viewing angles, and the movable base can comprise a gaming reel. Multiple gaming reels can be used, and can be adapted to rotate in any direction.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 8, 2004Publication date: March 9, 2006Inventors: Kirk Tedsen, Gene Spoor, Keith Murray
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Patent number: 6976915Abstract: A panel or reel strip of a gaming device that includes halftones. The panel or reel strip includes a medium and a photographically created multicolor image on one side of the medium. A silkscreen ink layer is provided on the other side of the medium. The ink defining at least one halftone producing hole array. The multicolor image and the hole array are both computer created and downloaded to a photo imager. The photo image of the hole array is used to create a screen that produces a wash layer of ink on the back of the colored image. The wash layer defines selectively made hole arrays that enable a desired amount of light to shine through the colored image, providing a glow effect.Type: GrantFiled: September 13, 2002Date of Patent: December 20, 2005Assignee: IGTInventors: Curtis L. Baker, Michael D. Callahan, Jeffery J. Jo, Gene A. Spoor
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Publication number: 20040021705Abstract: A panel or reel strip of a gaming device that includes halftones. The panel or reel strip includes a medium and a photographically created multicolor image on one side of the medium. A silkscreen ink layer is provided on the other side of the medium. The ink defining at least one halftone producing hole array. The multicolor image and the hole array are both computer created and downloaded to a photo imager. The photo image of the hole array is used to create a screen that produces a wash layer of ink on the back of the colored image. The wash layer defines selectively made hole arrays that enable a desired amount of light to shine through the colored image, providing a glow effect.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 13, 2002Publication date: February 5, 2004Inventors: Curtis L. Baker, Michael D. Callahan, Jeffery J. Jo, Gene A. Spoor
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Patent number: D933081Type: GrantFiled: October 11, 2019Date of Patent: October 12, 2021Assignee: IGTInventors: Cullen O'Day, Gene Spoor, Janna Baggesen-Jensen