Patents by Inventor Hiromoto Yamauchi

Hiromoto Yamauchi 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: 8597102
    Abstract: A gaming machine 10 includes: a display device configured to display a plurality of symbols to be continuously arranged; and a controller 30. The controller 30 executes processing operations of: (a1) sequentially executing game processing for a plurality of players and then according to a result of the game processing, determining any of the symbols is to be assigned to a respective one of the players; (a2) paying out a prize according to the symbols that are assigned according to a result of the determination; and (a3) generating a scramble event in which the assigned symbols are scrambled between the plurality of players, in a case where the prize is identical as to the plurality of players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2013
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Yoichi Kato, Makoto Miyawaki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20130303252
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine which is capable of realizing an appropriate balance between players' profits and slot machine providers' profits. When a first number of bets have been selected, a control device executes a first basic unitary game which completes when a first time interval has elapsed after starting the game. When a second number of bets have been selected, the control device executes a second basic unitary game which completes when a second time interval shorter than the first time interval has elapsed after starting the game. On the basis of the fact that the first basic unitary game has been executed, the control device executes a first progressive game in which a first payout rate can be realized. On the basis of the fact that the second basic unitary game has been executed, the control device executes a second progressive game in which a second payout rate higher than the first payout rate can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Publication date: November 14, 2013
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Makoto MIYAWAKI, Masafumi UCHIDA, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130288756
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes a cabinet; a lamp body provided on a front surface of the cabinet; a sensor configured to detect a player's gesture with respect to the lamp body; an image display panel configured to execute an effect in sync with the gesture; and a controller used to start a game, the controller starting the detection of the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game, and while the player's gesture is being detected, executing the effect by the upper image display panel in sync with the detected player's gesture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Hiroki NAKAMURA, Hidekazu SUZUKI, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130288772
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes: a symbol display device configured to display a result of a game by rearranging symbols in cells forming a matrix; and a controller used to start a base game requiring betting, a free game not requiring betting, and a plurality of types of bonus games. The controller is programmed to execute the steps of: executing a base game of randomly determining symbols to be rearranged in the symbol display device; determining whether a specific symbol is to be rearranged in a predetermined region of the symbol display device, the predetermined region including at least one cell; executing a free game of randomly determining symbols to be rearranged in the symbol display device; determining whether the specific symbol is to be rearranged in the predetermined region; and executing any one of the types of the bonus games.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130225265
    Abstract: In a gaming system including gaming terminals, each gaming terminal executes a bonus game when the result of a base game satisfies a predetermined condition. If a first gaming machine that does not have an entry right exists among the gaming terminals when the base game is executed, the controller performs drawing of the entry right for the first gaming terminal. The controller sets an award expected in a bonus game of a first case to be greater than an award expected in a bonus game of a second case. The first case is a case that the bonus game is triggered in a gaming terminal that has the entry right when the base game is executed, and the second case is a case that the bonus game is triggered in the gaming terminal that does not the entry right when the base game is executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130225253
    Abstract: In a gaming machine, a controller executes a base game, and triggers the bonus game including a plurality of unit games when a result of the base game satisfies a predetermined condition. The controller determines reachable cells of the character in each unit game of the bonus game. The controller determines an expected value of an award provided in each reachable cell by distributing predetermined credits to the reachable cells in each unit game. The controller determines a number of cells by which the character moves along with the course in each unit game, moves the character to any one of the reachable cells according to the number of cells in each unit game, and determines an award to be provided to the player according to the expected value of a cell at which the character arrives in each unit game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130225264
    Abstract: In a gaming system including gaming terminals, each gaming terminal executes a base game for a corresponding player. A controller executes the base game in each gaming terminal, and performs drawing of an entry right for a gaming terminal that does not have the entry right among the gaming terminals. The controller executes the versus event and determines an award provided to the first player or the second player according to a result of the versus event if a first gaming terminal for the first player and a second gaming terminal for the second player have the entry right. The controller stores the entry right of the first gaming terminal without executing the versus event if the second gaming terminal does not have the entry right when the first gaming terminal has the entry right.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20130225252
    Abstract: In a gaming machine, a controller rearranges symbols in a base game, and triggers a bonus game when a combination of the symbols rearranged in the base game satisfies a predetermined condition. The controller executes each unit game of the bonus game based on a bet betted by the player, determines a number of cells by which the character moves along with the course in each unit game, and moves the character from a current cell to a destination cell according to the number of cells in each unit game. The controller performs an event corresponding to the destination cell in each unit cell, and determines an award of the goal cell based on an average bet per unit game when the character arrives at the goal cell.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2012
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Patent number: 8475260
    Abstract: N symbol arrays are scrolled in M rows and N columns of display regions. In each of the symbol arrays, a normal symbol same as a certain normal symbol does not exist within (M?1) rows above and below the certain normal symbol. Therefore, two or more of the same normal symbols are not displayed in each column of display regions, and a maximum of N of the same normal symbols are displayed in all the display regions. Further, the same normal symbols as those present within (M?1) rows above and below the special symbol included in one symbol array do not exist within (M?1) rows above and below the special symbols included in the other symbol arrays. Therefore, when N of the same normal symbols are displayed, a maximum of one special symbol is displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazumasa Yoshizawa, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8449367
    Abstract: When one player acquires a qualification for playing a scramble bonus game, another player can participate in the scramble bonus game by paying a predetermined amount of participation charge. In addition, in a case where a fellow character could be acquired as a fellow of the player characters, the amount of prize to be paid to the players is increased according to features of that fellow character. Further, items of equipment of the player characters become more gorgeous, as the prizes acquired by the players increase in amount. A damage imparted to an enemy character varies depending on weapons that the player characters use. A prize is awarded when a hit point of the enemy character becomes 0.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Yoichi Kato, Makoto Miyawaki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8449377
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine which is capable of realizing an appropriate balance between players' profits and slot machine providers' profits. When a first number of bets have been selected, a control device executes a first basic unitary game which completes when a first time interval has elapsed after starting the game. When a second number of bets have been selected, the control device executes a second basic unitary game which completes when a second time interval shorter than the first time interval has elapsed after starting the game. On the basis of the fact that the first basic unitary game has been executed, the control device executes a first progressive game in which a first payout rate can be realized. On the basis of the fact that the second basic unitary game has been executed, the control device executes a second progressive game in which a second payout rate higher than the first payout rate can be realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Makoto Miyawaki, Masafumi Uchida, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 8430740
    Abstract: In a gaming machine and a method for controlling the same, whether to start insurance is determined on a basis of a count value cumulatively incremented along with execution of unit games and counted by a counter, and an insurance start condition table defining a correspondence relationship between the count value and start of the insurance; and a first feature game and a second feature game are executed when it is determined to start the insurance. When it is determined to start the insurance, a first feature game may be executed; a condition of a second feature game may be determined on a basis of an outcome of the executed first feature game and a second feature game condition determination table defining a correspondence relationship between an outcome of the first feature game and a condition of the second feature game; and the second feature game may be executed under the determined condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America Inc.
    Inventor: Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20120322539
    Abstract: A gaming machine 10 includes: a display device configured to display a plurality of symbols to be continuously arranged; and a controller 30. The controller 30 executes processing operations of: (a1) sequentially executing game processing for a plurality of players and then according to a result of the game processing, determining any of the symbols is to be assigned to a respective one of the players; (a2) paying out a prize according to the symbols that are assigned according to a result of the determination; and (a3) generating a scramble event in which the assigned symbols are scrambled between the plurality of players, in a case where the prize is identical as to the plurality of players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 20, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Yoichi Kato, Makoto Miyawaki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20120309486
    Abstract: A gaming machine 10 has: a display device 12 configured to display a plurality of symbols to be continuously arranged; and a controller 30. The controller 30 executes the processing operations of: (a1) executing game processing and then according to a result of the game processing, determining whether or not to scroll at least one array of the symbols; (a2) scrolling the symbol array according to a result of the determination; and (a3) carrying out processing according to a result of the scroll.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Yoichi Kato, Makoto Miyawaki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20120309509
    Abstract: When one player acquires a qualification for playing a scramble bonus game, another player can participate in the scramble bonus game by paying a predetermined amount of participation charge. In addition, in a case where a fellow character could be acquired as a fellow of the player characters, the amount of prize to be paid to the players is increased according to features of that fellow character. Further, items of equipment of the player characters become more gorgeous, as the prizes acquired by the players increase in amount. A damage imparted to an enemy character varies depending on weapons that the player characters use. A prize is awarded when a hit point of the enemy character becomes 0.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 6, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Yoichi Kato, Makoto Miyawaki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20120309501
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes: a common display device that displays a route made of a plurality of continuous frames; a plurality of game terminals; a bet input portion that is provided in each of the game terminals, for placing a bet in each unit game; a number-of-movements determining portion that determines by means of random numbers a number of frames, in a case where a bet is placed; a number-of-movements display portion that displays the number of the frames; a character movement portion that moves the character in accordance with the number of the frames in the route; an event executing portion that executes an event associated with the frame at which the character stops; and a prize awarding portion that awards a prize in accordance with a result of the event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 6, 2012
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Yoichi Kato, Makoto Miyawaki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20110300919
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine which is capable of realizing an appropriate balance between players' profits and slot machine providers' profits. When a first number of bets have been selected, a control device executes a first basic unitary game which completes when a first time interval has elapsed after starting the game. When a second number of bets have been selected, the control device executes a second basic unitary game which completes when a second time interval shorter than the first time interval has elapsed after starting the game. On the basis of the fact that the first basic unitary game has been executed, the control device executes a first progressive game in which a first payout rate can be realized. On the basis of the fact that the second basic unitary game has been executed, the control device executes a second progressive game in which a second payout rate higher than the first payout rate can be realized.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2011
    Publication date: December 8, 2011
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Makoto MIYAWAKI, Masafumi Uchida, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20100304836
    Abstract: N symbol arrays are scrolled in M rows and N columns of display regions. In each of the symbol arrays, a normal symbol same as a certain normal symbol does not exist within (M?1) rows above and below the certain normal symbol. Therefore, two or more of the same normal symbols are not displayed in each column of display regions, and a maximum of N of the same normal symbols are displayed in all the display regions. Further, the same normal symbols as those present within (M?1) rows above and below the special symbol included in one symbol array do not exist within (M?1) rows above and below the special symbols included in the other symbol arrays. Therefore, when N of the same normal symbols are displayed, a maximum of one special symbol is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicants: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kazumasa YOSHIZAWA, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20100304829
    Abstract: In a gaming machine and a method for controlling the same, whether to start insurance is determined on a basis of a count value cumulatively incremented along with execution of unit games and counted by a counter, and an insurance start condition table defining a correspondence relationship between the count value and start of the insurance; and a first feature game and a second feature game are executed when it is determined to start the insurance. When it is determined to start the insurance, a first feature game may be executed; a condition of a second feature game may be determined on a basis of an outcome of the executed first feature game and a second feature game condition determination table defining a correspondence relationship between an outcome of the first feature game and a condition of the second feature game; and the second feature game may be executed under the determined condition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2010
    Publication date: December 2, 2010
    Applicants: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventor: Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20100056249
    Abstract: In a slot machine, a unit game in which symbols having been arranged are rearranged is displayed on a display. Then, a special game is displayed on the display in case where a predetermined condition has been met. In addition, in the slot machine, rearranged specific symbols are counted before a special free game and it is determined to increase the number of trigger symbols in the special free game according to the number of counted specific symbols. Since an award provided to a player is varied according to the number of trigger symbols rearranged in the special free game, a player's sense of expectancy can be focused on the special free game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 28, 2009
    Publication date: March 4, 2010
    Applicant: Aruze Corp.
    Inventor: Hiromoto Yamauchi