Patents by Inventor John C. Nydick

John C. Nydick 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: 6076021
    Abstract: A system is provided for handicapping unranked players in a dart game match, wherein the match includes a plurality of successively played games. Upon initiation of a match, a default average is assigned to an unranked player. An initial handicap is calculated for the unranked player based on the difference between the default average and an actual average of a ranked opponent of the unranked player. The initial handicap is then used for the first game in the match. At the end of the first game, a first new handicap is calculated for the unranked player based at least upon the unranked player's actual average in the first game. The first new handicap is used for the second game in the match. The unranked player's handicap is repeatedly recalculated after completion of each game in the match based at least upon the unranked player's actual average in previous games of the match. The recalculated handicaps are used for the next game in the match.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 9, 1998
    Date of Patent: June 13, 2000
    Assignee: Merit Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Houriet, Jr., John C. Nydick, Dean L. Hedin, Daniel L. Aymar, Thomas R. Horne, Robert H. Wiles
  • Patent number: 5743533
    Abstract: A dart game machine that electronically scores dart throws includes a reset mode which allows the game score to be backed up to a previous score state. The dart game machine includes a score data memory which tracks current and previous score data for each player so that the previous scores may be automatically restored upon backing up of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 1996
    Date of Patent: April 28, 1998
    Assignee: Merit Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Robert H. Wiles, John C. Nydick
  • Patent number: 5681044
    Abstract: A dart game controller and method of controlling a dart game is provided wherein a dart board has a plurality of target areas, each target area corresponding to a target value. A preset number of target values are stored in a memory. A mark detector identifies at a predetermined stage of game play which of the target values stored in the memory have been marked at least once by a player, but have not been marked more than a preset number of times by any of the plurality of players. Next, a number generator selects a replacement target value for each identified target value. The replacement target value is stored in the memory in place of the respective previous target value. The target value in the memory for each target value not identified by the mark detector remains unchanged. The method and apparatus is suitable for use in playing a variation of Random Cricket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 1995
    Date of Patent: October 28, 1997
    Assignee: Merit Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: John W. Houriet, Jr., Peter Feuer, John C. Nydick