Patents by Inventor Kazuhiro Kusuda

Kazuhiro Kusuda 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: 9522327
    Abstract: A game system has plural game devices and a storage device that stores attribute information and location information of a pet in association with a player ID. Each game device obtains a player ID of a player who plays at the game device, and obtains attribute information corresponding to location information identifying a game device identified by the obtained player ID, and controls a game to cause the game device to display a pet according to the obtained attribute information. In a case in which location information stored in association with a player ID of a first player who plays at a first game device is changed to that which identifies a second game device identified by a player ID of a second player, the first game device does not display a pet of the first player, but the second game device displays the pet of the first player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: December 20, 2016
    Assignee: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kusuda, Takashi Uchiyama, Shogo Azuma, Shinya Ito, Norifumi Kawai, Genichiro Okitani
  • Patent number: 9039510
    Abstract: In a game system or a drawing machine for a jackpot game, a drawing unit of the drawing machine for a jackpot game performs jackpot drawing in a manner that a player who plays a particular game apparatus among a plurality of game apparatuses is not determined as a winning player of a jackpot award, when a sum of an apparatus-specific jackpot balance amount indicated by game apparatus's own apparatus-specific jackpot balance amount data stored in an apparatus-specific jackpot balance amount storage unit and an apparatus-specific maximum loss amount indicated by a game apparatus's own apparatus-specific maximum loss amount data stored in the apparatus-specific maximum loss amount storage unit, is equal to or more than a payout amount indicated by payout amount data stored in a payout amount storage unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2015
    Assignee: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takashi Uchiyama, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Nobuhiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8628397
    Abstract: After the offensive selection element images are moved along the joining direction to the offensive selection image display area (70c) and displayed one after another in an alternating manner thereon, based on the control of the offensive selector (73), the images are halted and displayed in a matrix-wise arrangement. The character property (79) and physical strength value (72) are stored in association with the character, and the character corresponding to a physical strength value (72) equal to or lower than a predetermined final value is determined to be the loser, the physical strength value of the attacked character being calculated using the offensive value and a formula corresponding to the character property and the offensive type. Furthermore, the image of the character determined to be the loser by the winner/loser determinator (76) is varied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 14, 2014
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kusuda, Hirokatsu Yamaguchi, Yukihiro Osaki, Shinichi Ishii
  • Publication number: 20130288766
    Abstract: A game system includes a setting unit allocating each item of a plurality of game items with its own item-selecting probability. The system also includes a selection unit configured to perform an item-selection process in accordance with the item-selecting probabilities that are selectively allocated to the plurality of game items. The system also includes a game item granting unit that grants each item to player in accordance with a result of at least one of the item-selection processes performed by the selection unit. The system also includes an advantage granting unit that grants at least an advantage to game player, if the item granting unit has granted, to player, at least one predetermined item included in the plurality of items. The system also includes a setting unit that re-allocates a higher item-selecting probability to at least one game item, if the setting unit recognizes that a predetermined condition is satisfied.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2012
    Publication date: October 31, 2013
    Applicant: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akitsu TERASHIMA, Kazuhiro KUSUDA
  • Patent number: 8529340
    Abstract: In order to prevent a situation where a winner for a jackpot award is consequently concentrated on a player who plays by using a particular game apparatus, the game system includes a jackpot drawing apparatus wherein when a drawing unit determines winning of the jackpot award, the drawing unit carries out the jackpot drawing by carrying out a group drawing to determine whether one winning group is selected or neither group is selected according to a predetermined group drawing condition, from previously determined two or more groups each configured by two or more game apparatuses, and by carrying out, when the winning group is selected by the group drawing, a winner drawing carried out for determining whether the player who wins the jackpot award is selected or neither player is selected, from the players who play by using the two or more game apparatuses belonging to the winning group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: September 10, 2013
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Masato Okuaki, Takashi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8491379
    Abstract: A pool amount (payout amount) of a jackpot award is adjusted without deteriorating individual game attractiveness of all game apparatuses even in a game system in which game apparatuses of different models are mixed. Each game progress control unit of a plurality of game apparatuses controls the progress of a game in such a manner that a ratio of an amount of payout objects paid out to a player by a payout process of the payout processing unit to an amount of bet objects received by the bet object receiving unit within a predetermined period comes closer to a normal preset payout ratio obtained by deducting a player's own pool ratio indicated by the pool ratio data stored in the pool ratio storage unit of the game apparatus concerned from a total preset payout ratio indicated by the preset payout ratio data stored in the preset payout ratio storage unit of the game apparatus concerned.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 23, 2013
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Uchiyama, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Nobuhiro Goto
  • Publication number: 20130150156
    Abstract: A setting terminal is provided that has a player ID obtainer that obtains a player ID uniquely identifying a player, a storage device that stores, in association with the identification information obtained by the player ID obtainer, value information that changes when credit is consumed in exchange for a play in a game or when a game value is granted depending on a result of the game, and an automatic game controller that controls a game corresponding to the identification information obtained by the player ID obtainer, to advance automatically while following a predetermined rule. The automatic game controller controls plural games respectively corresponding to which plural pieces of identification information differ from one another, to advance in parallel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: June 13, 2013
    Applicant: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kusuda, Takashi Uchiyama, Shogo Azuma, Shinya Ito, Hirokatsu Yamaguchi, Hiroki Nakasato
  • Publication number: 20130137515
    Abstract: A game system has plural game devices and a storage device that stores attribute information and location information of a pet in association with a player ID. Each game device obtains a player ID of a player who plays at the game device, and obtains attribute information corresponding to location information identifying a game device identified by the obtained player ID, and controls a game to cause the game device to display a pet according to the obtained attribute information. In a case in which location information stored in association with a player ID of a first player who plays at a first game device is changed to that which identifies a second game device identified by a player ID of a second player, the first game device does not display a pet of the first player, but the second game device displays the pet of the first player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 30, 2013
    Applicant: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kusuda, Takashi Uchiyama, Shogo Azuma, Shinya Ito, Norifumi Kawai, Genichiro Okitani
  • Publication number: 20130123000
    Abstract: A game apparatus has an operation unit and a radio communication unit for performing radio communication with the outside and a connection unit that establishes a connection with an external terminal device via the radio communication unit, and stores the number of credits in association with a player ID obtained and also stores this player ID in association with a terminal ID of the external terminal device for which the connection has been established by the connection unit. Also, the game apparatus controls a first game that advances based on an operation of the operation unit while consuming credit corresponding to a player ID and a second game that advances while consuming credit corresponding to a player ID that is associated with the terminal ID of the external terminal device for which the connection has been established by the connection unit so that the first game and the second game advance simultaneously.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Publication date: May 16, 2013
    Applicant: KONAMI DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kazuhiro Kusuda, Takashi Uchiyama, Shogo Azuma, Shinya Ito, Hirokatsu Yamaguchi, Hiroki Nakasato, Kensaku Yoshida
  • Patent number: 8414388
    Abstract: A game system includes: a jackpot drawing apparatus for performing a payout process for paying out to a winning player at least part of an amount indicated by payout amount data when the drawing unit determines winning of the jackpot award; and a notification processing apparatus for performing, when performing the jackpot award winning notification process for notifying the player who has won the jackpot award, of winning of the jackpot award, prior to issuing the same, an advance notification process for issuing an advance notification to the effect that a player who plays by using each game apparatus belonging to a predetermined group configured by two or more game apparatuses including the game apparatus with which the player who wins the jackpot award plays is notified that the player who plays by using either game apparatus belonging to the predetermined group wins the jackpot award.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2013
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Takashi Uchiyama, Masato Okuaki, Hiroto Nakamoto
  • Patent number: 8408995
    Abstract: Where a drawing machine for jackpot game is utilized in a game system in which a plurality of game apparatuses are divided into a plurality of groups for management, a payout ratio is easily managed for each group. The drawing machine for jackpot game performs a group drawing for selecting one winning group among a plurality of groups and performs a winner determining process for determining a winner among players who play game apparatuses belonging to the winning group, thereby performing a jackpot drawing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2013
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Uchiyama, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Nobuhiro Goto
  • Patent number: 8317599
    Abstract: A system comprises: a receiving unit for receiving information of a user; a first notifying unit for notifying the user of a first challenge in a first game apparatus a first output unit for outputting first clear information when a progress result of a game controlled by the first game apparatus becomes the first result relating to the first challenge; a second notifying unit for notifying the user of a second challenge in a second game apparatus; a second output unit for outputting second clear information when a progress result of a game controlled by the second game apparatus becomes the second result relating to the second challenge; and a processing unit for performing predetermined process for determining whether a predetermined process condition is satisfied, and for performing, when the predetermined process condition is satisfied, predetermined process that is not performed when the predetermined process condition is not satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 27, 2012
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Takashi Uchiyama, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Hiroshi Tomaru, Masato Okuaki
  • Patent number: 8308552
    Abstract: The present invention is to be capable of inhibiting the occurrence of an instance where the enjoyment of a player who plays with the game apparatus by the total event is decreased when a single total event is carried out among two or more game apparatuses. The present game system includes: two or more game apparatuses, each of which comprises a game progress control unit for performing game progress control; and an event processing apparatus for performing a process for carrying out a single total event at the same timing by the plurality of game apparatuses. The event processing apparatus and each game apparatus are connected in a manner to enable communication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 13, 2012
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Masato Okuaki, Takashi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8292728
    Abstract: The present invention is to be capable of carrying out an unusual performance beyond type of machine. The present game apparatus includes: two or more types of game apparatuses having hardware configurations different from each other, each of the game apparatuses including a performance unit for carrying out a performance visually and audibly appealing to a player, and a game progress control unit for controlling game progress and performing game performance control according to the game progress by controlling the performance unit; and a total performance processing apparatus for executing a process for carrying out a total performance in the two or more types of game apparatuses by using the performance unit provided in each of the two or more types of game apparatuses. The total performance processing apparatus and the two or more types of game apparatuses are connected and capable of communicating with each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 2, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2012
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Masato Okuaki, Takashi Uchiyama
  • Patent number: 8221235
    Abstract: The present invention provides a drawing machine and a game apparatus using the same by which it is easier to give the participants of the drawing an impression like drawing is carried out fairly when the computer drawing in which a winning-probability of each of drawing-objects is changed is carried out.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2012
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Daisuke Sato, Shingo Yasuda, Yuichi Nakahara
  • Publication number: 20110003635
    Abstract: A pool amount (payout amount) of a jackpot award is adjusted without deteriorating individual game attractiveness of all game apparatuses even in a game system in which game apparatuses of different models are mixed. Each game progress control unit of a plurality of game apparatuses controls the progress of a game in such a manner that a ratio of an amount of payout objects paid out to a player by a payout process of the payout processing unit to an amount of bet objects received by the bet object receiving unit within a predetermined period comes closer to a normal preset payout ratio obtained by deducting a player's own pool ratio indicated by the pool ratio data stored in the pool ratio storage unit of the game apparatus concerned from a total preset payout ratio indicated by the preset payout ratio data stored in the preset payout ratio storage unit of the game apparatus concerned.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 2, 2009
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Applicant: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Uchiyama, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Nobuhiro Goto
  • Publication number: 20100331071
    Abstract: Where a drawing machine for jackpot game is utilized in a game system in which a plurality of game apparatuses are divided into a plurality of groups for management, a payout ratio is easily managed for each group. The drawing machine for jackpot game performs a group drawing for selecting one winning group among a plurality of groups and performs a winner determining process for determining a winner among players who play game apparatuses belonging to the winning group, thereby performing a jackpot drawing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 3, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Takashi Uchiyama, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Nobuhiro Goto
  • Publication number: 20100273559
    Abstract: To give a player who plays a certain game apparatus less frequently an increased opportunity that the player plays selectively with the game apparatus. Provided is a benefit-imparting condition deciding apparatus which, when a player corresponding to identification information received by an identification information receiving unit is decided to satisfy a predetermined benefit-imparting condition, outputs clear information in a state of being associated with the identification information on the player and also notifies the player of game apparatus designating information for designating a benefit-imparting game apparatus, and where the identification information is received after receipt of the clear information, a benefit-imparting process is performed for imparting the player a benefit according to the clear information associated with the same identification information as the received identification information.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 25, 2008
    Publication date: October 28, 2010
    Applicant: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Masato Okuaki, Takashi Uchiyama
  • Publication number: 20100267447
    Abstract: The present invention improve disadvantages such as a limited jackpot drawing performance and so on.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: October 21, 2010
    Applicant: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Takashi Uchiyama, Hirokatsu Yamaguchi
  • Publication number: 20100240456
    Abstract: The present invention is to be capable of removing a disadvantage caused by that rough payment amount of payout objects to be paid out when a jackpot award is won is displayed differently in each game apparatus The present game apparatus includes: a jackpot drawing apparatus which performs the jackpot drawing in which three or more game apparatuses are regarded as drawing targets; and a relaying apparatus including a payout amount data receiving unit which is connected to the jackpot drawing apparatus in a manner to enable communication and receives the payout amount data output by the payout amount data output unit of the jackpot drawing apparatus, and a payout amount data transmitting unit which is connected to each of the game apparatuses belonging to a predetermined group that is composed of a plurality of game apparatuses constituting a part of the above-described three or more game apparatuses in a manner to enable communication and transmits to the above-described each of the game apparatuses the same
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2008
    Publication date: September 23, 2010
    Applicant: Komani Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Nobuhiro Goto, Kazuhiro Kusuda, Jun Komatsu, Takashi Uchiyama