Patents by Inventor Mark Y. Lam

Mark Y. Lam 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: 6264561
    Abstract: A use enabling method and mechanism to enable use of a disabled game resident on multiple platform gaming machines. When a gaming operator elects to enable a particular disabled game, an enabling device of generates an encrypted Request Code (27) having components identifying the specific gaming machine and the specific game to be enabled. This Request Code (27) is then communicated through a communication coupling (55) to a compatible, mating encoder device (28) operated by the licensing game vendor or game manufacture. In response, the encoder device (28) generates an encrypted Enabling Code (31) which enables use only for the selected game or games, and only in the gaming machine (21) upon which the corresponding Request Code originated. Upon inputting the corresponding Enabling Code (31) into the enabling device (32) incorporated on the particular gaming device, the selected disable game or games may be subsequently enabled for use.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2001
    Assignee: International Game Technology
    Inventors: Ali M. Saffari, Mark Y. Lam, Mark R. Cass, Robert W. Crowder