Patents by Inventor Robert W. Crowder, Jr.
Robert W. Crowder, Jr. 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: 10074232Abstract: A method for presenting both content based video signals and secondary video signals over a multi-layer touch screen display using a multiple display manager system is disclosed. First and second display managers are configured to receive primary content video signals from a controller and secondary video signals from a secondary video source. The first display manager is in communication with a front layer of the touch screen display and the second display manager is in communication with a back layer of the touch screen display. The screen may be split between multiple signals, or one or more signals may overlay one or more background signals. The overlaid signals may completely obscure the background signals, or they may provide a level of transparency. A touch router device interprets touches at a touch screen shared display to transform coordinates to enable interpretation of the player's touch inputs.Type: GrantFiled: July 20, 2017Date of Patent: September 11, 2018Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Rolland Nicholas Steil, Vijay K. Kompella, Bryan M. Kelly, Stephen Patton, Kiran Brahmandam, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Jeffrey L. Allen
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Publication number: 20170316640Abstract: A method for presenting both content based video signals and secondary video signals over a multi-layer touch screen display using a multiple display manager system is disclosed. First and second display managers are configured to receive primary content video signals from a controller and secondary video signals from a secondary video source. The first display manager is in communication with a front layer of the touch screen display and the second display manager is in communication with a back layer of the touch screen display. The screen may be split between multiple signals, or one or more signals may overlay one or more background signals. The overlaid signals may completely obscure the background signals, or they may provide a level of transparency. A touch router device interprets touches at a touch screen shared display to transform coordinates to enable interpretation of the player's touch inputs.Type: ApplicationFiled: July 20, 2017Publication date: November 2, 2017Inventors: Rolland Nicholas STEIL, Vijay K. KOMPELLA, Bryan M. KELLY, Stephen PATTON, Kiran BRAHMANDAM, Robert W. CROWDER, JR., Jeffrey L. ALLEN
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Patent number: 9721420Abstract: A gaming method for presenting both gaming content based video signals and secondary video signals over a multi-layer touch screen display using a multiple Display Manager system is disclosed. First and second display managers are configured to receive game content video signals from a gaming controller and secondary video signals from a secondary video source. The first display manager is in communication with a front layer of the touch screen display and the second display manager is in communication with a back layer of the touch screen display. The screen may be split between multiple signals, or one or more signals may overlay one or more background signals. The overlaid signals may completely obscure the background signals, or they may provide a level of transparency. A touch router device interprets touches at a touch screen shared display to transform coordinates to enable interpretation of the player's touch inputs.Type: GrantFiled: November 28, 2012Date of Patent: August 1, 2017Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Rolland Nicholas Steil, Vijay Krishna Kompella, Bryan M. Kelly, Stephen Patton, Kiran Brahmandam, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Jeffrey Lee Allen
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Patent number: 9582183Abstract: A system is disclosed for presenting both primary content and secondary content on a single display. The system includes: a touch screen display configured to display content, a primary controller configured to generate primary content, and a secondary controller configured to generate secondary content. The display manager alters at least one of the primary content and the secondary content, enabling the primary content to be rendered with the secondary content on the touch screen display. The system also includes a coordinate transformation device that receives coordinates from an input on the touch screen display and accommodates any scaling or shifting performed on at least one of the primary content and the secondary content to determine transformed coordinates corresponding of the rendered content prior to routing the transformed coordinates to the proper primary controller or secondary controller.Type: GrantFiled: September 2, 2015Date of Patent: February 28, 2017Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Stephen Patton, Kiran Brahmandam, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Vijay Kompella, Jeffrey Lee Allen
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Patent number: 9555322Abstract: A local game-area network includes a plurality of gaming devices and local game-area servers. Each local game-area server is associated with a corresponding gaming device. Each local game-area server in the local game-area network is operatively associated with every other local game-area server in the local game-area network. Additionally, one of the local game-area servers is a host local game-area server while the remaining gaming devices and associated local game-area servers are clients. Furthermore, the host status of the host local game-area server moves dynamically to an available local game-area server in the local game-area network in response to the host local game-area server becoming non-operational.Type: GrantFiled: November 20, 2012Date of Patent: January 31, 2017Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Pravinkumar Patel, Joshua D. Larsen
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Patent number: 9311776Abstract: A local game-area network includes a plurality of gaming devices and local game-area servers. Each local game-area server is associated with a corresponding gaming device. Each local game-area server in the local game-area network is operatively associated with every other local game-area server in the local game-area network. Additionally, one of the local game-area servers is a host local game-area server while the remaining gaming devices and associated local game-area servers are clients. Furthermore, the host status of the host local game-area server moves dynamically to an available local game-area server in the local game-area network in response to the host local game-area server becoming non-operational.Type: GrantFiled: March 20, 2014Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Patel Pravinkumar, Joshua D. Larsen
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Patent number: 9281946Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method that uses digital signature technology to authenticate the contents of one or more manifests located on a storage device. Each manifest contains a list of file records, where each record contains the name of a file stored on the storage device, and a SHA1 hash value derived from the contents of the file. At boot time, the gaming machine first authenticates the contents of the manifest and then verifies the contents of the files using the SHA1 value stored in the manifest. Files are verified using the SHA1, as they are needed, during the boot up of the operating system and throughout normal operation. This method reduces the boot time of the gaming machine and eliminates the need to check digital signatures for each individual file or over the entire contents of a non-secure media.Type: GrantFiled: June 11, 2014Date of Patent: March 8, 2016Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventor: Robert W. Crowder, Jr.
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Patent number: 9240888Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method that uses digital signature technology to authenticate the contents of one or more manifests located on a storage device. Each manifest contains a list of file records, where each record contains the name of a file stored on the storage device, and a signature value derived from the contents of the file. At boot time, the gaming machine first authenticates the contents of the manifest and then authenticates the contents of the files using the signature value stored in the manifest. Files are verified using the signature, as they are needed, during the boot up of the operating system and throughout normal operation. This method reduces the boot time of the gaming machine and eliminates the need to check digital signatures for each individual file or over the entire contents of a non-secure media. Similarly, a method of adding authentication ability to legacy software components without necessarily altering the legacy software components is disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: April 23, 2007Date of Patent: January 19, 2016Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Anthony E. Green
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Patent number: 9218707Abstract: A system for enabling tournament gaming provides a plurality of gaming machines and a tournament controller in communication with the gaming machines. At least a first gaming machine enables play of a first base game and at least a second gaming machine enables play of a second base game. The first base game has a first set of parameters and the second base game has a second set of parameters. The first base game with the first set of parameters is a different game theme from the second base game with the second set of parameters. The base game play data from each gaming machine is converted into a normalized tournament score that is designed to substantially equalize differences resulting from the base games that have differing sets of parameters, wherein calculation of the normalized tournament score uses monitored data spanning multiple base game plays.Type: GrantFiled: January 17, 2014Date of Patent: December 22, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Dennis Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Jeffrey C. Tallcott
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Patent number: 9214058Abstract: A gaming system for displaying real-time pushed data of tournament scores is disclosed. The system includes a plurality of gaming machines connected to a network each having a display capable of presenting a game, wherein each gaming machine enables play of chat-based games. The system also includes a gaming server and a chat server that are connected to the network. The gaming server is in communication with the plurality of gaming machines via the network. The chat server pushes real-time tournament data to the first and second gaming machines for presenting tournament data and on the display to facilitate competition between the first and second gaming machines.Type: GrantFiled: May 15, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Dennis Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Jeffrey C. Tallcott
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Patent number: 9214057Abstract: A system provides a player tracking system and system gaming apparatus for playing non-base games by funding the credit side of a gaming cycle. The system further includes at least one gaming device having a base game. The player tracking system and system gaming apparatus includes a player tracking user interface. The player tracking user interface provides a player with an opportunity to select and play a non-base game that may be promotional-funded or player-funded.Type: GrantFiled: January 6, 2014Date of Patent: December 15, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Dennis Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Jeffrey C. Talcott
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Patent number: 9129470Abstract: A gaming system is disclosed for presenting both game content and secondary content on a single display. The gaming system includes: a touch screen game display configured to display content, a gaming controller configured to generate game content, and a secondary controller configured to generate secondary content. The display manager scales at least one of the game content and the secondary content to an altered size, enabling the game content to be rendered with the secondary content on the touch screen game display. The gaming system also includes a coordinate transformation calculation device that receives coordinates from an input on the touch screen game display and accommodates any scaling or shifting performed on at least one of the game content and the secondary content to determine transformed coordinates corresponding to the altered size of the rendered content prior to routing the transformed coordinates to the proper gaming or secondary controller.Type: GrantFiled: November 5, 2014Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Stephen Patton, Kiran Brahmandam, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Vijay Kompella, Jeffrey Lee Allen
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Patent number: 9117335Abstract: Gaming machines having video depictions of one or more mechanical reels on a curved display are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, the gaming machine includes a liquid crystal display having an opening in which the curved transparent material extends through the opening of the opening of the liquid crystal display.Type: GrantFiled: May 6, 2014Date of Patent: August 25, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Robert W. Crowder, Jr., John R. Vallejo, Vernon H. Bernard, Karl E. Wudtke, Frank R. Anderson, Lawrence C. McAllister
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Patent number: 9105148Abstract: A method of operating a gaming system is disclosed. The method includes: enabling, using one or more processors, play of a first game on a gaming machine; enabling, using one or more processors, play of a second game on a user interface that is operatively coupled to the gaming machine, wherein the gaming system enables a player to choose which bonus game to play out of a plurality of bonus games independent of player ranking and bonus level, wherein each of the plurality of bonus games may be initiated on demand, wherein once the player chooses the bonus game to play on demand, the chosen bonus game is presented to the player via the player tracking user interface; and enabling, using one or more processors, wherein the gaming system enables a player to activate the second game displayed on the user interface.Type: GrantFiled: January 8, 2014Date of Patent: August 11, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Dennis W. Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Jeffrey C. Tallcott
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Publication number: 20150199868Abstract: A system provides an instant-close tournament such that an actual player is always the last player to enter the tournament. The instant-close tournament has a number of player spots. The system includes a plurality of gaming machines, a communication link connecting the plurality of gaming machines, and a tournament history table that stores previous tournament information for a plurality of previous players in the tournament. At least a first gaming machine enables play of a first base game that has a first theoretical payout percentage, and at least a second gaming machine enables play of a second base game that has a second theoretical payout percentage. The previous tournament information is used by the tournament controller to configure one or more simulated players in the tournament to fill each player spot in the tournament, except for at least a final player spot that is filled by the actual player.Type: ApplicationFiled: January 14, 2014Publication date: July 16, 2015Applicant: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, JR., Dennis Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, JR., Jeffrey C. Tallcott
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Patent number: 9082259Abstract: A method is shown for enhancing game play on a gaming machine. In one embodiment, the gaming machine may include a processor, a memory, and program logic stored in the memory that may be executable to play a game in exchange for a wager. The method includes receiving a Newprom award that is not issued by the gaming machine. The method may include altering, using the processor, the game to an enhanced game state in response to the Newprom award. The Newprom award may be configured to add one or more game play enhancements available to a player only by way of the Newprom award to the game. This may alter the game to the enhanced game state so that the game is played with the one or more game play enhancements.Type: GrantFiled: June 7, 2013Date of Patent: July 14, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Russ F. Marsden
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Patent number: 9033786Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to gaming systems, gaming devices, and methods for presenting tournament games. Accordingly, one method includes: incrementing tournament entry points based on a predetermined percentage of a player's wager for base game play; presenting the player with two or more tournament games for play, wherein the player selects multiple tournament games from the two or more tournament games for immediate initiation of tournament game play on demand, and wherein the tournament games are separate from the base game; and initiating the tournament games, using a processor, selected by the player on a secondary display of the gaming device, the secondary display using an embedded processor that is separate and distinct from a main processor of the gaming device.Type: GrantFiled: July 9, 2013Date of Patent: May 19, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Pravinkumar Patel, Anthony E. Green, John E. Link, Gennady Soliterman, Jeffrey L. Allen, Dennis Lockard, Jeffrey C. Tallcott, Joshua D. Larsen, Thomas Scott, Christopher D. Barton, Sudheer Vemuri, Mettu R. Reddy
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Patent number: 9011241Abstract: Various embodiments are directed to gaming systems, gaming devices, and methods for presenting tournament games. According to one embodiment, a gaming device provides a base game in a normal, non-tournament mode, and the player's eligibility to play a tournament game is also determined. An eligible player is prompted to select a desired tournament game from a list of available tournaments while base game is in the normal, non-tournament mode. In response to the player's selection of a tournament game, the gaming device is reconfigured from the normal mode to a tournament mode. The gaming device processes game play in the tournament mode and creates a final tournament score for the player.Type: GrantFiled: July 25, 2013Date of Patent: April 21, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Pravinkumar Patel, Anthony E. Green, John E. Link, Gennady Soliterman, Jeffrey L. Allen, Dennis Lockard, Jeffrey C. Tallcott, Joshua D. Larsen, Thomas Scott, Christopher D. Barton, Sudheer Vemuri, Mettu R. Reddy
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Patent number: 8998727Abstract: A disclosed method provides for tournament gaming. The method comprises: allowing a wager on non-modified base game in normal mode and awarding pay table prize for a winning event on said base game; monitoring said base game wager and win data; processing a calculated normalized tournament score using said monitored data spanning multiple base game plays; and providing a tournament game and awarding a tournament prize to at least one tournament winner; wherein the tournament score calculation also uses the theoretical payout percentage for the base game in determining player ranking.Type: GrantFiled: August 20, 2013Date of Patent: April 7, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Dennis Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Jeffrey C. Tallcott
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Patent number: 8968095Abstract: A method provides a player tracking system and system gaming apparatus for playing non-base games by funding the credit side of a gaming cycle. The system further includes at least one gaming device having a base game. The player tracking system and system gaming apparatus includes a player tracking user interface. The player tracking user interface provides a player with an opportunity to select and play a non-base game that may be promotional-funded or player-funded.Type: GrantFiled: June 10, 2011Date of Patent: March 3, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Bryan M. Kelly, Robert W. Crowder, Jr., Dennis W. Lockard, Robert A. Luciano, Jr., Jeffrey C. Tallcott