Patents Assigned to Konami Gaming, Inc.
  • Patent number: 11263863
    Abstract: A gaming machine is described herein. The gaming machine includes a game control unit programmed to display a game screen on the display unit and initiate an instance of the game. The game screen includes a grid including a plurality of cells arranged in a plurality of columns. Each column is associated with a corresponding symbol and includes a predefined number of cells. The game control unit initiates an instance of the game by populating a subset of cells within each column with a plurality of awards, randomly determining, for each corresponding column, a number of corresponding symbols to be displayed in a stack of corresponding symbols, and displaying each stack of corresponding symbols within each corresponding column. The game control unit then determines each cell of the subset of cells being displayed with a corresponding symbol and a corresponding award, and provides each corresponding award to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Kimberly Yost, John Pariseau
  • Patent number: 11250664
    Abstract: A gaming system comprises a plurality of gaming machines operably interconnected. Each of the plurality of gaming machines is assigned a unique machine identification code. Each of the plurality of gaming machines includes a stage effect controller configured to perform a predetermined stage effect, a common timer for providing timing information related to the performance of the predetermined stage effect to each of the plurality of gaming machines, and a control unit operably coupled to the stage effect controller and being configured to perform the predetermined stage effect based on the timing information and the machine identification code.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Takashi Akita
  • Patent number: 11244536
    Abstract: A gaming machine for providing a game to a player is described herein. The gaming machine displays a primary game including a plurality of reels and spins and stops the reels to display the outcome of the primary game. The gaming machine detects a first triggering condition appearing in the outcome of the primary game and responsively initiates a bonus award game upon detecting the first triggering condition, and detects a second triggering condition appearing in the outcome of the primary game and responsively initiates a free game feature upon detecting the second triggering condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: 11238690
    Abstract: A gaming machine that provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is configured to receive an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display a plurality of cells. The plurality of cells is arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The control unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and the display unit and, for each instance of the game, randomly establishes a symbol to be displayed within each of the plurality of cells. The control unit is further configured to provide a first instance of the game and to display the symbols established for the first instance of the game in the respective cells, and to automatically add a new row of cells to the display unit prior to each subsequent instance of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11227464
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display a symbol display area. The symbol display area including a plurality of cells arranged in a grid having a plurality of rows and a left plurality of columns and a right plurality of columns. Each column in the left plurality of columns being associated with a mirror column in the right plurality of columns. The control unit is operably coupled to the operation unit, the display unit is configured to initiate a game in response to player operation, and to establish an outcome of the game. Upon detection of a trigger condition, the symbols displayed in the cells of one of the columns are copied to the cells in a mirror column.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Hayato Mizue
  • Patent number: 11205317
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is an operation of the player. The display unit displays a display area with a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. The control unit allows a player to establish a wager, to establish one of a plurality of predefined subsets of the cells as a feature area as a function of the wager and to provide a game in response to player operation. The control unit randomly selects a plurality of symbols associated with the display area. Each symbol in the plurality of symbols is associated with one of the plurality of cells in the grid. The plurality of symbols forming an outcome of the game; detect an occurrence of a predetermined symbol in the feature area; and provide a game feature as a function of the occurrence of the predetermined symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 21, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael Kuhlmann, Benjamin Merkel, John Pariseau, Satoshi Suda
  • Patent number: 11189128
    Abstract: A technique of synchronizing a timing to display an event in a game with a beat of a sound is provided. A gaming machine includes a display, a speaker, a storage device that stores tempo data including beat information of the entire BGM and BGM sound data, and a controller connected to the display, the speaker, and the storage device. The controller starts a display of a progression of a game in the display while causing the speaker to output the BGM on the basis of the BGM sound data, determines a timing at which an event is displayed on the display on the basis of the tempo data, dynamically configures animation data so that the event is displayed at the determined timing, and causes the dynamically configured animation data to be displayed on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 30, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Norikazu Miura, Shinnosuke Hiratsuka
  • Patent number: 11176777
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides a game and includes an operation unit, a display unit, a memory device and a game control unit. The operation unit receives an operation input. The display unit is configured to display a game screen including computer generated graphics. The memory device stores a game execution program including computer instructions for generating the game feature. The game control unit executes the game execution program to provide the game and is coupled to the operation unit, the display unit and the memory device. The game control unit includes a processor programmed to display a game structure on the game screen on the display unit. The game includes a feature award and a jackpot feature award. The jackpot feature award is awarded from a jackpot feature award pool. The jackpot feature award pool is funded through wagers and by when the feature award is awarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: John Pariseau
  • Patent number: 11151832
    Abstract: A plurality of gaming machines to perform an integrated operation in cooperation with one another is provided. A gaming machine constituting a group of gaming machines includes a display that displays a game screen including predetermined computer graphics cooperated with the other gaming machines included in the group of gaming machines, a storage device that stores a gaming machine identifier, common graphic data, and a plurality of virtual camera coordinates associated with identifiers, and a controller, and the controller constructs a three-dimensional model in common with the other gaming machines on the basis of a timer value synchronized by communicating with the other gaming machines and the common graphic data, and configures the predetermined computer graphics by performing perspective transformation on the three-dimensional model using the virtual camera coordinates associated with the identifier as a point of view, and causes the predetermined computer graphics to be displayed on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Narumi Kazama, Hironobu Hayashi
  • Patent number: 11107312
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The display unit displays a display area with a plurality of cells in a grid. A respective symbol, from a set of symbols, is displayed in each cell. The symbols in the set of symbols having a ranking from lowest to highest and include first and second sub-groups. The symbols in the second sub-group of symbols have a higher ranking than the symbols in the first sub-group. The control unit randomly selects one of the symbols from the second sub-group of symbols. The selected symbols from the second sub-group of symbols and the first sub-group of symbols forming an instant sub-group of symbols. The control unit being further configured to randomly select a plurality of symbols associated with the display area from the instant sub-group of symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 27, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Yuji Ono
  • Patent number: 11080964
    Abstract: A casino management networked computer system is described. The networked computer system includes a database server computer and an application server computer coupled to the database server computer and to a plurality of gaming devices. The database server processor is programmed to generate and store a program file including a patron logic matrix that includes data records of patron ranking information included in the spreadsheet. Each data record includes a market definition value, a patron ranking value, a theoretical loss value, and a comp reinvestment data. The application processor is programmed to calculate patron comp point values based on the comp reinvestment data and patron wager data included in a patron data record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 6, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey George, Michael Crittenden
  • Patent number: 11069181
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides a game feature. The gaming machine includes an operation unit, a display unit, a memory device and a game control unit. The operation unit receives an operation input of the player. The display unit is configured to display a game screen including computer generated graphics. The memory device stores a game execution program including computer instructions for generating the game feature. The game control unit executes the game execution program to provide the game feature and is coupled to the operation unit, the display unit and the memory device. The game control unit includes a processor programmed to display a game feature structure on the game screen on the display unit. The game feature structure includes a wheel having a plurality of wedges. Each wedge has an associated indicia. The indicia are from a set of indicia which includes a plurality of prize symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Majgan Beria, John Pariseau
  • Patent number: 11055968
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a controller. The operation unit receives an operation of the player. The display unit displays a primary game and a feature. The controller establishes an outcome of the primary game and establishes a primary game award. The controller establishes a base feature award as a function of the primary game award, sets a feature trigger award equal to a multiple of the base feature award and provides the game feature to the player in response to detecting a trigger condition. The game feature includes a number of free plays. For each free play, the controller establishes an outcome of the free play, detects a second trigger condition and responsively awards the feature trigger award to the player and sets the feature trigger award to another multiple of the base feature award.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Masaya Matsuda
  • Patent number: 11043064
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is an operation of the player. The display unit displays a display area with a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. The control unit allows a player to establish a wager, to establish one of a plurality of predefined subsets of the cells as a feature area as a function of the wager and to provide a game in response to player operation. The control unit randomly selects a plurality of symbols associated with the display area. Each symbol in the plurality of symbols is associated with one of the plurality of cells in the grid. The plurality of symbols forming an outcome of the game; detect an occurrence of a predetermined symbol in the feature area; and provide a game feature as a function of the occurrence of the predetermined symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Benjamin Merkel, John Pariseau
  • Patent number: 11043071
    Abstract: A casino management networked computer system is described. The networked computer system includes a patron evaluation server computer including a processor programmed to initiate a tier review operation for patron account records having gaming transaction occurring within a predefined period of time. The processor programmed to determine a current tier level in a selected patron account record and determine a target tier level having a higher ranking. The processor is programmed to identify a tier point amount and an evaluation period associated with the target tier level, retrieve gaming transactions occurring within the identified evaluation period, calculate an amount of tier points based on the retrieved gaming transactions, and modify the selected patron account record to upgrade the tier level to the target tier level upon determining the calculated amount of tier points is equal to or greater than the tier point amount associated with the target tier level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 22, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Crittenden
  • Patent number: 11030848
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display first and second display areas. A number of free bonus may be awarded during a primary game. During the free spins, any occurrences of a predetermined symbol is copied to the second display area. After the free spins, a secondary bonus may be provided using the second display area and the copied symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 10977891
    Abstract: A gaming machine is described herein. The gaming machine includes a control unit programmed to display a primary game screen including a plurality of virtual reels, receive a signal indicating a wager being placed on the primary game, and initiate a bonus feature selection game by displaying a bonus feature selection game screen including a plurality of bonus features. The processor receives a signal indicating one or more wagers being placed on the bonus feature game by the player, and responsive to each wager, randomly selects a bonus feature from the plurality of bonus features and modifies a bonus feature image to indicate a number of times the corresponding bonus feature has been randomly selected. The processor receives a signal to terminate the bonus feature game and initiates an instance of the primary game using the selected bonus features.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 13, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 13, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenichi Kamano
  • Patent number: 10970958
    Abstract: A gaming machine that provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit receives an operation of a player. The display unit displays a rotating selector device including a plurality of cells arranged in a grid. The grid has a column and a plurality of rows. A reel strip having a plurality of segments is associated with the column. Each segment has a plurality of segment symbol positions. Each segment symbol position having an associated symbol. During a game, the control unit displays and rotates the selector device and establishes a stop segment based on the timing of player input. The control unit select a symbol position of the stop segment to establish an outcome of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 6, 2021
    Assignee: KONAMI GAMING, INC.
    Inventors: Tomoaki Hirai, Yuji Taniguchi
  • Patent number: 10885749
    Abstract: To provide a gaming machine that can provide a novel game in which the game progression is varied, a method, and a program for providing a game. In the gaming machine 1, the symbol blocks B1 and B2 displayed in the block display region 66 move in the directions D1 and D2, which intersect in the direction of reel rotation, when moving in the symbol display region 60. That is, the symbol blocks B1 and B2 are added to the movement in the direction of reel rotation, and also move in a direction orthogonal to the direction of reel rotation. Therefore, compared to a case in which a symbol block moves in the direction of reel rotation, prediction by a player of the positions where the symbol blocks B1 and B2 are finally disposed is difficult.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Daisuke Nakamura
  • Patent number: D934347
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Samuel Ocampo, Norio Tone, Scott Allen Clear