Patents Assigned to Universal Entertainment Corporation
  • Publication number: 20170278347
    Abstract: Provided is a player tracking device which is operable, even when an IC card is taken into a gaming machine while a player is playing a game, to read or write information from or to another IC card or the like through a simplified touch operation. The player tracking device includes: a card unit for storing information pertinent to a play outcome on the gaming machine in an IC card through wireless communication; and a touch unit for reading information from another IC card through the wireless communication.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2015
    Publication date: September 28, 2017
    Applicant: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Noritoshi KUKITA, Yuya KONNO, Jun HAISHIMA, Shigehiko KITAGAWA
  • Patent number: 9773368
    Abstract: To provide a gaming machine which holds a player's attention until symbols are rearranged by reel actions. The operation of the scroll of symbols of a first scroll line is changed under a condition that predetermined symbols are arranged on a pay line in a state where symbols of at least one first scroll line among a plurality of scroll lines are scrolled and symbols of remaining second scroll lines are stopped.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 26, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Jun Hirato, Motomichi Sato, Kenta Kitamura, Kazuo Okada
  • Patent number: 9754440
    Abstract: A game playing information integration system is provided which is capable of objectively performing selection and/or settings according to preference of a player, and is capable of effectively making entry into market, based on a result of logical analysis of a gaming machine invoking demands of a player as a user and a manger in gaming facility in a well-balanced manner. The system includes a plurality of gaming machine units and a server connected to enable communication with each gaming machine unit. Each gaming machine unit includes player identification information reading means, number-of-consumptions data output means, and number-of-payouts data output means. Gaming machine unit identification information is individually assigned to each of the gaming machine units. The server stores data storage means for storing each of number-of-consumptions data and number-of-payouts data in association with reception time data, player identification information, and gaming machine unit identification information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Kazuo Okada
  • Patent number: 9747756
    Abstract: As a normal game, symbols to be rearranged on a lower image display panel 141 are randomly determined, and the determined symbols are rearranged. When the combination of the rearranged symbols achieves bonus trigger, how many bonus symbol 167 is included in the symbols achieving the bonus trigger is included is determined. For the number of times corresponding the determined number of the bonus symbol 167, random determination is executed based on the bonus game number random determination table 192. The total sum of the numbers of times of execution of the free game having been awarded is awarded as the number of times of execution of the free game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 29, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Hiromoto Yamauchi, Hiroki Nakamura, Masumi Fujisawa, Hideko Aoki, Toshitaka Suzuki, Takehisa Itagaki, Yoichi Kato, Yukihiro Kawakami
  • Patent number: 9734481
    Abstract: The present application provides a system which determines, when the same data is read for a predetermined consecutive number of times from the chip placed in the bet area, that reading of the bet area is successful, while determines, when the same data is not read for a predetermined consecutive number of times, that reading of the bet area is unsuccessful, and terminates a reading process for the bet area when it is determined by the determination unit that reading of the bet area is successful, or performs a reading process for the bet area when it is determined by the determination unit that reading of the bet area is unsuccessful.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Emori, Shinsuke Yamaguchi, Toru Sugawara, Kouichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: 9734662
    Abstract: A gaming table device which can determine frauds precisely and human errors is provided. A plurality of antennas for reading medium identification information of the game medium disposed on a game table through a wireless communication are disposed at locations spaced away from each other, and when a first antenna of the plurality of antennas is selected, a second antenna spaced at a predetermined distance from the first antenna of the plurality of antennas is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 15, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kazuki Emori, Toru Sugawara, Kouichi Matsumoto, Shinsuke Yamaguchi
  • Patent number: 9728044
    Abstract: A gaming machine having a display that displays a determined screen including a character, during execution of a game, a touch panel sensor, disposed above the display, that is capable of detecting the contact position, the position of the character contacted by a player, and a CPU that determines the contact position of the character as well as the contact mode, and that displays an image on the display, that is changed based on the result of this determination.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 8, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuo Okada, Hirobumi Toyoda
  • Patent number: 9721436
    Abstract: When a normal game is executed and a benefit awarded as a result of the game is the right to execute a free game, video reel groups of types A to E are randomly associated with first to fifth video reels 3a to 3e, respectively, a player selects one of the first to fifth video reels 3a to 3e, the type of the video reel group associated with the selected video reel is set as a video reel 3 used in the free game, and the free game is executed by using the selected video reel 3. After the free game is executed 6 times, whether to award the right to execute the free game again is randomly determined, and the right to execute the free game 6 times is awarded if it is determined that the right to execute the free game is awarded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 1, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Takehisa Itagaki, Masahiro Yoshida, Yukihiro Kawakami, Hiromoto Yamauchi, Hiroshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9710999
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine that is able to offer a variety of gaming patterns with avoidance of monotony during a free game that is a game played in a bonus game. A gaming machine, when a free game trigger is established, performs a control of shifting a game from a base game to a free game. In the free game, symbols are displayed in rotation and stopped in a symbol display region 4 in accordance with a result of a symbol lottery. When picture symbols are consecutively arranged on one reel, display regions where the consecutive symbols are arranged are coupled into a coupled display region, and a corresponding picture is displayed in the coupled display region.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 18, 2017
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Takehisa Itagaki, Yuji Miyagawa, Masahiro Yoshida, Naoki Terada
  • Patent number: 9697687
    Abstract: A gaming system includes: a reader configured to read chip identification information which identifies a chip used in a casino; a writer configured to write validity information, betting information, and information about whether the chip is received from a cashier or from a dealer into chip information based on the chip identification information; and a determination unit configured to determine the validity, the betting state, and the source based on the chip information, wherein the writer is configured to update the validity information from invalid to valid when the chip is handed from the cashier or the dealer to a player and vice versa, to update the betting information as being betted when the chip is placed on a betting area and vice versa.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Toshimi Koyama, Jun Fujimoto, Nobuyuki Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9697678
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine that is able to offer a variety of gaming patterns with avoidance of monotony during a free game that is a game played in a bonus game. A gaming machine, when a free game trigger is established, performs a control of shifting a game from a base game to a free game. In the free game, symbols are displayed in rotation and stopped in a symbol display region 4 in accordance with a result of a symbol lottery. In the display of the symbols in rotation, the symbols are scrolled in a direction reverse to a rotation direction employed in the base game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2014
    Date of Patent: July 4, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Takehisa Itagaki, Yoichi Kato
  • Patent number: 9691231
    Abstract: Probability of prize occurrence is easily controlled without provision of a blank between symbols on a reel. A gaming machine 300 includes a lower image display panel 141 configured to variable-display symbol arrays 170 each including a plurality of normal symbols 501 and a plurality of crest symbols 502 arranged among the normal symbols 501, and then rearrange the normal symbols 501 and the blank symbols 502 in a symbol display region 150 having a matrix of cells. The gaming machine 300 generates a line win or a scatter win when the normal symbols 501 are rearranged on the lower image display panel 141 in a predetermined manner, and generates a crest win which is lower than the line win and the scatter win when a predetermined number or more of the crest symbols 502 are rearranged.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Hiroki Saito
  • Patent number: 9669301
    Abstract: The present application provides a game peripheral device including an auxiliary light device available for long-time use. An emission brightness determination device for determining emission brightness of illumination light determines the emission brightness at first emission brightness under the condition where a brightness determination signal has been detected and determines the emission brightness at second emission brightness under the condition where an imaging device has taken an image of a player's face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 4, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazuki Emori
  • Patent number: 9672684
    Abstract: A gaming machine of the present invention stores a bet area on which a bet is placed and a game value placed as the bet in each gaming terminal, rotates and stops the wheel to determine a resulting symbol from the plurality of symbols, awards a payout based on the resulting symbol and the odds set for the bet area on which the bet is placed in the gaming terminal, and then adjusts the payout rate by changing the odds set for the bet areas in the gaming terminals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Katsuhiro Kido, Hiroki Munakata
  • Patent number: 9672682
    Abstract: Provided is a presentation effect device capable of providing a new presentation effect in which it is possible to change the state where a player can visibly recognize an object to be visibly recognized to the state where a player can visibly recognize the object without any movable member. A presentation effect device is provided with a plate-like panel, an accommodation space partitioned by the plate-like panel, the accommodation space for accommodating an object to be visibly recognized, and an illumination device for illuminating the object to be visibly recognized by a signal from the outside, wherein the plate-like panel is composed of a beam splitter for dividing incoming light into reflection light and transmitted light.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Kou Kobayashi, Takashi Izawa, Masumi Sakamoto
  • Patent number: 9672695
    Abstract: A gaming machine stores a plurality of notification patterns of the backlight unit displayable at least in the symbol rearrangement regions of the reel unit including the regions where the symbols are rearranged, a notification pattern being assigned to each of the notification patterns. The gaming machine randomly determines the symbols to be rearranged on the reel unit. The gaming machine determines a combination formed by the determined symbols. The gaming machine selects a notification pattern based on the determined combination. The gaming machine executes a selected notification pattern by the backlight unit, at a notification timing which is before the rearrangement of the symbols on the reel unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 24, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 6, 2017
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Tatsuya Teranishi, Akira Osawa, Kenji Enokido
  • Patent number: 9652932
    Abstract: An account adjusting system according to an embodiment of the invention comprises a game machine that pays an award corresponding to a kind of a prize of a game; and an account adjusting apparatus that adjusts an account for a user. The game machine has a paying section for determining an award corresponding to a kind of a prize of a game and a determining section for determining whether or not tax payment is required based on the award determined by the paying section, and when determining that tax payment is required, transmitting award information indicative of the award to the account adjusting apparatus. The account adjusting apparatus has a receiving section for receiving the award information; a tax payment amount calculating section for calculating a tax payment amount based on the award information; and a tax payment certificate providing section for producing an output to prepare a tax payment certificate based on the tax payment amount.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventor: Nobuyuki Nonaka
  • Patent number: 9652735
    Abstract: The present application provides a system which includes a registration unit which reads data from the chip located within the communication range at a first timing via the antenna, and registers the data in the database, an updating unit which reads data from the chip located within the communication range at a second timing which occurs later than the first timing via the antenna, and updates the database based on the data read, a determination unit which reads data from the chip located within the communication range at a third timing occurring later than the first timing via the antenna, and determines whether or not data of a chip other than the chip read is registered in the database, and a communication unit which, when it is determined by the determination unit that data of a chip other than the chip read is registered in the database, communicates individually with each chip other than the chip read.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 16, 2017
    Assignee: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kazuki Emori, Shinsuke Yamaguchi, Toru Sugawara, Kouichi Matsumoto
  • Patent number: RE46472
    Abstract: A gaming machine is provided, which includes a cabinet having a front opening, a front door, a display device, an input device and a controller. The front door is pivotably coupled to the cabinet via a hinge that is attached to a lateral end portion at a front face of the cabinet, and opens and closes the front opening. The display device is placed in the front face of the cabinet. The input device allows a player to perform operation related to the game. The front door has an operation table that projects forward from the cabinet. The input device is placed on the operation table. A cutout is arranged such that a side portion of the operation table closer to the hinge has a recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Koichiro Hashimoto
  • Patent number: RE46473
    Abstract: A gaming machine is provided, which includes a cabinet having a front opening, a front door, a display device, an input device and a controller. The front door is pivotably coupled to the cabinet via a hinge that is attached to a lateral end portion at a front face of the cabinet, and opens and closes the front opening. The display device is placed in the front face of the cabinet. The input device allows a player to perform operation related to the game. The front door has an operation table that projects forward from the cabinet. The input device is placed on the operation table. A cutout is arranged such that a side portion of the operation table closer to the hinge has a recess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 11, 2017
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Koichiro Hashimoto