Patents Examined by Benjamin H. Layno
  • Patent number: 7571910
    Abstract: A dual wheel roulette game apparatus and method of use is disclosed. An apparatus for facilitating a roulette game includes two distinct, independent roulette wheels. Numbered compartments on each wheel designate conventional roulette numbers (e.g., 1-36) such that a number has two chances to occur. Additional compartments are added to each wheel to increase the number of wagering opportunities. One wheel may have more compartments than the other such that a jackpot wager and payout may be based on outcomes associated with lower probability outcomes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 10, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Inventor: Edward A. Launzel
  • Patent number: 7572185
    Abstract: An animated gaming system that includes a housing configured to hold gaming components, a game controller, a three-dimensional animated figure and at least two display containers located in the housing, is disclosed. The display containers are configured to hold and agitate moveable display objects, for example display balls. The containers are at least partially transparent allowing players to view the moveable display objects, such as in a jumbled ball display. The three-dimensional animated figure includes at least one animated element that is movable and the animated figure can be made to appear to indicate at least one of the containers and subsequent display of a prize object. A gaming method involving use of the animated figure and containers with moveable display objects is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2009
    Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerald C. Seelig, Lawrence M. Henshaw
  • Patent number: 7562877
    Abstract: A method of playing a blackjack game permits a player to place two wagers, obtaining two blackjack hands, and a bonus wager to participate in a side bet. A dealer deals two up cards for each of the two wagers, and the side bet is resolved by evaluating the 4 up-cards in accordance with a predetermined hierarch of winning poker results. An alternative manner of play includes the dealer's up-card with the 4 up-cards of the player, with resolution obtained utilizing winning 5-card poker results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Inventors: Teresa Lyn Hess, legal representative, Richard F. Hess
  • Patent number: 7563165
    Abstract: A gaming device having a reservoir for holding a plurality of display objects, an emptying mechanism for causing the display objects to fall out of the reservoir, an actuator for activating the emptying mechanism, and a controller configured to activate the actuator, is disclosed. The gaming device may further include a display area and a display object transport device to move the display objects from the display area to the reservoir. The reservoir of the gaming device may simulate a bank vault where the display objects further simulate coins as they fall out of the bank vault. A gaming method involving the aforementioned device is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 21, 2009
    Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company, Inc.
    Inventors: Jerald C. Seelig, Lawrence M. Henshaw
  • Patent number: 7559553
    Abstract: A lottery ticket including at least one first play area and at least one second play area in which authenticating indicia is printed beneath the scratch-off layer in the second play area and on top of the scratch-off layer in the second play area. If the player decides not to play the second play area, the authenticating indicia on top of the scratch-off layer in the second play area authenticates the lottery ticket and the prize that is won. If the second play area is played, then the authenticating indicia printed below the scratch-off layer is employed as the authenticating indicia.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: Oberthur Gaming Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: René LaPorte, Benoit Mirandette
  • Patent number: 7559836
    Abstract: A method and apparatus that can be used by a casino to maintain a bonus round progressive jackpot that can be earned during a bonus round. When a player plays a slot machine and gains entry into a bonus round, the player then has the opportunity to win the bonus round progressive jackpot. The bonus round can involve player skill, and the lack of player skill can cause a contribution of a monetary amount to the bonus round progressive jackpot so that the player, or a successive player, has an opportunity to win the bonus round progressive jackpot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2009
    Assignee: ID Interactive LLC
    Inventors: Ignacio Gerson, Mauricio Lambreras, Ignacio Jaureguiberry, Diego Yanivello
  • Patent number: 7556266
    Abstract: A card feed system for feeding cards into a card handling system is disclosed. The system includes a card input department with a playing card support surface, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. The playing card support surface slopes towards the front wall at an angle between 12 and 22 degrees. A slot is provided in the front wall to allow single cards to pass into the card handling system. The card feed system also includes a card moving system to advance cards through the slot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 7, 2009
    Assignee: Shuffle Master GmbH & Co KG
    Inventors: Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn
  • Patent number: 7549642
    Abstract: A game begins with a game wager and an optional bust wager. The initial dealer hand and the initial player hand are dealt. A final dealer hand and final player hand are formed by hitting or standing and the player is rewarded on his game wager if the final player hand is closer to a target value than the final dealer hand is. If the dealer busts on exactly three cards, the player wins the bust wager. Payoff on the bust wager is optionally variable and determined by the third card of the final dealer hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Nu Games LLC
    Inventor: Joseph Centrone
  • Patent number: 7549638
    Abstract: A die having a regular polyhedral form, at least one opening face of the die being hinged to an adjacent hinge face such that the at least one opening face can be opened by pressing on at least one pressure face adjacent to the at least one opening face.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Assignee: Genie Toys PLC
    Inventor: Casey William Norman
  • Patent number: 7549921
    Abstract: A game player selection device for indicating a turn in a multiple player game is provided. The game player selection device includes a housing, a selector, a number of indicators, and a control circuit. The selector is disposed on the housing and is used to select one of the operating modes. The operating modes include sequential, random and random but fair. The indicators are dispersed on the housing. The control circuit is coupled to the selector and the plurality of indicators. The control circuit temporarily activates at least one of the indicators based on the selected operating mode. As such, the turn in the multiple player game is indicated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2009
    Inventor: Timothy C. Storm
  • Patent number: 7543819
    Abstract: The present invention provides a progressive fact or trivia game. In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented as a series of cards, each having a unique multiple choice question as well as a unique number or other identifying indicia placed conspicuously thereon. After each possible answer to the question, another number or identifying indicia appears referencing a separate card in the series. When a player answers a question from a given card, the number or other indicia placed beside the player's answer indicates the next card to which the player should proceed. The next card holds the next question for the player to answer. The present invention can be implemented through physical cards or electronically over a network, for example.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 20, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 9, 2009
    Assignee: RSVP Design Ltd.
    Inventor: Geoffrey Cox
  • Patent number: 7540498
    Abstract: Methods and systems for conducting gaming activities are disclosed. In one method, wagers are placed on a game and cards are dispensed. An indicia of a play card is used to determine an outcome of the game. A feature bet is included, wherein if the indicia of the play card is a predetermined indicia, an indicia of the second card is identified. If a predetermined indicia on the second card is identified, a feature bet payoff is made to players that wagered on the feature bet. A method and system for a roulette game are also disclosed. A roulette wheel is used to determine which card of a deck of cards determines the outcome of the roulette game. A craps game system and method are further described. Dice are used to determine which card of a deck of cards determines the outcome of the craps game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 2, 2009
    Assignee: The Pala Band of Mission Indians
    Inventors: Michael P. Crenshaw, David F. Fendrick, Jerome H. Turk
  • Patent number: 7533886
    Abstract: A method of playing a four-card poker game by at least one player and a banker who is preferably also the dealer. The player has the option to wager against the dealer, wager against a predetermined payout schedule, or both. Additional options of a progressive wager and/or a bad beat wager are also possible with the present game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2009
    Assignee: Shuffle Master, Inc.
    Inventors: James Thomas Kenny, Larry Emmanuel Kekempanos
  • Patent number: 7530570
    Abstract: A lottery ticket including at least one game area with at least one play area where each play area includes a plurality of play regions with each play region having a first indicia covered by an opaque scratch-off layer and a second indicia appearing above the scratch-off layer. The player removes at least one of the scratch-off layers and if the first indicia appearing in such activated play regions matches any one of the second indicia in a non-activated play region, a prize may be won.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Oberthur Gaming Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: James L. Nulph, Rhonda S. Gillen
  • Patent number: 7530573
    Abstract: A game is provided including cards and puzzle components. The cards may include collection cards, assembly cards, and action-altering cards that may affect assembly or manipulation of the puzzle components. The players work together to complete assembly of the puzzle or another joint task, such as matching of the cards. Consequently, the players are encouraged to cooperate as a team towards a common goal. The game also provides participants with an opportunity to practice their memorization, matching, and assembly skills.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 12, 2009
    Assignee: Mattel, Inc.
    Inventors: Kimberly V. Matilla, Benjamin Blagg
  • Patent number: 7527268
    Abstract: This variation of 5-card poker is played with a standard poker deck (52 cards), and uses the standard valuation of hands. During play, the players are playing both their own hand and a “party hand”. Improving one's hand, and, if applicable, wagering, requires exchanging cards from the hand one is playing with the party hand, with the restriction that the party hand must be improved using a standard poker ranking system. Both hands the public and the private will then split the pot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 11, 2006
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Inventor: John Dominick Scapaticci
  • Patent number: 7527265
    Abstract: A method of dealing a card game is taught wherein cards are used in place of dice. The cards are dealt to locations on a table and a randomizing event is used to select from one or more of the dealt cards which appear on a gaming table. To allow the player to exercise some control, one or more cards are selected to determine a roll utilizing a random method; such as dice, a spinning wheel, selection of a space at random or a random number generator. A method is used to select a card based on the selection of the space on which the card is dealt. A method of dealing a card game is taught wherein cards representing dice having a least four sides are utilized using variations of rules for games such as 1) traditional craps game, 2) Four The Money game, 3) high low craps, or 4) roulette. By repeatedly shuffling either two sets of six cards numbered 1 through 6, or one set of 36 cards (representing all of the rolls of a set of two six sided dice) traditional craps rules may be followed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2009
    Assignee: Lakes Entertainment, Inc.
    Inventor: Lyle Berman
  • Patent number: 7523936
    Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus and method for moving playing cards from a first group of cards into plural hands of cards, wherein each of the hands contains a random arrangement of cards. The apparatus comprises a card receiver for receiving the first group of cards, a single stack of card-receiving compartments generally adjacent to the card receiver, the stack generally vertically movable, an elevator for moving the stack, a card-moving mechanism between the card receiver and the stack, and a microprocessor that controls the card-moving mechanism and the elevator so that an individual card is moved into an identified compartment. The number of compartments receiving cards and the number of cards moved to each compartment may be selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 1, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Shuffle Master, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Feraidoon Bourbour, Troy D. Nelson, Robert J. Rynda, Paul K. Scheper, James Bernard Stasson, Ronald R. Swanson
  • Patent number: 7523937
    Abstract: A playing card handling system includes a pivoting pair of jaws to retrieve playing cards from a playing card receiver, for example a carousel. The rotational or angular velocity of a picker may be approximately equal to a rotational or angular velocity of a pickup roller, as the picker approaches the pickup roller.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2006
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Allen Fleckenstein
  • Patent number: 7510191
    Abstract: A casino game comprising one or more decks of standard playing cards and a layout which designates a first area for placing player cards and a second area composed of a plurality of betting areas. The object of the game being to make a good poker hand of five cards being composed of players' individual cards in conjunction with a community card. The preferred game apparatus includes a single deck of standard playing cards and a layout that provides betting areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2009
    Inventor: T. Christian Anthony Schlumbrecht