Patents Examined by Dmitry Suhol
  • Patent number: 10046231
    Abstract: A game system includes a housing to be held by a player. The housing incorporates an XY-axis acceleration sensor to detect an acceleration in a X-axis direction and a Y-axis direction and a Z-axis contact switch to detect an acceleration in a Z-axis direction. The sensor and switch detect at least one of an amount (e.g., tilt amount, movement amount, impact amount or the like) and a direction (e.g., tilt direction, movement direction, impact direction or the like) of a change applied to the housing. A simulation program provides simulation such that a state of a game space is changed related to at least one of the amount and direction of the change applied to the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Iwao Masuyama, Toshiaki Suzuki, Akira Tahara
  • Patent number: 10026263
    Abstract: A skill level initiated interleaved wagering system is disclosed, including: an interactive controller configured to: communicate an application telemetry communication comprising application telemetry; scan an application resource instruction; and scan a wager outcome communication; a wager controller constructed to: scan a wager instruction; generate the wager outcome; communicate, to the application controller, the wager outcome communication comprising the wager outcome; and the application controller operatively connecting the interactive controller and the wager controller and constructed to: determine an application level change, wherein the application level is associated with a user; generate the wager instruction comprising one or more wager parameters used in determining wager outcomes; communicate, to the wager controller, the wager instruction; scan the wager outcome communication from the wager controller; generate the application resource instruction comprising application resources; communicat
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Assignee: Gamblit Gaming, LLC
    Inventors: Miles Arnone, Frank Cire, Eric Meyerhofer
  • Patent number: 9990808
    Abstract: Games, lotteries, and/or sweepstakes as well as tickets, systems, technologies, and/or methods related thereto. In some embodiments, unique games and/or unique administrations of games and/or unique tickets useful for participating in games. In certain preferred embodiments, games which can be administrated or participated in contemporaneously with an event, such as a sporting event, music performance, or trade show (e.g., at the same time or during a live event). In certain of such preferred embodiments, participants in games make no payment to participate in the games.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Inventors: Reidar Magnus Nordby, Finn Harald Andreassen, Nikolai Fasting
  • Patent number: 9990858
    Abstract: Provided is a golf swing classification method that is capable of optimizing selection of a golf club. A golf swing classification method when a golf club hits a golf ball according to the present invention includes the steps of: acquiring acceleration in at least a single point on the golf club or in at least one point that follows the single point during the golf swing; and mapping a behavior of the golf club based on a time period from a time point when an absolute value of the acceleration is at a maximum to a time point when the golf club hits the golf ball.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignees: BRIDGESTONE CORPORATION, Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Yoshikazu Senno, Koji Takao, Daisuke Kondo, Hideo Matsunaga, Hirotada Iwade
  • Patent number: 9987556
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system for providing a virtualized application hosting environment comprising: a plurality of application/game servers each having a memory for storing application program code and data and a processor for executing the application program code and processing the data on behalf of a client; a virtualization service executed on each of the application/game servers, the virtualization service comprising a file redirection module for redirecting file system operations generated by the application program code to one or more virtualized file locations; and a registry redirection module for intercepting registry operations generated by the application program code and executing the registry operations on behalf of the application program code at one or more virtualized registry locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 5, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventors: Vinod Mamtani, Jay Markello, Brett McLarnon
  • Patent number: 9984535
    Abstract: A method and system for providing a fantasy competition, in which the method includes determining a set of real-world players eligible for scoring in a fantasy competition; assigning a value for each of the real-world players; determining a salary cap for the fantasy competition; randomly assigning real-world players to a team roster; performing a draft in which the participants select real-world players who were not randomly assigned to a team roster; randomly assigning one or more real-world players to a taxi squad; receiving an indication of the real-world players assigned to the active roster; determining whether the combined value of the real-world players assigned to the active roster exceeds the salary cap; and performing a fantasy competition in which a score for each team roster associated with a participant is based on the performance, in one or more real-world events, of the real-world players assigned to the active roster.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Inventor: James M. Odom
  • Patent number: 9981180
    Abstract: A die rolling and identification apparatus having a die container with a die shaker, an opening connector and a die slide and containing a least one die, the opening connector is between the die shaker and the die slide to enable the die to move between the die shaker and the die slide through the opening connector; a motor and a plurality of gears connected to the motor. The plurality of gears turn the die container, the die slide has a slide lower surface and slide upper surface, the slide lower surface and the slide upper surface are substantially parallel such that the die slides in the die slide without rolling, the die shaken in the die shaker are stopped in a prescribed position in the die slide and the die are read by light sensors disposed on a surface of the die slide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2018
    Inventors: Takashi Koyanagi, Koichi Mori
  • Patent number: 9959704
    Abstract: An electronic wagering system may have a player input system, a game processor and a random outcome wagering event system in communication with the game processor. The electronic wagering system receives wagers on a wagering event generating a random outcome event that is used to determine outcomes on received wagers. The processor accounts for wagers placed, credits entered, wagers lost and wagers won and credit status. When the gaming system does not require a contribution to a non-gaming institution, the player input system must contain a specific control that enables a player to input instructions on each of or at least one of recipient(s) of a charitable contribution, amount of contribution from either credit status or directly from winnings before being contributed to the credit status.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2014
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Inventors: Joze Pececnik, Aljosa Krupenko, Jamie Abrahamson
  • Patent number: 9950256
    Abstract: A device comprising a High Dimensional Touch Parameter (HDTP) touch capability that can selectively function, as desired by the user, as one or more of a game controller that connects to a game console via network connections, an independent portable/mobile game device with limited but sufficient capacity of processor/memory, a controller for a game console connected remotely through the internet and or a storage device/media player that can store gaming history, personal information, or media files. In an embodiment the device comprises at least one processor for executing at least one algorithm, the algorithm including at least a game, at least one touch sensor providing real-time tactile information to at least one algorithm, the algorithm implementing at least on HDTP function, and at least one networking element configured to network the device to at least the internet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NRI R&D PATENT LICENSING, LLC
    Inventor: Seung E. Lim
  • Patent number: 9950247
    Abstract: Pinball machines are described. A method includes detecting an event during a game played at least in part over a surface of a playfield in a pinball machine. The playfield has first and second playfield portions. In response to the event, a playfield reducer located between the first and second portions is electronically activated in a manner sufficient to prevent a pinball from traveling between the first and second playfield portions. A pinball machine includes a playfield reducer that is operable to be in and transition between first and second positions during normal gameplay. When the playfield reducer is in the first position, the pinball is capable of rolling into and out of a portion of the playfield surface, and when the playfield reducer is in the second position, the playfield reducer prevents the pinball from accessing or from leaving the portion of the playfield surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: Multimorphic, Inc.
    Inventor: Gerald Stellenberg
  • Patent number: 9950251
    Abstract: In some embodiments, a system comprises an interface, a set of compilation rules, a trigger indication selection module, and a compilation reel generation module. The interface may be configured to receive metadata corresponding to gameplay on a digital device. The metadata may include a set of trigger indicators associated with a set of gameplay events occurring during the gameplay. The set of trigger indicators may be based on a set of trigger conditions occurring during the gameplay. The trigger indicator selection module may be configured to select a subset of the set of trigger indicators based on the set of compilation reel rules. The compilation reel generation module may be configured to generate a compilation reel based on the subset of trigger indicators selected by the trigger indicator selection module, the compilation reel including video of the gameplay events corresponding to the subset of trigger indicators.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
    Inventors: Michael Lewis, Hans Van Veenendaal, Jonathan Back, Thomas Bruckschlegel
  • Patent number: 9947172
    Abstract: A game machine includes a display device that displays a game screen in which virtual reels formed by symbols are arranged so as to correspond one-to-one to cells as symbol stop positions. And, a game machine determines the symbol to stop in each cell through drawing, and controls a movement to change the symbol and a stop of the movement for each virtual reel based on a drawing result. Furthermore, a game machine determines a number of specific symbols that stop in the cells, and controls a movement of each virtual reel, which causes the specific symbols to appear in the cells, as one virtual reel group and a stop of the movement in units of virtual reel group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2018
    Assignee: KONAMI GAMING, INC.
    Inventors: Daisuke Nakamura, Hidetomo Yamashita, Hayato Mizue, Hiromitsu Negishi
  • Patent number: 9937425
    Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method are described for managing audio chat for an online video game or application. For example, a system according to one embodiment comprises: an online video game or application execution engine to execute an online video game or application in response to input from one or more users of the video game or application and to responsively generate audio and video of the video game or application; and a chat subsystem to establish audio chat sessions with the one or more users and one or more spectators to the video game or application, the chat subsystem establishing a plurality of audio chat channels including a spectator channel over which the spectators participate in audio chat and a user channel over which the users participate in audio chat.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventors: David R. Sullivan, Robert McCool, Stephen G. Perlman
  • Patent number: 9925542
    Abstract: A crushing device (100) is suitable for crushing pills (703), tablets, or other ingestive objects. The crushing device (100) includes a base (101), an anvil (104), an end pillar (105), and a support pillar (106). A threaded shaft (108) is disposed between the anvil (104) and the end pillar (105), and passes through an aperture (107) in the support pillar (106). The threaded shaft (108) is coupled to a crushing head (109), which translates toward the anvil (104) when a lever (110) coupled to the threaded shaft (108) is rotated radially about an axis (301) of the threaded shaft (108). When a pill crushing pouch (500) having pills (703) therein is placed between the crushing head (109) and the anvil (104), rotation of the lever (110) crushes the pills (703).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2011
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Medline Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Rosie A. Dow, Kenneth S. Chua, John Henry Kutsch
  • Patent number: 9925468
    Abstract: A snapshot of an emulated game may be generated by a client. At some point during the emulation of the emulated game, a snapshot initiator delivers a suspension request to an emulator. Once the suspension request is received, the emulator will suspend the emulated title. The emulator generates a snapshot of the emulated game by recording the current state of all devices being emulated. The snapshot is then delivered to the client. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract that will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Jacob P. Stine, Brian Michael Christopher Watson, Victor Octav Suba Miura, Nicholas J. Cardell
  • Patent number: 9928681
    Abstract: A monitoring system for monitoring customer activities within a casino enterprise can be used to determine a current utilization of casino activities so that the casino can offer an optimal mixture of activities. Further, the system can identify customers (whose loyalty a casino enterprise may wish to cultivate) based on their utilization of the activities. The monitoring system can passively track portable wireless devices and associate the portable wireless devices with activities within the casino enterprise that are not attributable to customers registered in a loyalty program. The person controlling a particular portable device can be unknown. A virtual customer account can be created where the first portable device is used to identify a virtual customer associated with the account. Based upon identification of the first portable device, activities can be associated with the virtual customer and store to the virtual customer account.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Steven G. LeMay, Jr., Dwayne R. Nelson
  • Patent number: 9925462
    Abstract: A drill unit 111 expands a dungeon based on a parameter in two directions from the starting point X and selects a start S and a goal G from each area expanded in two directions. Thus, it is possible to generate a path from the start S to the goal G passing through the starting point X. Moreover, it is possible to determine a board form of the whole dungeon by determining expanding directions with the parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: CAPCOM CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Kazuki Sakakibara
  • Patent number: 9922575
    Abstract: A vicarious coaching method included generating a plurality of play selection user interfaces associated with a first team playing football against a second team, The play selection user interfaces include a first play selection user interface corresponding to a first play parameter and indicating a plurality of first play parameter options. The first play selection user interface is generated based on historical data indicative of previous plays executed by the first team. Responsive to receiving user inputs to the plurality of play selection user interfaces, a play called by the user is identified. Responsive to obtaining play identification information indicative of a play executed by the first team and a result of the play executed, the play called by the user is then scored based on the play executed by the first team and the result of the play executed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 7, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Inventor: Charles Edward Coiner
  • Patent number: 9919225
    Abstract: An m×l array of randomly selected tokens may be provided as a playing field, and a second n×l array of randomly selected tokens may be provided as a hand. The player may select a cell within the m×l array to replace the token in said cell with a token in a corresponding cell of the n×l array. If the replacement results in a region of adjacent identical tokens in the m×l array, the tokens may be removed and the player's score incremented. If no plays are possible from the player's hand, the player may draw a new hand of randomly selected tokens to replace the tokens and/or blank spaces in the n×l array. Play continues until the player has exhausted a predetermined number of opportunities to draw a new hand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: FUNKITRON, INC.
    Inventor: David Walls
  • Patent number: 9914052
    Abstract: A system has a first web node, a first server node, a second server node, a push messaging server, and a second web node. The first web node receives a message from a first player at a first client node for a second player at a second client node within an online game. The first server node maintains a first persistent connection with the first client node. The second server node maintains a second persistent connection with the second client node. The push messaging server stores a game state of the first and second players of the online game, updates the game state based on the message, and notifies the first and second server node. The second web node receives the message from the push messaging server and forwards the message to the second client node via the second persistent connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 13, 2018
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Munson