Patents Examined by John M Hotaling
  • Patent number: 7682239
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to allow players to wager on video games. The method disclosed herein can allow players to win or lose money while partaking in any video game previously played for entertainment purposes. A player can purchase play time on a game, play the game and earn monetary prizes during the game, and then redeem the monetary prizes for real cash.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: Olympian Gaming LLC
    Inventors: Stacy Friedman, Jon Muskin
  • Patent number: 7682248
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Alexdander Casey Naglestad Cohen, Tonja Marie Ferry, Adam Koby
  • Patent number: 7682249
    Abstract: A disclosed thin light-emitting interface displays may be mounted to a surface on the gaming machine. The light-emitting elements used in the interface displays may be provided from electro-luminescent elements, organic light emitting diode (OLED) elements and combinations thereof. The thin light-emitting interface displays may be used to input and output gaming information on the gaming machine. The gaming information that is input and output via the interface display may be used to provide: 1) a game of chance played on the gaming machine, 2) player tracking services, 3) game services available on the gaming machine and 4) attract features. In one embodiment, a game input interface display is provided with a plurality of input buttons where a number and a format of the input buttons are dynamically configurable for different types of games of chance played on the gaming machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Ron Winans, Richard Ollins
  • Patent number: 7682246
    Abstract: A gaming device including a free activation mode having a predetermined number of free activations wherein the probability of extending the free activation mode is increased by a triggering event which triggers an unlimited number of free activations. A termination event terminates the unlimited fee activations. A freezing event freezes the number of remaining free activations. A resetting event resets the number of remaining free activations. A locking event causes at least one symbol or at least one card to remain unchanged or lock during the unlimited free activations. The gaming device generates a plurality of symbols while not changing the locked symbol or re-deals the remaining cards an unlimited number of times until a termination event occurs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Karen M. Cregan, Anthony J. Baerlocher, Ryan W. Cuddy, Erick T. Ching, Jasonlee Kissee Hohman
  • Patent number: 7677971
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Alexander Casey Naglestad Cohen, Tonja Marie Ferry, Adam Koby
  • Patent number: 7677948
    Abstract: An Entertainment System in combination with a commercially purchased toy, wherein the system allows a toy user to register the toy online using a registration code, allowing the user access to various entertainment activities and scenarios in a “virtual world” including a virtual representation of the toy, via a computer connected to the Internet. The system then encourages the user to purchase additional toys to enjoy additional benefits using the Entertainment System. The Entertainment System including a database subsystem, a registration subsystem, a server subsystem, and a virtual world providing subsystem.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Ganz
    Inventor: Howard Ganz
  • Patent number: 7677968
    Abstract: A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a display for displaying three or more reels, one having at least one triggering symbol representing a guaranteed award when it lands along an active payline selected by the player. When the triggering symbol lands along the selected payline, resulting in a triggering outcome, a corresponding outcome is retrieved from a table containing mappings of each triggering outcome with a corresponding outcome. The table is predetermined such that at the time the triggering outcome is presented to the player, the outcome is preordained. The outcome can further include another triggering symbol, in which case that winning outcome is further mapped to a retriggered winning outcome. In addition to mapping to each triggering outcome with a outcome, each outcome can be mapped to a game enhancement parameter.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Brad Schultz, Alfred Thomas
  • Patent number: 7677972
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Alexdander Casey Naglestad Cohen, Tonja Marie Ferry, Adam Koby
  • Patent number: 7673877
    Abstract: A game that uses a source of compressed gas, such as compressed air, to provide gas to move a play object across a play surface. The compressed gas source is capable of providing compressed gas to jets in communication with the play surface for directing the gas to move the play object across the play surface. A triggering device allows the player to select one or more jets and selectively trigger the flow of gas from a selected jet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Inventor: Terry Ruddell
  • Patent number: 7674195
    Abstract: A baseball glove with integrated illumination means and circuitry that can control the pattern and timing of the illumination means to produce a lightshow. The lightshow may be triggered by the glove catching a ball, or by a separate switch. Optionally, the lightshow may be accompanied by audio signals.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Inventor: Nick Romcevich
  • Patent number: 7674170
    Abstract: A method for lottery wagering on actual events. The method according to the present invention includes selecting a subset of wagering data DW from a set of pre-qualifying data DPQ prior to conclusion of a pre-qualifying event of a phased competition consisting of a pre-qualifying event and a final event. The method further includes assembling pre-qualifying data DPQ for preliminary participants after conclusion of a pre-qualifying event and assembling concluding data DC for final participants after conclusion of the final event. Winners are selected from the final participants after the final event based on the concluding data. Winning lottery data DL is determined from a correlation between the winners' and their respective pre-qualifying data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2003
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Inventors: James M. Odom, Scott D. Yellich
  • Patent number: 7674179
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Alexdander Casey Naglestad Cohen, Tonja Marie Ferry, Adam Koby
  • Patent number: 7674171
    Abstract: Products and processes are disclosed for receiving a lottery record associated with a sale of a lottery ticket. The lottery record includes a plurality of lottery numbers, and a condition for creating at least one entry that includes the lottery numbers in a lottery drawing. It is determined if the condition is satisfied. The at least one entry in the lottery drawing is created only if the condition satisfied.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Walker Digital, LLC
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, Stephen C. Tulley, James A. Jorasch
  • Patent number: 7674173
    Abstract: A gaming machine (10) has a display (14) and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display (14).The game controller is arranged to play a game (16) wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display (14). If a predefined winning event occurs, the machine (10) awards a prize. When a special symbol is carried by a symbol-carrying element into a display position on the display (14), the special symbol substitutes as more than one occurrence of a standard symbol of the game (16).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Patent number: 7674178
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: March 9, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Alexander Casey Naglestad Cohen, Tonja Marie Ferry, Adam Koby
  • Patent number: 7670220
    Abstract: Racing games and other computer-implemented games having garage, showroom and test drive features are disclosed herein. In one embodiment, a method for implementing a racing game in accordance with one embodiment of the invention includes displaying a plurality of cars in a simulated showroom setting. Game players can roam freely about the showroom in first-person mode and inspect the cars in close detail. If a player desires, he or she can test drive one or more of the cars to assess its performance before competing in a racing event with the car.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 14, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Martyn Chudley, James Jen
  • Patent number: 7670222
    Abstract: A device for and method of providing a poker game. In a broad aspect, the method is generally directed to a game in which, in a particular game instance, a hand is initially provided with a plurality of cards from which a user may select cards to be shifted from the hand and replaced with replacement cards. If at least one card is selected to be shifted from the hand by the user, the game is repeated for a subsequent game instance, with the hand initially provided in the subsequent game instance comprising cards corresponding to the cards that were selected to be shifted from the hand. In one exemplary embodiment, the plurality of cards is provided as a sequence of subsets of cards (e.g. five cards provided as a sequence of two initial cards followed by three individually-dealt supplementary cards), and in a particular game instance, the user decides whether or not to shift from the hand each card of a given subset in the sequence before the next subset of cards in the sequence is provided to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 21, 2005
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2010
    Assignee: CryptoLogic Inc.
    Inventors: Sergiy Rozkin, Vladimir Dunaevsky
  • Patent number: 7666080
    Abstract: A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage medium for implementing a bonus round of a slot machine game. A plurality of concealed elements are displayed, and a player can reveal each element one by one, until a terminating symbol is revealed. Combinations are formed and a player is awarded a highest combination upon revealing a terminating symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Olympian Gaming LLC
    Inventor: Jon H Muskin
  • Patent number: 7666093
    Abstract: A method of gaming is disclosed wherein progressive award values may be increased in response to certain pre-established game outcomes, wager amounts or random events. The increased progressive award values may be based on a primary game or secondary game outcome. Another innovation is the resetting of progressive awards upon completion of a bonus event whether or not award actually won in said bonus event. Player tracking systems permit progressive award values to be linked to a particular player such that the progressive award values remain personal to the player. Re-setting increased progressive award values is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 2, 2005
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Ernie M. Lafky, Mark C. Nicely
  • Patent number: 7666097
    Abstract: A method for generating an image in a virtual space seen from a predetermined viewpoint, has: judging whether to start a motion of a first object placed in the virtual space; if it is judged to start the motion of the first object, automatically controlling the motion of the first object in a predetermined moving direction; if it is judged to start the motion of the first object, locating a plurality of effect objects at a front side in the moving direction from a location of the first object; and making the plurality of effect objects sequentially not displayed in proximate order from the location of the first object at time that it is judged to start the motion of the first object.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 23, 2010
    Assignee: Namco Bandai Games Inc.
    Inventors: Tomohiro Mori, Takahiro Fukuda