Patents Examined by Kevin Carter
  • Patent number: 10238965
    Abstract: Methods and systems to identify options of secondary client devices for a device handover of game play include establishing a session of game play of a game for a primary client device by executing the game on a server for streaming video frames to the primary client device. A request is received to generate a profile of one or more secondary client devices that are identified to be local to the primary client device. The profile is configured to identify device attributes for the secondary client devices. A handover option is provided to the primary client device during game play, identifying one or more of the secondary client devices, based on the profile. A selection of a secondary client device identified by the handover option received from the primary client device causes pausing of the streaming of video frames to the primary client device, saving a game state for the game and providing an option to resume play of the game on the secondary client device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment America LLC
    Inventor: Roelof Roderick Colenbrander
  • Patent number: 10226701
    Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method of generating, for a given game map, an LOS catalog before gameplay and identifying a spawn location during gameplay based on the LOS catalog. For every unique pair of map nodes in a game map, the LOS catalog may indicate the minimum distance that must be traveled from a first map node of the pair to achieve LOS to a second map node of the pair, an identifier for the first map node, and an identifier for the second map node. When a gameplay session is initiated, the LOS catalog may be retrieved and used to identify relatively safe spawn points based on distances that must be traveled from enemy positions to achieve LOS to potential spawn points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: ACTIVISION PUBLISHING, INC.
    Inventors: Jeffrey C. Curley, Paul Kerby, Calvin Lin, Edward Alexander Hampton, Paul R. Haile
  • Patent number: 10220317
    Abstract: Systems, electronic devices, and methods provide haptic sensations as a function of eye gaze. A system may include a detector configured to determine a direction of an eye gaze of a user of the system, a processor configured to generate signal representative of a haptic effect based on the direction of the eye gaze, and a haptic output device configured to receive the signal from the processor and output the haptic effect to the user. A method for providing a haptic effect to a user of a system may include determining a direction of an eye gaze of the user of the system, generating a haptic effect based on the direction of the eye gaze, and outputting the haptic effect to the user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: IMMERSION CORPORATION
    Inventors: Danny A. Grant, Vincent Levesque
  • Patent number: 10204472
    Abstract: The gaming system and method includes a symbol type conversion. The gaming system includes a set of reels, where the reels are each associated with a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols. During a game play, the gaming system randomly generates a plurality of symbols from the set of symbols for the reels. Each symbol is associated with a symbol type. The gaming system randomly selects a first symbol from the set of symbols associated with a first type of symbol. The first symbol may convert to a second symbol associated with a second symbol type, based on a symbol conversion mapping. In some embodiments, if the conversion results in a player benefit, the gaming system replaces at least one displayed first symbol with a display of the second symbol on the reels. The gaming system analyzes the displayed symbols for winning symbol combinations for player awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2019
    Assignee: ADP GAUSELMANN GMBH
    Inventors: Michael Charles Halvorson, Josef Alexander Hartl
  • Patent number: 10186104
    Abstract: A system and method for synchronizing indicators of electronic gaming machines. The system providing a plurality of electronic gaming machines each having a control array and at least one electronic display operatively connected thereto, at least one lighting device operatively connected to the plurality of gaming machines and control circuitry, including a programmable processor, operatively connected to the lighting device. The lighting device having elements to present synchronized lighting effects at the plurality of gaming machines, the synchronized lighting effects including an attract mode and an emotive mode. The system registering a condition on at least one gaming machine and electrically transmitting a signal to the lighting device. The lighting device initiating a predetermined lighting effect at the plurality of machines in response to the registered condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: INCREDIBLE TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Daniel J. Schrementi, Richard Ditton, Scott J. Schoenberg, Daniel John Whelan
  • Patent number: 10183193
    Abstract: A fitness monitor comprises a housing, a wrist band, a motion sensor, a display, a non-transitory memory element and a processing element. The wrist band is coupled to the housing and configured to attach to a wrist of a user. The motion sensor is configured to sense motion of the user and generate motion data. The display is coupled to the housing and configured to present information associated with user activity. The memory element is located in the housing and configured to store the activity data and a daily activity goal. The processing element is operably coupled to the memory element and configured to determine daily activity data, a daily activity goal corresponding to a predetermined level of activity for the user, compute an activity countdown and level of inactivity, and present, on the display, the activity countdown and inactivity indicia indicating the level of inactivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 18, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 22, 2019
    Assignee: Garmin Switzerland GmbH
    Inventors: Wai C. Lee, Michael K. George, Andrew J. Skarsgard
  • Patent number: 10166475
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an input artefact and a set of shared parameters comprising a coding frame, one or more positioned elements, a travel path, and an initial position, and receiving an input artefact. The method includes initializing an output string and a head index and a tail index. The method includes traversing the travel path by, for each position: (i) determining whether the next position includes any positioned element; (ii) responsive to the next position not including any positioned element, filling the head index with a content character from the next position and incrementing the head index; (iii) responsive to next position including any positioned element, filling the tail index with a content character from the next position, and decrementing the tail index. The method includes setting said next position based on an attack position for the positioned element according to a variant of chess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frederic J. Bauchot, Graham Butler
  • Patent number: 10166476
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an input artefact and a set of shared parameters comprising a coding frame, one or more positioned elements, a travel path, and an initial position, and receiving an input artefact. The method includes initializing an output string and a head index and a tail index. The method includes traversing the travel path by, for each position: (i) determining whether the next position includes any positioned element; (ii) responsive to the next position not including any positioned element, filling the head index with a content character from the next position and incrementing the head index; (iii) responsive to next position including any positioned element, filling the tail index with a content character from the next position, and decrementing the tail index. The method includes setting said next position based on an attack position for the positioned element according to a variant of chess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frederic J. Bauchot, Graham Butler
  • Patent number: 10170013
    Abstract: Computerized assessments rely upon databases containing constantly changing assessment information including an identifier, questions, choices, and scoring criteria. A particular instance of an assessment, including captured questions and corresponding scoring criteria is stored. The captured questions are administered to assessment takers. The answers are linked to scoring criteria using the identifier, so that assessment results may be generated. The assessment instance includes a first data entity including a selection of questions and an instance identifier; and a second data entity including the instance identifier and scoring criteria. An API captures the assessment instance responsive to a request by an external program, then communicates the first data entity to the external program. The external program then communicates back assessment answers with the identifier. The API associates the responses with the second data entity using the identifier and creates scoring results.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 11, 2008
    Date of Patent: January 1, 2019
    Assignee: Questionmark Computing Limited
    Inventors: Paul Roberts, John Kleeman, Eric Shepherd
  • Patent number: 10159888
    Abstract: A location-and-event-tracking system includes radio-enabled anchors and tags on a field of play, e.g., a basketball court. Tags are attached to players and to balls or other game-play objects. The system determines the location in space of each of the tags. For tags connected to game-play objects, the system evaluates proximity to players to assess possession of the game-play object. If the game-play-object tag is not sufficiently close to a player for the player to be in possession of the object, the position of the game-play object is evaluated to determine whether the game-pay object is in a goal zone region. If so and the game-play object has been within an attempt zone, i.e., a sub-zone within the goal zone region, then the system determines whether a goal has been made by evaluating whether the game-play object passed in order through a number of sub-regions before, at, and after the goal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: SHOTTRACKER, INC.
    Inventors: Bruce C. Ianni, Davyeon D. Ross, Clint A. Kahler, Thomas J. Keeley
  • Patent number: 10143888
    Abstract: A system for tracking and monitoring a game ball, wirelessly gathering data from the ball, game elements, players, officials, to improve timeliness and accuracy of game, includes a wireless tag disposed within ball to provide an identification, wirelessly communicable with a receiver to indicate a position in X, Y, Z coordinates, such that ball edge locations are identified; wireless communication system tag reading devices arranged in an array, each configured to sense and read each wireless communication system tag; a pressure sensor disposed upon player and configured to send signal of sudden pressure change; a computer control center connected to the wireless communication system tag and tag reading devices, configured for receiving, computing, processing a plurality of game data and communicating a decisive signal for exact position for placement of ball; and a personal computing device worn by game official for communications and configured to send, receive data during game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 4, 2018
    Inventors: Craig Andrews, Judy Andrews
  • Patent number: 10115262
    Abstract: A rotating apparatus for a game system having a light-emitting device includes a rotating member that rotates on a fixing member, light-irradiated areas that are partitioned and formed in a circumferential direction of the rotating member, light sources annularly arranged in the fixing member that irradiate the light-irradiated areas with light, a light-blocking body that is formed in the rotating member so as to prevent the light, with which a specific light-irradiated area as a light irradiation target out of the light-irradiated areas is irradiated, from leaking into other light-irradiated areas and adjacent to the specific light-irradiated area, and a control unit that controls a timing of changing light intensity of the light sources, and the control unit turning on and off the light sources in synchronization with the rotation of the specific light-irradiated area as the light irradiation target.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 30, 2018
    Assignee: SEGA SAMMY CREATION INC.
    Inventors: Hiroki Ashigaya, Manabu Ohmizu, Masaki Kawabata
  • Patent number: 10092833
    Abstract: A game system in which game sessions involving player(s) may be recorded and saved as game records. A player or other entity may offer or market the game records to other players via one or more channels such as websites. The game records may be offered in exchange for virtual or real currency, or for free. Player profiles for the player(s) that recorded the original game session may be provided with the game records. A player that obtains a game record may replay the recorded game session to watch the game play, or alternatively may choose to participate in the replay by assuming control of a character in the game to play with the original player's character as simulated according to the player's profile. If a player steps into a game session being replayed, a new universe/timeline may be spawned and saved as a new game record.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2018
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Michael Martin George
  • Patent number: 10080965
    Abstract: A method includes receiving an input artefact and a set of shared parameters comprising a coding frame, one or more positioned elements, a travel path, and an initial position, and receiving an input artefact. The method includes initializing an output string and a head index and a tail index. The method includes traversing the travel path by, for each position: (i) determining whether the next position includes any positioned element; (ii) responsive to the next position not including any positioned element, filling the head index with a content character from the next position and incrementing the head index; (iii) responsive to next position including any positioned element, filling the tail index with a content character from the next position, and decrementing the tail index. The method includes setting said next position based on an attack position for the positioned element according to a variant of chess.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 25, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Frederic J. Bauchot, Graham Butler
  • Patent number: 10068435
    Abstract: A gaming machine having a standard game play mode and a bonus feature play mode that include winning and non-winning reel set spins. The gaming machine includes a housing having a user interface and a display attached to the housing to enable games having standard and bonus game play modes. Standard game play mode displays a matrix of symbols including scatter symbols. The gaming machine evaluates scatter symbols in the matrix, whereby appearance of a predetermined number of scatter symbols in the matrix triggers bonus feature play mode and initializes a win chain counter. During bonus game play mode a winning reel set spin enables a new reel set spin while leaving the value of the win chain counter unchanged and a non-winning reel set spin decrements the win chain counter. When the win chain counter reaches a threshold value then bonus game play mode terminates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 4, 2018
    Assignee: Novomatic AG
    Inventor: Martin Gugler
  • Patent number: 10052553
    Abstract: An example system includes: a contactless communication part that performs contactless communication with a data storage medium having a contactless communication function; a data writing part that writes data to the data storage medium by the contactless communication part; a storage part that stores the data written by the data writing part; and a corruption determination part that determines whether the data stored in the data storage medium is corrupted or not. When the corruption determination part determines that the data is corrupted, the data writing part writes the data stored in the storage part, to the data storage medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 21, 2018
    Assignees: NINTENDO CO., LTD., AMBRELLA CO., LTD., THE POKÉMON COMPANY
    Inventors: Hiroshi Momose, Kaori Ando, Hideaki Araki, Takayuki Ito, Nayuta Taga, Yoshihiro Hatta
  • Patent number: 10046227
    Abstract: A device for training a golf swing addressed to a golfer having a supporting element on which a vertical rigid rod is placed. The rod is connected to a horizontal rigid rod which is connected to a terminal supporting element on which the golfer keeps his forehead continuously in touch. The device has a protruding element connected to the vertical rod on which a chainlet is connected at the end, and a golf ball is hanged and kept jointed to the chainlet. A laser emitting and receiving device is able to emit and receive a laser beam to detect the rotation angle of the player's bust in respect to the front direction. A system of video cameras and image processing software detect the orientation of the golf club at the moment of impact on the ball, and the golfer is then informed by the device if the swing was correct.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Inventor: Antonio Bocchetti
  • Patent number: 10039987
    Abstract: The present invention relates generally to e-commerce systems and methods, and more particularly, e-commerce systems and methods relating to an input device with an e-commerce button useful in conducting e-commerce transactions. Generally, the e-commerce button can be used to conduct various e-commerce transactions, depending on context and/or programming.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2018
    Assignee: Activision Publishing, Inc.
    Inventor: Paul Turland
  • Patent number: 10029180
    Abstract: A player character is caused to perform an action in accordance with an input. Action points that allow the player character to perform an action in a virtual world during a player turn are set, and a point is subtracted from the action points in accordance with the action of the player character during the player turn. The player turn is ended, and an opponent turn is started. Then, in causing the player character to perform an action, if the action points remain at a time of the end of the player turn, the player character is caused to automatically perform an action on a non-player character in the opponent turn.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 24, 2018
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Hitoshi Yamagami, Kazuhiro Yoshikawa, Yuya Ishii, Susumu Ishihara
  • Patent number: 10022623
    Abstract: A hand operated game controller for controlling a game console. Multiple push buttons are arranged on the surface of the game controller. The push buttons are placed in an arrangement that approximately matches the natural position of the fingers of the user's hands. As the user presses the buttons, control signals are sent from the buttons to the game console via wiring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2011
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2018
    Inventors: Dustin Huffer, Shawn Huffer