Patents Examined by Lawrence Galka
  • Patent number: 9940795
    Abstract: A gaming system comprising a spheroid object, a surface of which is provided with a plurality of symbols, gaming means for causing the spheroid object to rotate along at least three separate axes of rotation, display means for displaying symbols provided on a part of the surface of the spheroid object as rotated by the gaming means in a display area of the gaming system, and win determination means for evaluating a winning condition from those symbols of that are visible in the display area along at least one win line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: GAMING SUPPORT B.V.
    Inventor: Lucien M. Van Linden
  • Patent number: 9937416
    Abstract: Various embodiments relating to providing touch input control of a computing device are disclosed. In one example, responsive to detecting a touch input on a display, a zero point of an adaptive virtual control may be established at a display location of the touch input. Responsive to a translation of the touch input on the display away from the zero point being greater than a radius of the adaptive virtual control, the zero point may be translated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 2, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2018
    Assignee: MICROSOFT TECHNOLOGY LICENSING, LLC
    Inventors: Dan Ayoub, Greg Hermann, Michael Ellis, Benjamin Cammarano
  • Patent number: 9919226
    Abstract: A storage and charging device for game pieces is described which is associated with an interactive software experience, such that the storage and charging device corresponds to a virtual entity within the interactive software experience. The storage and charging device comprises a charging mechanism and a communication mechanism. The charging mechanism is arranged to charge at least one of the game pieces and the communication mechanism is arranged to communicate with the interactive software experience.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 8, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
    Inventors: James William Scott, Haiyan Zhang, Nicolas Villar, Alexandra Keeley Bunting, Jonathan Leslie Venables, Simon Jay Carter
  • Patent number: 9919223
    Abstract: A system is for assessing life and death in go games played on a computer, and includes an input-receiving unit for receiving input from a player, an assessment unit that assesses the life and death of target stones, and an output unit for outputting the results of the assessment in the assessment unit. The assessment unit receives input specifying one or more target stones, specifies the points on the board where a boundary and a board edge are within a prescribed distance from each other, revises the assessment area by expanding the assessment area, assesses an optional stone in the post-revision assessment area to be alive if said stone escapes and was a target stone, and if said stone was not a target stone, performs a life and death assessment after adding the condition that said stone is not captured and a target stone connected to said stone is alive.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: PANDANET INC.
    Inventors: Hiroko Taki, Tomoya Saeki, Hiroshi Oomoto
  • Patent number: 9919219
    Abstract: A video game includes user generated content. The video game may be a music-based video game. Users may determine content to be played, and a server may provide the content to game devices for play, for example at predefined times, and/or to predetermined game players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2018
    Assignee: Activision Publishing, Inc.
    Inventors: Jamie Jackson, Dave Osbourn, Neil Wigfield, Chris Coates, Paul Turland, Pete O'Donnell, James Norris, Lee Roberts
  • Patent number: 9908052
    Abstract: A technique for dynamically generating game activities for a game (e.g., a role-playing game) includes loading game information about the game into a data processing system (e.g., a question answering system). Context data (e.g., a question) is received from a client (e.g., a player of the game, a user of the game, another system, or a game engine). In response to receiving the context data, a game activity is dynamically generated based on the context data and the game information. The game activity is then initiated in the game and presented to the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Andrew R. Freed
  • Patent number: 9908051
    Abstract: A technique for dynamically generating game activities for a game (e.g., a role-playing game) includes loading game information about the game into a data processing system (e.g., a question answering system). Context data (e.g., a question) is received from a client (e.g., a player of the game, a user of the game, another system, or a game engine). In response to receiving the context data, a game activity is dynamically generated based on the context data and the game information. The game activity is then initiated in the game and presented to the client.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 6, 2018
    Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
    Inventors: Corville O. Allen, Andrew R. Freed
  • Patent number: 9905083
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein provides a community game having a trail or path. The community game enables a plurality of players to each simultaneously pick one or more directions of movement along the trail or path (i.e., pick or designate a destination position which that player wants to move to). If the picked directions of movement for more than one player result in more than one player each designating the same destination position, the gaming system determines which player is moved to the designated destination position (and is provided a displayed award or outcome associated with that position) and which player is moved to an alternative position (and is provided a displayed award or outcome associated with that alternative position).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Ernest M. Lafky, Mark C. Nicely
  • Patent number: 9905080
    Abstract: A gaming system including a multiple player persistent game, such as an ongoing community game. This ongoing community game includes a community game matrix which is continuously displayed to at least each of the players. The community game matrix includes a plurality of displayed positions which may be associated with an award or an award opportunity. In operation, at least each of the players playing the gaming devices of the gaming system are associated with a displayed participant that moves (either randomly or based on the player's control) to different of the displayed positions of the community game matrix. If a player moves their associated participant to a displayed position that is associated with an award or an award opportunity, the gaming system provides the player any associated award or enables the player to participate in any associated award opportunity to potentially win an award.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 5, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Ernest M. Lafky, Carmen Tan, Mark C. Nicely
  • Patent number: 9878252
    Abstract: The field of the invention relates to multi-user online gaming systems, and more particularly to systems and methods that enable a spectator's experience for online active games. In an embodiment, an online multiuser game system includes an online game session server system communicatively coupled to a public network for access by a plurality of users to establish a plurality of real-time interactive games sessions. The online multiuser game system further includes a spectator server communicatively coupled to the online game session server system and configured to enable a user to view summary information of an active game session. In another embodiment, the spectator server enables the user to time shift the active game session and to view the summary information of the active game session. In another embodiment, the spectator server enables the user to view the summary information of the active game session while the user is playing the active game session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: RIOT GAMES, INC.
    Inventors: Brett Harris, Carl Kwoh, Paul Sottosanti, Victor Keenan, George Skleres, Jason Cohen, Christina Norman, Brooks Bouchard
  • Patent number: 9881443
    Abstract: A gaming system includes a housing having gaming components therein. The housing has a door opening and a door capable of rotating about a hinge axis defined by a set of hinge pins rigidly affixed to the housing. Attached to the door are a set of hinge arms having a set of specially shaped hinge slots positioned around the hinge pins. The hinge arms are additionally coupled to the housing by a set of spring components. When the housing door is not in a closed position, the spring components bias the door to an open position. When the housing door is in the closed position, the spring components bias the door in a direction defined by the hinge slots such that the door remains in a neutral position minimizing a spacing gap along one edge of the door. A set of roller guides align the door with a set of corresponding roller pins when the door approaches the closed position, and a locking mechanism is configured to latch the door to the housing in the closed position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen J. Maher, Michael Corristine, Gregory E. Klostermann, Andrew Lloyd
  • Patent number: 9881450
    Abstract: Various embodiments of gaming systems, gaming devices, and methods of the present disclosure provide one or more alternative wagering propositions to a player when the player's credit balance is less than (or, in certain embodiments, less than or equal to) a designated wager amount. If the player accepts one of the alternative wager propositions, the player risks an amount of the player's remaining credit balance for a chance to win an alternative award. If the player wins the alternative award, the gaming system enables the player to play one or more plays of the wagering game at the designated wager amount. If the player does not win the alternative award, the gaming system reduces the player's credit balance by the amount risked.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Adam M. Singer, Mark C. Nicely
  • Patent number: 9881137
    Abstract: Provided is a fitting apparatus that accurately and objectively determines an optimal swingability index, which is a swingability index of a golf club suited to a golfer. The fitting apparatus is provided with an acquisition unit, a calculation unit, and a determination unit. The acquisition unit acquires a measurement value obtained by measuring a swing action of a test club by the golfer with a measurement device. The calculation unit calculates a swing index indicating a feature amount of the swing action, based on the measurement value. The determination unit determines the optimal swingability index, according to a magnitude of the swing index.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignees: DUNLOP SPORTS CO. LTD., SUMITOMO RUBBER INDUSTRIES, LTD.
    Inventors: Kousuke Okazaki, Masatoshi Kato, Masahiko Ueda, Naoyoshi Ueda, Shimpei Oyama
  • Patent number: 9849370
    Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing custom features in a game is provided. A themed game board associated with a first set of rules of a computer-implemented game is generated. The first set of rules relates to a theme of the themed game board and is different than a second set of rules associated with a game board without a theme. Game board display data is provided to a first client device of a first player to display the themed game board. A move on the themed game board is received from the first client device, and a score associated with the move is generated. The score is based on the first set of rules relating to the theme, where the score is different than a score associated with the move on the game board without a theme.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: Zynga Inc.
    Inventors: M. Ian Graham, Ya-Bing Chu, Randall William Allred, Jr., Christopher Delbuck, Jonathan Sheng Chao, Vladimir Loktev, Amanda Carrico Schloss, Seth Alexander Allison, Andres Cantor
  • Patent number: 9849374
    Abstract: A method comprises the steps of: selecting in a server, a subset of a plurality users of an online environment for a first user, wherein when in said online environment, said first user interacts with one or more users of said subset of the plurality users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: KING.COM LTD.
    Inventors: Jonas Olofsson, Jan Zetterman, Patrik Stymne, Sebastian Knutsson
  • Patent number: 9849386
    Abstract: Incorporating player-generated audio in an electronic game is disclosed. Incorporation may include receiving an audio clip from art electronic game player, applying a modification to the audio clip to generate a chant, associating the chant to the execution of an event in the electronic game, retrieving the chant when the event in the electronic game is executed, and initiating the play of the chant upon execution of the event in the electronic game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLC
    Inventors: Andrew E. Bracken, Kurt B Kellenberger, Christopher G. Braymen
  • Patent number: 9833701
    Abstract: An example of an information processing apparatus is portable and performs predetermined processing in accordance with a user operation. The information processing apparatus includes: a plate-like housing so shaped that a thickness of an upper side surface of the housing is greater than a thickness of a lower side surface of the housing such that the closer to the lower side surface, the thinner the housing; and at least one operation button provided on the upper side surface of the housing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 5, 2017
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Takaki Fujino, Yui Ehara
  • Patent number: 9827478
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a body-worn sensor-based system for evaluating the biomechanics and the motor adaptation characteristics of postural control during a sport activity such as a golf swing. Various embodiments use sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, and magnetometers to measure the three-dimensional motion of ankle and hip joints. In several embodiments, additional sensors attached to other body segments are used to improve the accuracy of the data or detect particular instants during the swing (e.g., top of back swing, instant of the maximum speed of arm, and instant of ball impact). In a golf embodiment, the system combines the measured data in conjunction with a biomechanical model of the human body to: (1) estimate the two-dimensional sway of the golfer's center of mass; (2) quantify and evaluate the golfer's balance via his/her postural compensatory strategy; and (3) provide visual feedback to the golfer for improving dynamic postural control.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 6, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2017
    Assignees: BOISENSICS LLC, ROSALIND FRANKLIN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICINE AND SCIENCE
    Inventors: Bijan Najafi, James Stanley Wrobel, Ali-Reza Boloori
  • Patent number: 9821223
    Abstract: A system has a server coupled to a data repository and software executing from a non-transitory medium on the processor, the software providing a site serving games to players connected to the server, and providing discovering instances of interaction with the server by first-time players, serving links to a first percentage of the first-time players for games having known high retention value, defined as a characteristic that first-time players who play the game return to the site within a specified period of time, serving links to a remaining percentage of the first-time players for games having no well-developed retention value, marking selection by first-time players of games having no well-developed retention value, monitoring the site for return time of players having selected games having no well-developed retention value, providing a return time period, and using the return time period, assigning or amending a retention value for the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2014
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Roblox Corporation
    Inventors: David Baszucki, Jared Shapiro
  • Patent number: 9824527
    Abstract: A gaming system selects and displays one of a plurality of symbol blocks in each of a plurality of block positions, wherein each of the selected blocks includes at least one partial symbol. Each partial symbol has at least one complementary partial symbol which, when arranged in a designated spatial relationship with one another, form a complete matching symbol. If any of the partial symbols on the selected blocks create a complete matching symbol, the gaming system provides at least one award to the player. Each matching block which includes any portion of a complete matching symbol is then removed, creating an empty block position. The gaming system then fills the empty block position by either shifting a displayed block into the empty block position or by selecting a new block. The gaming system repeats this process until no complete matching symbols are formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Kyle Evans