Patents Examined by Mark Sager
  • Patent number: 7244183
    Abstract: A gaming system that employs a video game system and action figures to allow both video game play and action figure play. A video game score, obtained by a player through video game play, may be transferred to the action figure associated with that player to become the action figure score of that action figure. The action figures have a gun that generates a light beam and a target detector for receiving light beams from other action figures. The action figure will register a hit, and break apart, if its target detector receives a light beam from another action figure that has a higher action figure score.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: July 17, 2007
    Inventor: Anthony England
  • Patent number: 7234697
    Abstract: A gaming machine disclosed includes a rotary reel having a plurality of symbols on an outer periphery thereof, a group of sheet members disposed in front of the rotary reel, the sheet members being laminated each other and each having an opening, a liquid crystal panel disposed in front of the sheet members, wherein the plurality of symbols are recoginizable through the opening on each of the sheet members, from a front side of the gaming machine, and wherein each of the sheet members includes; a light guiding material, and a light diffusion material disposed in front of the light guiding material and having a larger opening than an opening of the light guiding material, or each of the sheet members includes a light reflecting material, and a light transmitting material disposed in front of the light reflecting material and having a larger opening than an opening of the light reflecting material.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Aruze Corporation
    Inventor: Kazuo Okada
  • Patent number: 7235012
    Abstract: A video game includes a controller, a processor and display. The controller includes a special quick look button 28 that, when activated, allows a player to causes a looking movement of a character that simulates the lateral rotation of the head or upper body of a person looking sideways while walking forward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: Brain Box Concepts, Inc.
    Inventor: Richard C. DiDato
  • Patent number: 7235010
    Abstract: A gaming device having an improved offer and acceptance bonus scheme wherein the player has an opportunity to determine the number of offers the player may obtain during the bonus round and after the gaming device selects one of the possible award offers to the player the gaming device prevents that offer from being made to the player again.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: June 26, 2007
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 7229355
    Abstract: A fully programmable, graphics microprocessor is disclosed which is designed to be embodied in a removable external memory unit for connection with a host information processing system. In an exemplary embodiment, a video game system is described including a host video game system and a pluggable video game cartridge housing the graphics microprocessor. The game cartridge also includes a read-only program memory (ROM) and a random-access memory (RAM). The graphics coprocessor operates in conjunction with a three bus architecture embodied on the game cartridge. The graphics processor using this bus architecture may execute programs from either the program ROM, external RAM or its own internal cache RAM.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jeremy E. San, Ben Cheese, Carl N. Graham, Peter R. Warnes
  • Patent number: 7229353
    Abstract: A method for enhancing cashless gaming. Preferably, game player is provided with an incentive to redeem winnings on a cashless device. The method preferably includes providing a wagering game to a player, allowing the player to transfer value to the wagering game, recording the amount transferred, allowing the player to make a wager, presenting a game to the player, determining whether the game outcome is a wining or losing outcome, updating the amount recorded, allowing the player to cash-out at least a portion of the recorded value, and triggering an award event if the cash-out is made using a cashless device. In one embodiment, the player is given an award when the value redeemed exceeds a predetermined qualifying amount. Also provided is a system for allowing a player to redeem winnings, including a gaming machine with a processing system, a cashless gaming device, and a cashless device cash-out system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 2, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2007
    Assignee: Atlantic City Coin & Slot Service Company, Inc.
    Inventor: Jerald C. Seelig
  • Patent number: 7223169
    Abstract: Provided are a program and an information processing apparatus for controlling execution of a ball sports simulation game that can provide for a player sensations similar to those experienced when actually playing the sports.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Sega Corporation
    Inventors: Kenichi Imaeda, Makoto Sugawara
  • Patent number: 7223173
    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: August 12, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Assignee: Nintendo Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Iwao Masuyama, Toshiaki Suzuki, Akira Tahara
  • Patent number: 7223171
    Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided for playing a one player video game of chance. The method includes the steps of providing a plurality of items that until selected by the one player occupy a set of non-selected items, displaying an indicia of a winning combination of items present within the plurality of items in advance of selection of any item of the plurality of items by the one player, enabling the one player to select at least some of the plurality of items for inclusion in a set of selected items, wherein at least one other of the plurality of items remains within the set of non-selected items and displaying the items within the set of selected and non-selected items.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2007
    Inventors: Brian F. Colin, Jeffrey L. Nauman
  • Patent number: 7217188
    Abstract: In a gambling game a collateral gambling game which can be won by players on at least one specific event occurring in the principal game, the collateral game being separate from the principal game but one when any of the possible winning events occur in the principal game, the payment to the player being calculated from the total value available for the game divided by the total number of players who bet on the specific winning event. The game gives a possibility for a large number of players to share in the success of a single player who has successfully won the main game. It may be used with various types of games including those using electronic gaming machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 18, 2002
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Christopher Russell Byrne
  • Patent number: 7217197
    Abstract: A small lightweight golfers' aide comprising low-level high frequency physical vibration generator within a housing for transmitting the vibrations to a golfer as physical vibration patterns indicative of a preferred swing tempo for the golfer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 30, 2003
    Date of Patent: May 15, 2007
    Inventor: Glenn Park
  • Patent number: 7214138
    Abstract: A system is described for monitoring the swing path of a golf club head and for monitoring flight characteristics of a golf ball following impact. A processor utilizes data from spaced apart spaced sensor arrays in determining the club head speed and head angle of a golf club during the swing phase of the club. Image capture devices captures successive images of the ball after impact, and the system processor generates data reflecting ball flight characteristics based on a comparison of the images.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2000
    Date of Patent: May 8, 2007
    Assignee: BGI Acquisition, LLC
    Inventors: Keith Stivers, Allan Epstein, Steve R. Lamb
  • Patent number: 7207884
    Abstract: An object of this invention is to provide an image processing device which does not interrupt the flow of a game. The processing board in the main game device attaches information required by the player at the completion of each stage to a map and provides it to the player by displaying it on the display in the following way. The front edge of the truck 20 is displayed (FIG. 5(a)), and camera work is conducted showing the game characters 24, 25 riding in the truck 20 (FIG. 5(b)). In order that the relationship between the characters 24, 25 and the truck 20 can be appreciated, a bird's-eye view is shown on the display 1a (FIG. 5(c)), and the camera work is moved again to diagonally above the characters 24, 25, and an enlarged display of the characters 24, 25 is shown (FIG. 5(d)). The map 26 is displayed such that it can be viewed from between the characters 24, 25 (FIG. 5(e)), and finally, the map 26 is displayed as an enlarged image (FIG. 5(f)).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Assignee: Sega Corporation
    Inventors: Takeshi Goden, Masaru Takano
  • Patent number: 7207566
    Abstract: A force-bearing object or non-penetrating projectile's contact location can be determined and mapped by a computer using methods of pressure, penetration, or stress sensitivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2007
    Inventor: Bruce Hodge
  • Patent number: 7204757
    Abstract: A wagering game for one or more players comprising (a) a random result generator for generating a specific random result, and (b) a playing surface (100) including a first betting zone (20) for placement of first wagers corresponding to a plural of likely random results; and a second betting zone (30) for placement of second wagers corresponding to a first or second outcome wherein the likely random result is compared to the specific random result for a match and the first or second outcomes are determined by a comparison of the specific random result with either a predetermined specific random result or a successive specific random result.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2001
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Assignee: Entertainment Programmes Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Michael John Newton, Mark Lawson, Cecilia Jenny Tollet
  • Patent number: 7204759
    Abstract: An arrangement of selection objects includes an area model memory (1) for storing a configuration model of an area, an object model memory (3) for storing configuration models of respective selection objects, an image frame outputter (5) for performing an image frame indication of the configuration models, a model operator (7) for performing an arranging operation of the configuration models of the respective selection objects on the configuration model of the area in an image frame, a controller (9) for arranging the configuration models of the respective selection objects on the configuration model of the area in accordance with the arranging operation, a frequency information inputting device (11) for inputting to the controller (9) selection frequency information of the respective selection objects actually arranged in the area in accordance with an arrangement by the arranging operation, and an identification indicator (13) for performing an identifying indication of the configuration models by the image
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 13, 2002
    Date of Patent: April 17, 2007
    Inventor: Junichi Yamagishi
  • Patent number: 7201658
    Abstract: An interactive wagering application is provided that displays information areas on various wager creation screens. The information areas may be configurable. Information such as promotions, weather information, jockey information, trainer information, odds, or any other suitable information may be displayed in the information areas. The interactive wagering application may create a wagering ticket that reflects the amount of a user's wager and the total amount of the user's wager when multiple runners are taken into account. The interactive wagering application may record the user's position within the application and the user's recent wagering selections, so that this information may be used to assist the user in restarting the application after exiting or when creating additional wagers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2007
    Assignee: ODS Properties, Inc.
    Inventors: Connie T. Marshall, Kevin D. Satterfield, Jon C. Zaring, Joni L. Hamilton, Joseph C. Jacobson
  • Patent number: 7198269
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to systems and methods for operating a gaming wheel system including a steering wheel which may be a single-turn wheel (at most 360° lock-to-lock) or a multi-turn wheel (more than 360° lock-to-lock) to play a game which may be designed for a single-turn wheel (a legacy game) or a multi-turn wheel (a native game, irrespective of whether it takes advantage of the multi-turn capability or not). The system is configured to operate the gaming wheel system in one of four states. The first state is the single-turn, legacy mode state for operating either a single-turn wheel or a multi-turn wheel in the single-turn mode to play a legacy game. The second state is the multi-turn, legacy mode state for operating a multi-turn wheel in the multi-turn mode to play a legacy game. The third state is the single-turn, native mode state for operating either a single-turn wheel or a multi-turn wheel in the single-turn mode to play a native game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2003
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Logitech Europe S.A.
    Inventors: Thomas Burgel, Keith Klumb, David McVicar, Aidan Kehoe, Christophe Juncker, David Wegmuller
  • Patent number: 7198572
    Abstract: A gaming system includes a network server connected to a plurality of gaming devices that are adapted to provide a video payout on each play based on a set of payout parameters. Memory at each gaming device stores payout parameters that correspond to each possible gaming result or outcome. When a play is initiated by a player, a gaming result is generated at a gaming device. The gaming device responds by accessing a corresponding payout parameter from the memory which may be a monetary amount, a video presentation segment or a combination thereof. If the payout is video, the network server receives the payout parameter and transmits video presentation segment to the gaming device accordingly. The gaming device then provides a video payout, in the form of displayed video presentation, to the player. The player thus receives at least one form of payment on each play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Assignee: Walker Digital, LLC
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Thomas M. Sparico, Jesse M. Fink
  • Patent number: 7192343
    Abstract: A method for operating two different bonus games in a casino game machine. The first bonus game is played when a first predetermined orientation of the bonus symbols occurs on a pay line. The bonus game has a meter and a path to a goal wherein the path has a number of stopping points. The player advances based on player input from stopping point to stopping point along the path to the goal until either the meter reaches a predetermined value that ends the bonus game or until the goal is reached. The second bonus game is played when a second predetermined orientation of the bonus symbols occurs. The operation of the casino game is further affected by providing a graphic image in the video display of the reels to affect the play outcome. A game ticket version is also shown.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 20, 2007
    Assignee: Progressive Gaming International Corporation
    Inventor: Olaf Vancura