Patents Examined by Michael Cuff
  • Patent number: 12285674
    Abstract: A shooting game control method, which is executed by a computer incorporated in a device including a display and a touch panel, includes accepting a touch operation on the touch panel; displaying a first frame indicative of a shooting effective range on the display in accordance with a position of the touch operation; accepting an instruction for an attack on an attack target in a state in which the first frame is displayed; determining whether the attack target in a game image displayed on the display is within the first frame or not, at a time point when the instruction for the attack has been accepted; and controlling the attack on the attack target in the game image in accordance with a result of the determining.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: GREE, INC.
    Inventors: Yuichi Tsuchiya, Norihiro Sawada, Tadashi Nagano, Takeshi Arakawa
  • Patent number: 12283159
    Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to implementing a system to encourage cross platform operation in an online game. The online game may provide the ability to provide incentives for participating in cross platform game play. The system may monitor the player's performance on a particular console and provide incentives to accomplish tasks through game play on a different platform than the player is currently operating to play the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifford J. Harrington, Kent Wakeford
  • Patent number: 12280308
    Abstract: A smart media player configures interactive media customized for passengers temporarily sharing a common conveyance (e.g., an automobile or other vehicle), using programmed methods. The methods include identifying profile data for each of the passengers and trip data for the common conveyance. Then, the smart media player may select an interactive media title for the passengers as a group based on at least one of the profile data or the trip data, including one or more of a variety of games for playing with other passengers in the vehicle. The interactive media title may be configured for output by the smart media player while the passengers are sharing the common conveyance. The media player plays the interactive media title in the common conveyance enabled for interaction with the passengers during the period.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: April 22, 2025
    Assignee: Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Gary Lake-Schaal, Arvel Chappell, III, Pamela J. Allison, Lewis Ostrover, William Zajac, Lea Carla L. Buenaventura, Genevieve Morris, Prashant Abhyankar
  • Patent number: 12260708
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine includes a display, a credit input mechanism, and a processor programmed to perform operations comprising: (i) determining, during a wagering game initiated in response to receiving a credit wager, that a replay trigger condition is satisfied, the wagering game including a plurality of reels; (ii) initiating, in response to the replay trigger condition, a replay bonus game; (iii) determining a number of replays for use in the replay bonus game; (iv) generating a set of symbols for the plurality of reels for each of the number of replays including an award amount associated with the set of symbols; (v) serially displaying, on the display each of the sets of symbols for each of the number of replays; and (vi) awarding a total award amount including the sum of each award amount for each of the sets of symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 8, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 25, 2025
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Jayme Dale Sevigny, David Robert Marsh
  • Patent number: 12249217
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and methods for providing a secondary game with player selected persistent elements.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Adam Narducci
  • Patent number: 12246231
    Abstract: A method and system for playing a player reactive game at a golf entertainment venue are disclosed herein. The system includes golf ball tracking sensors, hitting bays and a server. The golf ball tracking sensors are positioned at a golf driving range. The hitting bays are also at the golf driving range, and each hitting bay has a video display. The server is configured to modify gameplay based on the shot types detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 1, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: Topgolf International, Inc.
    Inventor: Scott Moakes
  • Patent number: 12249215
    Abstract: An electronic fund transfer system and method for transferring a plurality of electronic funds from a financial account to a gaming device is described. The method includes enabling a handheld mobile communication device to receive a user instruction that transfers electronic funds from the financial account to the gaming device associated with a casino management system. A host system communicates with the gaming credit system via a local network. A funds management portal communicates with the host system and a secure payment gateway. The funds management portal receives a record of the electronic funds transfer from the user financial account. The method enables the funds management portal to send instructions to the host system that issues an electronic credit to the gaming device. The electronic credit corresponds to the electronic funds from the financial account. A ticket, which is associated with the electronic credit, is received by the gaming device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 28, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 11, 2025
    Assignee: AUTOMATED CASHLESS SYSTEMS, INC.
    Inventors: Stephen L. Warner, Michael Sackrison, Michael Daly
  • Patent number: 12239904
    Abstract: A hand held controller for a games console comprising an outer case and at least one control located on the controller. The controller is shaped to be held in at least one hand of a user such that the at least one control is operable by the user. The at least one control extends through an aperture provided in the outer case, and wherein the controller comprises a removable buffer mounted within the aperture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 8, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Ironburg Inventions Limited
    Inventors: Simon Burgess, Duncan Ironmonger
  • Patent number: 12236749
    Abstract: A system that enables funds automatically transferred into the system from one or more funding sources in anticipation of such funds being used in association with various system components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Kevin Higgins, Jeffery Shepherd
  • Patent number: 12236754
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides a base game from which a feature game is triggered when a determined number of configurable symbols are displayed in a base game outcome. When the feature game is triggered, the configurable symbols are held in place on the display and the player is provided with more spins during the feature game in which to collect additional configurable symbols. Any additional configurable symbols are retained on the display during subsequent spins until the feature game is completed. The configurable symbols include mystery symbols whose value is not determined until the mystery symbol is displayed. A first valuation game, such as a wheel spin, is used to determine the value for the mystery symbols. At the end of the feature game, the player is awarded a prize based on the values carried by the configurable symbols. A second valuation game, such as a wheel spin, is used to provide an enhanced award if the player collects a determined number of configurable symbols during the feature game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 21, 2024
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Daniel Marks, Hua Xu
  • Patent number: 12172084
    Abstract: This application discloses an information synchronization method performed at a terminal, including: receiving a first attribute synchronization message from a server, the first attribute synchronization message indicating that a first object in a currently running game is within a first field of view of a virtual object associated with the terminal; displaying the first object according to first attribute information carried in the first attribute synchronization message; in response to an update of at least one of the first object and the virtual object, receiving a second attribute synchronization message from the server, the second attribute synchronization message indicating that a second object in the game is within the first field of view of the virtual object in the game; and updating the display of the first object and displaying the second object according to second attribute information carried in the second attribute synchronization message on the client application.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2024
    Assignee: TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED
    Inventors: Jun Tang, Yue Zhang
  • Patent number: 12170003
    Abstract: A gaming machine presents a game in which an upgradeable object accrues value. The gaming machine includes a player input interface, a credit input mechanism and a game controller configured to perform operations. The game controller presents a primary game, in which a plurality of reels are simulated, spins the plurality of simulated reels each time a player makes a wager, determines, a number of scatter symbols stopped and displayed from the reels, triggers, a bonus game in which an appearance of the upgradeable game object is upgradeable and in which a credit value associated with the upgradeable game object is upgradeable, upgrades the appearance of the object, increases the credit value associated with the object, and adds the credit value associated with the object to the credit balance of the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 17, 2024
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Michael Robert Cicchi, Michael Landon Stribling
  • Patent number: 12167109
    Abstract: A computerized method and system for mobile application clip detection and capturing on a mobile computing device includes receiving a user consent for capturing screen content by a content capture executable. The method and system includes executing the content capture executable in a background and monitoring processing operations in a foreground of the mobile computing device. Upon detecting capturable content from a application executable executing in the foreground, buffering screen content in a first memory device for a first period of time. The method and system includes executing the content capture executable in the foreground, including receiving a clip generation command from the user and generating a content clip from at least a portion of the screen content in the first memory device. Therein, in response to a clip distribution command, the clip is distributed across a networked connection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2021
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: MEDAL B.V.
    Inventors: Ted R Williams, Wilhelmus W. A. de Witte, Brandon Paul Cohen
  • Patent number: 12161941
    Abstract: Embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein provide a game that includes at least two users that each have a preconfigured set of playable virtual entities. The users draw playable virtual entities from each of their respective sets of playable virtual entities, and can play the playable virtual entities in one or more battles to facilitate moving a virtual positional marker towards a goal or shooting a goal, wherein the battle procedures are based on a turn priority. Certain attributes are associated with the playable virtual entities so that playable virtual entity effects, OVR values, and salary values can affect which playable virtual entities are in a deck and how the playable virtual entities are affected by the location of the virtual positional marker and/or other playable virtual entities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 24, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 10, 2024
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventor: YoungSeok Yoo
  • Patent number: 12159508
    Abstract: In one embodiment, an intermediary gaming trusted electronic device for use with an untrusted PED may operate to securely communicate with a gaming apparatus and securely communicate with the associated untrusted PED. The intermediary gaming trusted device is able to support interaction between the gaming apparatus and the associated untrusted PED. In another embodiment, a system to authorize a mobile electronic device to play games of chance may include a gaming system manager and a docking station. The docking station can be configured to: detect whether the mobile electronic device is connected to the docking station; and determine whether the mobile electronic device, or its user, is authorized to play a game of chance on the mobile electronic device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2022
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. (ATI)
    Inventor: Binh T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 12158985
    Abstract: A method of operating a virtual image generation system comprises allowing an end user to interact with a three-dimensional environment comprising at least one virtual object, presenting a stimulus to the end user in the context of the three-dimensional environment, sensing at least one biometric parameter of the end user in response to the presentation of the stimulus to the end user, generating biometric data for each of the sensed biometric parameter(s), determining if the end user is in at least one specific emotional state based on the biometric data for the each of the sensed biometric parameter(s), and performing an action discernible to the end user to facilitate a current objective at least partially based on if it is determined that the end user is in the specific emotional state(s).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 10, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2024
    Assignee: Magic Leap, Inc.
    Inventors: George Alistair Sanger, Samuel A. Miller, Graeme John Devine
  • Patent number: 12151167
    Abstract: Methods of the present disclosure may collect data when a user plays one or more different types of games when determinations are made as to whether the difficulty of a game should be changed. The collected data maybe evaluated to identify whether a user gaming performance level corresponds to an expected level of performance. When the user gaming performance level does not correspond to an expected level of performance, parameters that change the difficultly of the game may be changed automatically. Parameters that relate to movement speed, delay or hesitation, character strengths, numbers of competitors, or other metrics may be changed incrementally until a current user performance level corresponds to an expectation level of a particular user currently playing the game. At this time, the user expectation level may be changed, and the process may be repeated as skills of the user are developed over time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Assignees: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC, SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Victoria Dorn, Celeste Bean, Elizabeth Juenger, Kristie Ramirez, Sepideh Karimi, Mahdi Azmandian
  • Patent number: 12128315
    Abstract: An exemplary information processing system is configured to create a route formed by arranging, in a virtual space, a plurality of route parts each associated with a design; determine whether the route created by the user contains a forbidden symbol or a forbidden word. When the route created by the user contains a forbidden symbol or a forbidden word, uploading of the route created by the user to the server is prohibited.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 29, 2024
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuhei Ariyama, Fumiya Nakano
  • Patent number: 12125349
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine includes a processor configured to control display of a plurality of columns of symbol positions, where each column of symbol positions includes a plurality of symbols. The processor is also configured to select the symbols for each column and simulate display of the first reel strip stopping prior to simulating display of the second reel strip stopping, whereby a sub-category of prize associated with a prize sub-category symbol is indicated to a player of the electronic gaming machine prior to indicating a category of prize associated with a prize category symbol. The processor is also configured to determine whether a first column includes the prize sub-category symbol as well as whether a second column includes the prize category symbol. If the prize sub-category and prize category symbols are included, the processor is also configured to provide an award.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 13, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Billy Tam, Lipi Gupta, Matthew Chan, Hiram Yu
  • Patent number: 12121823
    Abstract: In various examples, game session audio data—e.g., representing speech of users participating in the game—may be monitored and/or analyzed to determine whether inappropriate language is being used. Where inappropriate language is identified, the portions of the audio corresponding to the inappropriate language may be edited or modified such that other users do not hear the inappropriate language. As a result, toxic behavior or language within instances of gameplay may be censored—thereby enhancing the user experience and making online gaming environments safer for more vulnerable populations. In some embodiments, the inappropriate language may be reported—e.g., automatically—to the game developer or game application host in order to suspend, ban, or otherwise manage users of the system that have a proclivity for toxic behavior.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: NVIDIA Corporation
    Inventors: Jithin Thomas, Neilesh Chorakhalikar, Ambrish Dantrey, Revanth Reddy Nalla, Prakshep Mehta