Patents Examined by Milap Shah
  • Patent number: 11478696
    Abstract: An interaction method and apparatus for locking a target in a game is provided. The method includes that: when detecting a preset touch operation of a touch medium within an effective operation range of a first operation icon, a first position is determined in a game interface, a sliding touch operation of the touch medium is detected, and the first position is updated according to a sliding trace of the touch medium; an optional virtual character is determined from the at least one optional virtual character as a preselected virtual character; visual marking is performed on the preselected virtual character so as to distinct from other optional virtual characters; and when detecting the touch medium leaves a touch screen, the present preselected virtual character is locked as a target virtual character of the first operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 25, 2022
    Assignee: NETEASE (HANGZHOU) NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Junxiang Wang
  • Patent number: 11471752
    Abstract: Methods and apparatus are described for preserving and improving board games by changing the game board from a passive cardboard board to a dynamic computer controlled board while keeping the other tangible parts of the game unchanged—dice, game pieces, etc. The inherent values of board games are preserved, while improving the attractiveness of board games by using computing systems and advanced technologies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventor: Dov Rotshtain
  • Patent number: 11475737
    Abstract: A video poker system and method allow a player to play a primary game in a conventional fashion while seeking a bonus payout based on cards from the primary game poker hand and one or more secondary poker hands from separate decks of cards. Certain pre-established poker hands (e.g., 4s of a kind) formed using cards from the primary game poker hand and the one or more secondary poker hands provide bonus payouts. A bonus hand may comprise a royal flush hand made using one royal flush card from each of five secondary poker hands. The system and method increase player interest, player wagers and provide meaningful bonus payouts.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 18, 2022
    Inventor: Kenneth Baker
  • Patent number: 11468729
    Abstract: A feature for electronic games installed in stand-alone electronic gaming machines, game playing devices, mobile devices and personal electronic devices or on a networked system of gaming machines, game playing devices mobile devices and personal electronic devices where prior to starting the game, the player can choose from a variety of game modes with different numbers of balls to be drawn and the number and layout of cards to be played. The player is offered via the machine hard buttons or touch screen to choose the number balls and number and layout of cards. This invention may be applied to bingo and various types of games with balls, numbers or symbols in various types and patterns.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 11, 2022
    Assignee: Drako Limited
    Inventor: Rui Manuel Mendes Francisco
  • Patent number: 11450230
    Abstract: An electronic device includes a user interface; a wireless communication circuit configured to communicate with an external electronic device; a processor; and a memory electrically connected to the processor. The memory stores instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: identify a user input to start a meditation program via the user interface; start the meditation program in response to the identified user input; receive data related to a stress level of a user measured by the external electronic device during execution of the meditation program from the external electronic device via the wireless communication circuit; and display visual information on the user interface, wherein the visual information visually indicates a stress level change of the user resulting from the execution of the meditation program, based on at least a portion of the received data. In addition, various embodiments identified herein are realized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 7, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Jinmook Lim, Seunggu Kang, Hyogil Kim, Haebahremahram Suh, Kumhwa Baek
  • Patent number: 11450180
    Abstract: An electronic gaming system includes a display device, a memory, and a processor. The processor is configured to perform a variety of operations, including, for example, determining whether a trigger condition has occurred during a base game, and determining a repeat win amount during the base game. In at least some embodiments, the processor is also configured to control the display device to display a plurality of selections, each selection corresponding to a feature game, in response to occurrence of the trigger condition. Each feature game may be associated with a win volatility and displayed in association with information about the win volatility, and each win volatility may be based, at least in part, upon the repeat win amount determined during the base game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Blake Davis
  • Patent number: 11439912
    Abstract: Examples herein include systems for detecting cheating and changes in mental performance in card games, including bridge. The system can acquire board data for multiple events, the events including bridge games. For each event, determining performance values for a player based on the board and play data, wherein the performance values may additionally be based in part on timing data. The system can detect a deviation of by comparing the performance values against a threshold, wherein the threshold is based on past performance of known cheating players or the individual player. Then the system can alert a user when the likelihood of cheating or other changes exceeds a threshold.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Hammond Software, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicolas Hammond
  • Patent number: 11443595
    Abstract: An electronic gaming system includes a processor configured to execute instructions, which when executed, cause the processor to at least receive a wager amount and a bingo card parameter from an electronic gaming machine (EGM) that is communicatively coupled to the electronic gaming system. The instructions may also cause the processor to determine, based upon the wager amount, a subset of a plurality of bingo card parameters and compare the received bingo card parameter to the subset of the plurality of bingo card parameters to determine whether the received bingo card parameter matches any bingo card parameter of the subset of the plurality of bingo card parameters, where each bingo card parameter of the plurality of bingo card parameters is associated with a progressive jackpot.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 13, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Alok Trivedi, Shailendra Tomar, Rakesh Mehta, Jitin Garg
  • Patent number: 11430291
    Abstract: A method of displaying player information in a casino using alternate reality includes generating a live video signal of a gaming environment using a camera on an electronic device; determining an identity of a player who is visible in the live video signal; retrieving information about the player from a database of registered players in response to the determined player identity; and displaying information about the player to a user of the electronic device so that the information appears to the user to be adjacent or on the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 9, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Michael Russ, Stefan Keilwert, Lukas Angermayer, Klaus Achmüller, Dieter Goriup, Elisabeth Kiss, Caprice Mitterhöfer, Martin Lasser, Stefan Koller, Gerhard Pichler, Julia-Ines Lerchbaumer, Petra Wagner
  • Patent number: 11426665
    Abstract: A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor a computer to implement a content providing method in conjunction with a computer system may be provided. The content providing method may include providing a game program comprising a game module and a simulation module to a user terminal, the simulation module having same input and output functions as those of the game module, receiving play results comprising first output information of the game module and second output information of the simulation module from the user terminal, the play results are generated by the user terminal while not communicating with a server, and determining whether the a game play at the game module is played fairly based on the first output information of the game module and the second output information of the simulation module.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: LINE CORPORATION
    Inventors: Dong Pil Seo, Sang Hun Jeon, Myung Ju Chung, Sung Beom Ahn, Kwang Hee Han, Tae Woo Kim, Seong Yeol Lim, Joo Hyeon Ryu, Sang Min Chung
  • Patent number: 11430285
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for unlocking hardware and associated functionality of gaming devices. Before a player reaches a predetermined progress level, enhanced user interface devices of the gaming device remain locked to the player. The functionality associated with the enhanced user interface devices also remains unavailable to the player while the enhanced user interface devices are locked. Once the player reaches the progress level, a hardware-unlock option is presented to the player allowing the player to unlock an enhanced user interface device and select a functionality associated with the unlocked enhanced user interface device. The availability of the hardware-unlock options and specific functionality to be activated can be limited based on in-game events and a progress level reached by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 30, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Michael Russ, Sven Aurich, Lukas Angermayer, Thomas Trenkler
  • Patent number: 11423747
    Abstract: A wager-based gaming system includes a communication interface, a memory, and a controller configured to provide a video-based wagering game including a primary game, accept a player input, facilitate play, and determine a primary game outcome. The primary game can involve virtual dice arranged in a matrix having multiple rows and multiple columns, such as a 5×5 matrix. A secondary game can involve virtual reels and can occur simultaneously with the primary game. The secondary game outcome can award player changes to the primary game outcome, such as allowing a selection of one or more of the virtual dice to be re-rolled. A bonus game play can involve a wheel spin, can be based on a winning outcome of the secondary game, and can occur after the secondary game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2022
    Inventor: Michael E. Pegram
  • Patent number: 11413527
    Abstract: Systems and methods for using re-playable in-game operations to reach particular user game states in an online gaming platform are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: manage user inventories for users of the online gaming platform; receive a request, from the first user, for activation of the replay asset by the first user; and execute the set of in-game operations automatically such that a first current user game state for the first user is advanced to a first subsequent user game state for the first user within the online gaming platform, responsive to the activation of the replay asset as requested by the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 16, 2022
    Assignee: Mythical, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephan Cunningham, Cameron Thacker, John Linden
  • Patent number: 11410487
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided. A system includes a communication interface, a processing circuit, and a memory coupled to the processing circuit. The memory includes machine readable instructions that, when executed by the processing circuit, cause the processing circuit to provide, via the communication interface and to an augmented reality (AR) device that is associated with a user, information regarding a first physical location of a first virtual object that is one of multiple virtual objects that are in a collection that is based on a brand and that are viewable by via the AR device. The processing circuit receives, via the communication interface and from the AR device, data corresponding to the first virtual object that is collected via an image capture device in the AR device and provides the user with an award that corresponds to the brand.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Emilia Ciardi, Charles Cohen
  • Patent number: 11410488
    Abstract: Systems and methods are provided. A system is operable to provide, via a communication interface and to an augmented reality (AR) device that is associated with a user, symbol combination data that defines a first combination of symbols that are displayable on a gaming device. The system further provides a first virtual symbol that is collected by the AR device responsive to an image capture device of the AR device capturing image data that corresponds to the first combination of symbols. The system receives virtual symbol data from the AR device indicating that the AR device has collected the first virtual symbol. The system sends award data that corresponds to the first virtual symbol and that is redeemable by the user to the AR device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 3, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Emilia Ciardi, Charles Cohen
  • Patent number: 11406903
    Abstract: An information processing device includes a receiving section configured to receive an input of a usage purpose of the information processing device from a user, an identifying section configured to identify a procedure including one or more steps necessary for realizing the usage purpose, a first screen generating section configured to generate an operating screen for completing one step in the identified procedure, and a second screen generating section configured to generate an information screen including information regarding the identified procedure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: You Asakura, Shuji Hiramatsu, Daisuke Kawamura, Wataru Kaneko, Takashi Hatakeda, Takeshi Nakagawa, Shigeru Enomoto, Toru Yamamoto, Satoshi Kobayashi, Koichi Aoki
  • Patent number: 11410502
    Abstract: Improving the profitability of an in-play betting system by identifying high frequency and high wager amount users and promoting an increase in wager amount or frequency by offering incentives to increase a user's wager amount, if identified to be a high frequency bettor or wager frequency, if identified to be a high wager amount bettor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 9, 2022
    Assignee: AdrenalineIP
    Inventors: Casey Alexander Huke, John Cronin, Joseph W. Beyers, Michael D'Andrea, Michael Baker
  • Patent number: 11400367
    Abstract: This disclosure describes, in part, an electronic device for executing network applications. For instance, the electronic device may establish a connection with a network device. The electronic device may then receive input data from a control device. Using the connection, the electronic device may send the input data to a remote system, which uses the input data to update a state of an application. The electronic device then receives, using the connection and from the remote system, audio data and video data representing the state of the application. In some instances, the electronic device may further receive, using the connection and from the remote system, first timestamp data for outputting the audio data and second timestamp data for displaying the video data. The electronic device may then send the audio data to a control device and the video data to a display device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 24, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Ravi Ichapurapu, Sameet Ramakrishnan, Evan Fletcher Dougal
  • Patent number: 11403916
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides gaming systems having one or more processors coupled to memory. The gaming system can receive a side wager corresponding to a play of a card game. The gaming system can then provide a plurality of hands for the play of the card game. The gaming system can determine the number of the plurality of hands that satisfy a side wager condition, and calculate a first award amount based on the number of the plurality of hands that satisfy the side wager condition. An account of the player can be credited based on the first award amount. The gaming system can receive wagers that each correspond to a respective hand of the card game. Upon completion of the game, the system can determine an award amount for each of the plurality of hands, and adjust a credit balance of an account based on the award amount for each of the plurality of hands.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 16, 2021
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: DraftKings, Inc.
    Inventor: Kyle Morris
  • Patent number: 11398136
    Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that enables the exchange of monetary currency for a greater amount of virtual currency based on a first exchange rate for use by a player via the gaming system, and the exchange of virtual currency back to monetary currency based on second and third exchange rates, and in certain instances with a virtual currency usage fee. In various embodiments, the first exchange rate, the second exchange rate, the third exchange rate, and/or the virtual currency usage fee may vary based on one or more different factors such as but not limited to casino driven factors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2021
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2022
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventor: Timothy Springer