Patents Examined by Paul A. D'Agostino
  • Patent number: 11278804
    Abstract: The present invention allows a processing load for carrying out matching of a plurality of users who satisfy a predetermined condition with each other to be reduced. The user is arranged for every attribute to carry out the matching. The plurality of users thus matched is allowed to play content together. Users with different attributes may alternately stand in a line in which the users are arranged. Further, the users are arranged by inputting a play request for content. Only selection of a condition of the content may be sufficient for the play request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 3, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Jun Takemura, Yoshinori Aoyagi, Jun Yoshihara, Mitsutoshi Gondai
  • Patent number: 11284159
    Abstract: Systems and methods for incorporating online user generated media content (e.g., videos) into an interactive video gaming environment are provided. Media assets that are associated with different measures of quality generated by users are stored on a remote server. A player action is received by the remote server. A determination is made as to which one of the plurality of levels of the interactive video gaming environment corresponds to the action. One of the videos associated with one of the measures of quality is selected based on the determination of the level corresponding to the action. The selected video is transmitted to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 22, 2022
    Assignee: Rovi Guides, Inc.
    Inventors: David D. Chung, Walter R. Klappert
  • Patent number: 11266915
    Abstract: A method is disclosed for allowing a custom version of video session to be created for presentation on at least one viewer device. Game metadata generated from a live or recorded video feed is received. The game metadata includes three-dimensional modeling data associated with the live or recorded video feed. Viewer metadata collected from a plurality of viewer devices is received. The viewer metadata includes information pertaining to a plurality of responses of a plurality of viewers to a presentation of the video session on a plurality of viewer devices. Additional game metadata is created based on the game metadata and the viewer metadata. The additional game metadata includes camera data based on the three-dimensional modeling data. The additional game metadata is integrated into the game metadata for at least near-real-time presentation of the custom version of the video session.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2022
    Assignee: Unity IPR ApS
    Inventor: Adam Myhill
  • Patent number: 11263873
    Abstract: A system which can implement an electronic version of pai gow poker using an electronic gaming system, as well as a physical pai gow game played with physical cards on a physical table.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 29, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 1, 2022
    Assignee: Le Gaming LLC
    Inventor: Johnny Le
  • Patent number: 11243605
    Abstract: An augmented reality home console is provided. Users can wear head-mounted displays with transparent screens and can control video game indicia that are perceived as being augmented over a user's environment by displaying video game indicia onto the transparent displays. As such, for example, two users can play an airplane dog fighting game where each user controls a plane in their living room. A device that can determine surfaces of objects (e.g., walls) can be utilized such that when the airplane is flown into a wall, the airplane explodes.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Inventor: Jeffrey David Mullen
  • Patent number: 11244540
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention set forth systems, apparatuses and methods for providing game features. In a game of chance involving at least one outcome, a plurality of alternative outcomes can be derived for a gaming event, such as when one of the outcomes will provide a payout at or above a certain level. The player is presented with an opportunity to select among the alternative outcomes, without being aware of the particular characteristics or values associated with the outcomes. While the player will only select the outcome having the payout at/above the threshold level a certain percentage of the time, the opportunity can be presented to the player more often, while keeping the mathematical probabilities the same or similar if desired, thereby providing the player with the feeling of getting higher value opportunities more often.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2022
    Inventors: Bradley Berman, Chad Shapiro
  • Patent number: 11238690
    Abstract: A gaming machine that provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is configured to receive an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display a plurality of cells. The plurality of cells is arranged in a plurality of rows and columns. The control unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and the display unit and, for each instance of the game, randomly establishes a symbol to be displayed within each of the plurality of cells. The control unit is further configured to provide a first instance of the game and to display the symbols established for the first instance of the game in the respective cells, and to automatically add a new row of cells to the display unit prior to each subsequent instance of the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shiraishi
  • Patent number: 11225103
    Abstract: A system includes a foldable dry erase board forming a continuous surface area for writing thereon. The dry erase board includes a first panel foldably attached to a second panel about a pivot joint. The method includes creating the continuous dry erase marker board surface with the first panel and the second panel and folding the first panel onto the second panel about the pivot joint extending partially through a thickness of the board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 18, 2022
    Inventor: Ronald Anthony Bowie
  • Patent number: 11179642
    Abstract: A program, a control method, and an information processing apparatus capable of improving excitement of a game. An information processing apparatus (including a server device and a terminal device) executing a process of a game including game content for performing a battle using a plurality of game media may store the plurality of game media selected by a user of the game in association with the user, display some game media among the plurality of game media in a field area and proceed with the game content, and perform a process for providing a cooperation effect including changing of a parameter of a first game medium included in some game media when the first game medium satisfies a predetermined condition and a second game medium in a predetermined relationship with the first game medium and not included in some game media is included in the plurality of game media.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: GREE, Inc.
    Inventors: Taku Watanabe, Norifumi Okumura, Takayuki Itoh, Kanji Uemura, Naoko Hanada
  • Patent number: 11176773
    Abstract: A gaming device is provided that includes a plurality of game windows, each game window having an identical array of symbol positions displayed therein. Symbols are selected for each column of symbol positions, and the columns are then each evaluated to determine if the selected symbols for a column meet a predetermined criterion, e.g., all symbols for the column being the same. If the selected symbols for a column meet the criterion, and the selected symbols of the corresponding column in the other display window do not, the corresponding column may be caused to change its selected symbols to match those in the column that has the selected symbols that meet the criterion. If all of the columns have selected symbols that meet the criterion after such evaluations and potential selected symbol changes are performed, then an award may be provided.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 16, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Oliver Crispino, Natalie Bryant
  • Patent number: 11164420
    Abstract: A system and method that facilitates the transferring of funds between different financial institution accounts based on the transferring of funds between different gaming establishment accounts associated with different gaming establishments.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2021
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Jeffery Shepherd, Kevin Higgins
  • Patent number: 11158170
    Abstract: A communal gaming system provides a communal game to players of electronic gaming devices. The system includes a plurality of EGMs, each EGM includes a trigger condition identifying when the player is awarded participation in the communal game. The system also includes a communal game display configured to display a communal game play area. The system (a) begins a game cycle for a game instance of the communal game; (b) receives, from a first device and in response to detecting the trigger condition, a communal participation trigger message; (c) awards a participation entry in the game cycle to the player; (d) transmits, to the first device, a participation award message indicating successfully entry of the player in the game cycle; (e) conducts the communal game, thereby generating an award outcome of the communal game for the player; and (f) awards the player based on the generated award outcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Alfred Thomas, Larry Pacey, Joseph Masinter, II, John Daley, Michele Rousseau, Daniel Marks
  • Patent number: 11158171
    Abstract: A multiplayer gaming system for providing a multiplayer game at multiple venues includes a first plurality of EGMs at a first venue and a second plurality of EGMs at a second venue, the EGMs allowing players to wager on outcomes of primary games while participating in an instance of the multiplayer game. The system also includes a host game server hosting game play at the first venue, and a second game server supporting multiplayer game play for the second venue through communication with the host game server. The second game server is configured to receive multiplayer game events from the second plurality of electronic gaming devices and transmit the multiplayer game events to the host game server. The host game server is configured to receive the multiplayer game events from the second game server, and apply the multiplayer game events to the instance of the multiplayer game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2021
    Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES, INC
    Inventors: Scott Burns, Alfred Thomas, Larry Pacey
  • Patent number: 11148050
    Abstract: Cellular phone games based on television archives allow users to play games on their cellular phones wherein the games are based on archived television programs. The game is able to be played simultaneously between competitors or on demand. Game data and video data are combined into one file and are sent to participating cellular phones so that the required information is received at the same time at each cellular phone. Each cellular phone contains software to manipulate the game and video data so that the user is able to play the game. The game is played by watching video clips from archived television programs and then selecting choices related to the video clips using the inputs on the user's cellular phone. User scores are determined based on the answers to the questions related to the video clips and results are distributed to the participants.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Winview, Inc.
    Inventors: David B. Lockton, Mark K. Berner
  • Patent number: 11138834
    Abstract: The inventions herein relate to novel games of chance and apparatus, systems and methods for their play. In certain embodiments, the existing lottery infrastructure is used in conjunction with electronic remote game play. A player receives a ticket identification number (TIN), optionally via lottery game play, and then plays an electronic game based upon the TIN. The remote system contains information associated with the TIN, for example, identification of which game will be played, and in a predetermined context, whether the player is to win or lose, and if they win, the form of the prize.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: MILESTONE ENTERTAINMENT, LLC
    Inventors: Randall M. Katz, Gary Dawson
  • Patent number: 11138833
    Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that provides zero, one or more social media benefits to a player in addition to any awards provided to that player in association with a play of a game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Dwayne R. Nelson, Vincent S. Lai, Jennifer Hatok
  • Patent number: 11114267
    Abstract: A single hand controller including a front surface and a back surface, with a first and second side surface there between and an upper surface and bottom surface. The upper surface includes a joystick, and the front surface has a proportional plunger and one or more switches. The controller is grasped by placing a user's finger tips on the front surface, with user's index finger operating the proportional plunger and remaining fingers operating the switches. The thenar eminence group of muscles of the user's hand rests against the back surface, whereby the user's thumb is disposed so as to operate the joystick.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 1, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Measurement Systems, Inc.
    Inventors: Raymond J. Paquette, Robert A. Blain, Jeffrey D. Philips, Edward A. Schuler
  • Patent number: 11103792
    Abstract: Competitions involving video game players may include competitions subsidiary to a purpose of video game play, and may be bounded in time, either across play of multiple video games or within play of a particular video game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 26, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Activision Publishing, Inc.
    Inventors: Jay Puryear, Jennifer Puno, Chris Chernoff
  • Patent number: 11107328
    Abstract: Systems and methods which utilize zero, one or more random determinations in association with a determination of an award of a placed sporting event wager.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Dwayne R. Nelson, Vincent S. Lai
  • Patent number: 11107321
    Abstract: A system is provided for securely issuing a ticket for a draw of a game via smart contracts of a blockchain. The system records in the blockchain a game smart contract. The game smart contract records a draw smart contract for issuing tickets for a draw of the game. The game smart contract receives a game place order message indicating placement of an order for a ticket for the draw of the game. The game smart contract sends to the draw smart contract a draw place order message indicating the placement of the order for the ticket for the draw of the game. The game smart contact receives from the draw smart contract a confirmation that the ticket for the draw of the game has been issued. The game smart contract coordinates generation of winning drawlines and directs the draw smart contract to identify winning tickets.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: LOTTERY NOW, INC.
    Inventor: Gregory Ovalle