Patents Examined by Scott Jones
  • Patent number: 7901287
    Abstract: A gaming device having an offer and acceptance game with a plurality of award pools, a reveal feature and a modify feature. When the game is initiated, the gaming device randomly selects a pre-determined pool of awards from a plurality of pre-determined pools of awards which each includes a pre-determined initial award or offer. The awards included in the selected pool of awards are displayed to the player. The gaming device randomly associates the plurality of awards from the selected pre-determined pool of awards with a plurality of selectable selections. The gaming device enables the player to either accept the initial award or select one of the selections. If the player accepts the initial award, the player obtains the initial award and the game ends. If the player selects one of the selections, the gaming device reveals the alternate award associated with the player selected selection, the player obtains the revealed alternate award and the game ends.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2002
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Richard J. Simms, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 7892081
    Abstract: A gaming device having wild indicator symbols associated with symbols displayed within a display device on a set of reels. The wild indicator symbols may also be associated with a card or plurality of cards within a display device. A processor determines whether the wild indicators will be associated with the symbols or cards and also determines if the wild indicators will be activated. If the wild indicators are activated, the processor transforms those symbols or cards associated with the wild indicators into wild symbols or wild cards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2004
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2011
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Paulina Glavich, Joseph E. Kaminkow, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 7803054
    Abstract: Multiple vehicles being simulated at multiple devices are coordinated across a network as part of a shared gaming experience. Participating devices initially synchronize a time base using a designated host device. During game play, local devices simulate local vehicles. Local devices also produce predicted vehicle states for the local vehicles and transmit the predicted vehicle states to remote devices with regard to network latency. Remote devices in turn produce interpolated vehicle states from the predicted vehicles states and then render the vehicles using the interpolated vehicle states. Interpolation values may also be employed to maintain the synchronized time base. Additionally, the interpolations may be tuned, especially with respect to collisions, by a glancing collisions handler, a dragging collisions effectuator, and/or a remote vehicle damage agent.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2004
    Date of Patent: September 28, 2010
    Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
    Inventors: Aaron W. Ogus, David E. Glerok, Christopher J. Tector
  • Patent number: 7785184
    Abstract: A monitor-based Texas Hold'em Poker game, where a plurality of game entries are displayed to a player and each game entry is associated with a winning odds and potential payout. After the player places a wager on one of the game entries, the system generates a set of community cards and determines a winning hand according to a set of predefined rules.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Scientific Games International, Inc.
    Inventors: Chantal Jubinville, Stephen Gerard Penrice, Alan Kyle Bozeman
  • Patent number: 7785192
    Abstract: A gaming machine for conducting a wagering game includes a value input device for receiving a wager and a processor for executing gameplay on the gaming machine. The processor has a plurality of power consumption levels. A power regulator is operative to alter the power consumption level of the processor amongst the plurality of power consumption levels. In an embodiment, the power regulator comprises application software stored on a memory device in communication with the processor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Stephen A. Canterbury, Victor Mercado
  • Patent number: 7785193
    Abstract: A cashless technology involves issuance of bonus awards to players. The bonus awards themselves are cash, service, merchandise, etc. But the game issues these awards in the form of a cashless instrument representing the award. The cashless instrument may be issued under various circumstances and in various forms such as pre-printed tickets, peelable tickets, updated information on a player card, updated information in a database, etc.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 29, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Craig A. Paulsen, Binh T. Nguyen
  • Patent number: 7775874
    Abstract: A gaming device including a award mode in a primary game that increases the probability of obtaining an award in the primary game. The gaming device includes a plurality of reels having several symbols where the symbols include award symbols, at least one trigger symbol and at least one wild symbol. The gaming device activates the reels and initiates the award mode when the trigger symbol is indicated on one of the paylines associated with the reels. In the award mode, the gaming device re-activates all of the reels except the reel including the trigger symbol until those reels indicate a wild symbol on the payline. The gaming device then re-activates the reel including the trigger symbol until an award symbol is indicated on that reel. The gaming device provides the award associated with the indicated award symbol on the payline on that reel to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Erick T. Ching, Jasonlee Kissee Hohman
  • Patent number: 7775882
    Abstract: A game apparatus which can realize a totally new expression of a fear on a game image is provided. The game apparatus includes an image generating means that uses a visual point position of a player character as a visual point position of a virtual camera and generates an image within a visual range captured by the virtual camera, an enemy character control means that allows the enemy character to mount an attack such that the visual point position of the player character is changed and moves an enemy character within a specified range viewed from the visual point position changed due to the attack to the visual range of the player character viewed from the visual point position, and a camera work control means that changes a visual point position in a three-dimensional coordinate system of the virtual camera in conjunction with the attack motions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Sega
    Inventors: Hiroaki Kawamura, Toshiyuki Shimizu
  • Patent number: 7775897
    Abstract: An automatic tee-up device including a golf ball reservoir, a platform with a groove for a golf ball to travel from the reservoir to a tee, and a ball ejector disposed to eject golf balls one at a time from the reservoir onto the groove. The tee is movable from below a level of the golf ball in the groove to above the level of the golf ball in the groove. After the golf ball is ejected by the ejector, the golf ball travels on the groove to the tee and is raised by the tee into a position suitable for striking with a golf club.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 17, 2003
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Inventor: Donald R Jones
  • Patent number: 7778590
    Abstract: Either a “list of song names” or a “list of artist names” is set (in a step S12) as a first display ordering which is to be a basic display ordering for songs, and, along with displaying (in steps S13 and S14) a song selection screen according to a display sequence setting table based on this first display ordering which has been set, particularly an appealing portion of a PV of a song which has been displayed in a song candidate display section and which has been selected with a music selection cursor is displayed in a selected PV display section; and furthermore (in steps S15, S20, S26, and S33) a appealing portion of the song is outputted via speakers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Junichi Kogo
  • Patent number: 7775884
    Abstract: A game controller having a steering wheel communicating wirelessly with a controller base is provided. The steering wheel includes a wireless transmitter while the controller base includes a wireless receiver. The wireless transmitter is configured to transmit wheel information of the steering wheel to the wireless receiver of the controller base. Steering wheel information can include wheel rotational information. Wheel rotational information can be obtained using an optical sensor, a potentiometer or an accelerometer. The wireless transmitter can be an RF, IR or ultrasonic transmitter. Power for the wireless transmitter can be provided by an onboard battery. A sleep mode can also further extend the life of the wheel battery. It may also be possible to power the steering wheel from the controller base.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Activision Publishing, Inc.
    Inventor: Jack J. McCauley
  • Patent number: 7775869
    Abstract: A gaming machine has display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means An underlying game is played in which one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. On the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets. Each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process. The prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player from the two or more different prize sets. The sets of prizes may be presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment which defines the prize outcome won by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. Australia
    Inventors: Edgar Pau, Colin Fong
  • Patent number: 7771279
    Abstract: On a display screen, a game image including a plurality of target images and a game character image is displayed. The target images moves so as to pass over the game character image. When an input is provided from a player onto a touch panel, input coordinates are detected. In response, display coordinates of each target image at the time of the input are detected. When display coordinates located within a predetermined range from the input coordinates are present, specified coordinates are determined based on at least one of a position represented by display coordinates and a position represented by the input coordinates. The game character has characteristic parameters which are varied in accordance with a positional relation between the specified coordinates and the game character image.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2004
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Nintendo Co. Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigeru Miyamoto, Keizo Ohta, Hideya Akasaka
  • Patent number: 7771278
    Abstract: A slot machine gaming device and method to target advertisements and promotions on cashless tickets. Players can be identified by their player's card, and a record associated with a ticket can be associated with the identified player. Upon redemption, the player, based on his or her player profile, can be presented with a targeted message and/or a special bonus offer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 23, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2010
    Assignee: Olympian Gaming LLC
    Inventor: Jon H. Muskin
  • Patent number: 7766738
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes: a plurality of game terminals each including an operation section for accepting operation of a player, an acceptance unit for accepting game medium, and an image display unit for displaying a predetermined image; a plurality of cumulative storage units for storing a predetermined value of the game medium; a game control unit for controlling a game based on a base game or a bonus game; a first lottery unit for performing a lottery as to whether or not the bonus game is generated for each of the plurality of game terminals; a second lottery unit for performing a lottery as to whether or not game medium are paid out for each game terminal when the bonus game is generated; and a cumulative game medium payout unit for paying out the game medium to the determined game terminal.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventor: Takahiro Ogiwara
  • Patent number: 7766770
    Abstract: The present invention includes devices, kits and methods for an automated ball feeding device for a ball throwing machine. The present invention provides an automatic ball feeding and throwing apparatus having a ball holding container with one or more sides and a bottom in communication with a propeller. The propeller is positioned to communicate with a rotatable support mast that has a ball channel and supports a ball ejection mechanism. The ball channel extends from the ball holding container to the ball ejection mechanism. The ball is fed by the propeller through the ball channel to the ball throwing apparatus regardless of the pivot angle or rotational angle of the ball ejection mechanism.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Precision Sports Robotics, LLC
    Inventors: Romulo J. Cucjen, Dennis Randall Duron, Brad Tilton
  • Patent number: 7766741
    Abstract: Each bingo card representation matched with a game designation set in a given bingo game (a “matched bingo card representation”) represents a respective game play record providing a result in the bingo game. The result represented by a matched bingo card representation is displayed to a player in the bingo-type game through a result representation provided at a suitable player station. Each result representation is correlated to one or more game results in the bingo-type game so that each game result in the bingo-type game is associated with a result representation. According to the invention, each result representation includes a graphical representation unrelated to the bingo-type game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 30, 2002
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Multimedia Games, Inc.
    Inventors: Clifton Lind, Gordon T. Graves, Gary L. Loebig, Jefferson C. Lind, Joseph R. Enzminger, Rodney L. Willyard, Robert Lannert
  • Patent number: 7758419
    Abstract: A gaming table assembly for a table game configured to deliver a bonus game to a player at the gaming table. The assembly including a gaming table, a dealer station for a gaming dealer, and a plurality of player stations for one or more players. At least one interactive display terminal is included associated with the gaming table that is dedicated to one or more of the plurality of player stations. The display terminal is configured to display content selected from the group consisting of a bonus game, an advertisement, player tracking information, news and bonus awards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Richard E. Rowe, Scott Boyd, Kevan Wilkins
  • Patent number: 7758421
    Abstract: A gaming terminal having a wagering game. The wagering game includes a plurality of symbols that indicate a randomly selected outcome of the wagering game. In response to the randomly selected outcome being a win-deferral outcome, the wagering game provides a player with a selection of immediately obtaining a first award or obtaining a second award under a specified condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Jeremy M. Hornik, Allon G Englman, Michael W. Mastropietro, Peter R. Anderson
  • Patent number: 7758418
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention relate to gaming machines, and more particularly, to a system and method for presenting a game result as an independent event. Systems embodying one or more aspects of the invention enhance the game playing experience by presenting players with a receipt or media that gives players the opportunity to obtain sensory feedback subsequent to playing a first game. This sensory feedback, which is based on information encoded on the receipt and possibly stored on a server for later cross checking, is provided via a winning display machine and may take multiple forms. The winning display machine may, for instance, read the information on the receipt and simply inform the user of the amount or result of the first game. Alternatively or in addition the winning display machine may utilize the information encoded on the receipt to simulate the appearance of additional game play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Rocket Gaming Systems, LLC
    Inventor: Robert Manz