Patents Examined by Thomas H Henry
  • Patent number: 12290729
    Abstract: A tracking system includes a host station and a sensor station. The sensor station includes transmitters transmitting an IR synchronous signal and IR laser signal. The system includes a head-mounted display and a tracked object, which has a plurality of object sensors. The tracked object determines its location and orientation relative to the sensor station based on the IR signals. The tracked object transmits the location and orientation to the host station. The host station determines an actual flight path of the tracked object during an object tracking event; generates a predicted flight path of the tracked object; and renders an image of a virtual object on a display of the head-mounted display. The image includes a virtual object corresponding to the tracked object, wherein the image is rendered in a VR environment such that the virtual object moves along the actual flight path and the predicted flight path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 5, 2024
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: XReps, LLC
    Inventors: Joel Stephens, Rohit Chaube, Brandon Fuhr, Greg Elliott
  • Patent number: 12290753
    Abstract: The performance of a player of a computer game is noted and the player accorded a latency handicap based thereon. The latency handicap is used to slow down play of the computer game, preferably only during times of high player activity. The latency handicap can be reduced over time or owing to improvement in the player's performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 5, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Joshua M. Eads, Matthew D. Bennett, Brendan Matera Rehon, Mahdi Azmandian, Zhenhao Ge, Todd Tokubo
  • Patent number: 12290730
    Abstract: A connected hockey training system that records and generates digital displays of the position and parameters of a smart hockey puck. The system is also configured to providing training programs about which the smart hockey puck is used to track progress of those training tasks and generate a score or other statistical parameters related thereto, such as feedback on stickhandling and shooting performance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2025
    Inventor: William G Near
  • Patent number: 12288440
    Abstract: A gaming machine, system, method, and program product provide a slot machine game with a mystery symbol indicator. Responsive to a play input, a base result representation is shown a matrix of symbol locations. Responsive to a winning pattern formed in the base result representation, cascade sequences occur in which symbols participating in any winning combination are removed from matrix, further symbols drop into the symbol locations of the removed symbols, and a cascade result is evaluated. Mystery symbol indicators are provided in the base result representation, which are configured to temporarily conceal and then reveal a symbol during a reel spin animation of the base result representation, once appearing in the base result representation, persist in the matrix of symbol locations during the one or more cascade sequences, and temporarily conceal and then reveal a new symbol during at least one of the one or more cascade sequences.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 29, 2025
    Assignee: Everi Games Inc.
    Inventor: Cydny Bloem Audia
  • Patent number: 12274950
    Abstract: Systems and methods for providing smart communications in a video game environment are disclosed. A first positional vector of a first user within a video game environment and a second positional vector of a second user within the video game environment are determined. In a first communication between the first user and second user, the first positional information is detected and a first translation vector between the first positional vector of the first user and the second positional vector of the second user is calculated. Based on the first translation vector, the first positional information is corrected, and the corrected positional information is transmitted to the second user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 3, 2022
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2025
    Assignee: Adeia Guides Inc.
    Inventors: Anjum Makkar, Ishan Dhanwal, Vivek Sehgal, Simranjeet Gill, Cato Yang
  • Patent number: 12268965
    Abstract: Disclosed are an online talk game method and system in which a plurality of users interacts and match composition rates by sharing opinions. A server unit announces a talk topic and receives and announces opinions of the users. The server unit receives the user's answer to the question and the expecting rate, calculates the composition rate of the answer, and determines that the smaller a difference between the composition rate and the user's expecting rate, the more advantageous it is, and the larger the difference, the more disadvantageous it is. This talk game can provide an interactive game that allows users to become immersed when a large number of users participate in the talk game, and prevent many ties, prevent collusion between the users, and reduce user confusion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 7, 2024
    Date of Patent: April 8, 2025
    Assignee: KSEEK Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Young-real Kim
  • Patent number: 12243380
    Abstract: An integrated active control system includes gaming devices, a server, and a network connecting the server and gaming devices. The gaming devices include gaming terminals and gaming tables. The integrated active control system aggregates gaming transaction information from the gaming devices and determines, for example, the effectiveness of the gaming establishment's floor configuration. Based on this effectiveness determination, at least one of the gaming devices are instructed to change their configuration. Staffing information may also be considered and reconfigured. The integrated active control system further monitors and configures gaming chips. The gaming chips are programmable, and may store monetary chip value and chip identification information. The programmable gaming chips are monitored for tracking the wagers made with the chips as well as for detecting their location.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2024
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Gareth Stuart Phillips, Kent Reisdorph, Lattamore D. Osburn, Scott Olive, Gary Frerking, Jeffrey S. Topham, Michael Dugan, John Denlay, Christine Judith Denlay
  • Patent number: 12243374
    Abstract: A methodology and apparatus for providing casino game signage for a casino game which incorporates display information that is dynamically interchangeable between game specific and game non-specific information responsive to automatic detection of game play status at the game table. At least one electronic display is provided at respective casino game tables, and selected display information is wirelessly transmitted, and/or manually delivered, thereto. The display information which is displayed is dynamically selected based upon a sensor automatically detecting the status of play of the game, being game specific during play and selectively game specific and game non-specific during game play inactivity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 1, 2023
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2025
    Assignee: NRT Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Perry Stasi, Ryan McClellan
  • Patent number: 12233343
    Abstract: The invention discloses a pure end-to-end deep reinforcement learning for training car racing game AI bot that uses only the velocity information extracted from screen for both training and testing phases without using any internal state from game environment, such as the car facing angle. The learned AI bot can play better than the average performance of human players. In addition, the reward function is designed to consist only the velocity value, and use Ape-X distributed training framework combined with a variant of Deep Q Network to solve the sparse training signal problem caused by the reward function of an original design. Moreover, limit learner rate method is designed that improves the training efficiency and training performance. The AI bot trained in this way can achieve performance beyond the average human level and reach a level close to professional players.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: February 25, 2025
    Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Ubitus
    Inventors: Chiu-Chou Lin, I-Chen Wu, Jung-Chang Kuo, Ying-Hau Wu, An-Lun Teng, Pei-Wen Huang
  • Patent number: 12208331
    Abstract: A method is provided for implementing an automated worker system. The method includes generating, at a first location in a virtual scene, a first set of virtual units of a user in the virtual scene, each of the first set of virtual units being configured to automatically collect at least one resource associated with the first location. The method further includes accumulating, for the user, the at least one resource collected by the first set of virtual units based on a number of the virtual units in the first set of virtual units and resource collection rates of the virtual units in the first set of virtual units. This allows players to focus on more exciting portions of an RTS game rather than perform repetitive and tedious tasks involved with controlling resource gathering units and resource management.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2024
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2025
    Assignee: Tencent America LLC
    Inventors: Taeyeon Kim, Stefan Haines
  • Patent number: 12186668
    Abstract: Systems and methods to provide ledger-specific utilities for unique digital articles and other digital assets that are not fungible in an online gaming platform are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may execute instances of a game; manage user accounts associated with the users, including a first user account associated with a first user, wherein a first account inventory includes a first unique digital article; receive a first action request to use the first unique digital article in a first manner of usage; either permit or deny the requested first manner of usage, based on the type of unique digital article usage that is requested and on the type of decentralized ledger (or the specific decentralized ledger) on which the first unique digital article has been recorded.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Mythical, Inc.
    Inventor: Rudy Koch
  • Patent number: 12190675
    Abstract: A gaming machine and method comprising independent displays and controls to play a game individually or as a group game between players. The gaming machine comprises a controller that controls, in individual games or group games and irrespective of wagers applied, each reel of a first set of reels and a second set of reels spin to a respective stop position to thereby select, at a conclusion of spinning, symbols that fill a first set of columns of symbol display positions and a second set of columns of symbol display positions, and evaluates the symbols displayed in the first set of columns of symbol display positions based on a pay table and wagers.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 21, 2023
    Date of Patent: January 7, 2025
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Natalie Bryant
  • Patent number: 12183148
    Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention are directed to communication methods in gaming networks using portable devices. In some networks portable devices communicate information about the status of particular gaming machines on the gaming network. In other networks portable devices are used as a secondary display for the gaming device. In yet other networks bonus games may be played on the portable devices. Further embodiments include a portable device that operates to match a current state of a game to a pre-defined state or states.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2023
    Date of Patent: December 31, 2024
    Assignee: Acres Technology
    Inventor: John F. Acres
  • Patent number: 12151160
    Abstract: Systems and methods for a computer-based gaming system and/or its associated components to receive and analyze a user's vital sign(s) information and in response to a detected unhealthy condition, alter functionalities to a computer-based gaming system and its associated components in a manner to improve the unhealthy condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 26, 2023
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2024
    Inventor: Zamar Lomax
  • Patent number: 12145065
    Abstract: Methods and systems for cooperative or coached gameplay in virtual environments are disclosed. Memory may store a content control profile regarding a set of control input associated with an action in a virtual environment of a digital content title. A request may be received from a set of one or more users associated with different source devices regarding cooperative gameplay of the digital content title. At least one virtual avatar may be generated for an interactive session of the digital content title in response to the request. A plurality of control inputs may be received from the plurality of different source devices and combined into a combination set of control inputs. Generating the combination set of control input may be based on the content control profile. Virtual actions associated with the virtual avatar may be controlled within the virtual environment in accordance with the combination set of control inputs.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 31, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2024
    Assignees: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC, SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT INC.
    Inventors: Olga Rudi, Kristine Young, Mahdi Azmandian, Jin Zhang, Sarah Karp, Sepideh Karimi, Elizabeth Juenger
  • Patent number: 12121818
    Abstract: Systems and methods for incentivizing user participation in gameplay events that take place in an online game are presented herein. The gameplay events may include one or more time intervals that take place during the duration of the gameplay event. The time intervals may be associated with incentivizing one or more actions and/or activities by the users during the intervals. The users may be distributed awards based on their performance during the intervals. The awards associated with time interval performance may impact awards distributed based on final ranking in the gameplay event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Luther Patenge, Dylan Ortiz, Luc Pieron, Thomas Baxter, Henry Rull
  • Patent number: 12121826
    Abstract: A hand gesture controlled flying toy can utilize one or more infrared sensors and/or pressure sensors to determine how a user is interacting with the flying toy and conduct aerial maneuvers based on those interactions. The flying toy may be configured to ascend when lateral infrared sensors detect reflections of infrared light in multiple lateral directions. The flying toy may be configured to ascend when a pressure sensor detects a pressure increase from below the flying toy. The flying toy may be configured to conduct a roll responsive to an upward infrared sensor and a lateral infrared sensor detecting reflections of infrared light. The roll may be oriented at least partially based on which lateral infrared sensor detected a reflection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2024
    Assignee: AMAX GROUP USA, LLC
    Inventor: Darren Scott Matloff
  • Patent number: 12102918
    Abstract: Systems and methods for dynamic control of behavioral characteristics of artificial intelligence (AI) characters are provided. The method includes ascertaining an occurrence of an event in a virtual environment associated with an AI character model; receiving a plurality of narratives associated with the AI character model; selecting, based on the event, a narrative from the plurality of narratives; determining, based on the selected narrative, behavioral settings; and applying the behavioral settings to the AI character model, thereby causing the AI character model to follow the narrative in interactions with a user in the virtual environment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 29, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Theai, Inc.
    Inventors: Ilya Gelfenbeyn, Mikhail Ermolenko, Kylan Gibbs, Evgenii Shingarev
  • Patent number: 12106637
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method for providing a lottery game including providing a lottery ticket for purchase; processing a purchase of the lottery ticket, wherein the lottery ticket was part of a purchase transaction comprising at least one good or service and the lottery ticket; and communicating a result of a lottery game comprising the lottery ticket.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 12, 2023
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2024
    Assignee: Blackhawk Network, Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Alan Gotlieb, Melissa Murillo
  • Patent number: 12097429
    Abstract: An example of an information processing system stores therein first ability data indicating abilities of possessed objects used in a first game. A use object to be used in a second game is selected from among the possessed objects. Second ability data indicating an ability of the use object is set so as to indicate an ability lower than the ability indicated by the first ability data of the possessed object that becomes the use object. When an update condition regarding the use object has been satisfied during execution of the second game, the second ability data is updated such that the ability of the use object having satisfied the update condition is strengthened. Regarding the update of the second ability data, an upper limit is set on at least a part of the ability of the use object, based on the ability indicated by the first ability data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 27, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 24, 2024
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yuji Ohashi, Kouhei Maeda