Patents Examined by Tramar Harper
  • Patent number: 10918920
    Abstract: Methods, apparatus, systems, and articles of manufacture to track movement of sports implements are disclosed herein. An example sensing unit disclosed herein is to be coupled to a sports implement. The sensing unit includes an inertial measurement unit to obtain movement data of said sports implement during a swing of said sports implement and a swing analyzer to determine a follow-through pattern of the swing of said sports implement based on the movement data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Intel Corporation
    Inventors: Ke Ding, Lakshman Krishnamurthy, Narayan Sundararajan, Xue Yang
  • Patent number: 10307673
    Abstract: A network game system includes a server apparatus and a plurality of video game apparatuses connected to the server apparatus. A party includes player characters of a plurality of players. When the party battles with an opponent character, the server apparatus simultaneously transmits movie playback information to each video game apparatus for starting playback of a movie. Each of the players can skip the movie at a desired timing. A screen is displayed on each video game apparatus that has skipped the movie until the battle starts. When information is received from each video game apparatus that indicates playback of the movie has ended, the server apparatus simultaneously transmits battle start information to each video game apparatus.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 28, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 4, 2019
    Assignee: KABUSHIKI KAISHA SQUARE ENIX
    Inventors: Yoichi Kuroda, Ryoko Kato
  • Patent number: 10289986
    Abstract: An exemplary embodiment provides a configuration allowing promotion of communication among users by making use of exchange of a virtual currency. An information processing system includes a providing module configured to provide a content created by a first user to a second user and a management module configured to manage a virtual currency in association with each of the first and second users. The management module makes change such that the entirety or a part of the virtual currency associated with the second user is associated with the first user in response to an instruction from the second user, as appreciation of the content created by the first user.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 29, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 14, 2019
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Akiya Sakamoto, Takayoshi Sato, Norihito Ito, Stephen Mortimer
  • Patent number: 10279267
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for monitoring game activity of a game system. A non-limiting example of the method includes monitoring, by a processing device, game activity of the game system. The processing device determines characteristics of the game activity, along with expected characteristics of the game activity. The processing device analyzes the characteristics of the game activity and the expected characteristics of the game activity. Based at least in part on analyzing the characteristics of the game activity and the expected characteristics of the game activity, an entity that is controlling the game system is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 3, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin W. Brew, Michael S. Gordon, James R. Kozloski, Ashish Kundu, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 10279268
    Abstract: A video gaming system includes a motherboard with video display output, a USB and video switching board and a single board computer. The single board computer connects to the front panel power and reset switches, the switching board and the motherboard power switch input. Upon user input to the software program running on the single board computer, a limitations database is accessed. If time is allowed, the program powers the motherboard and switches the USB keyboard and video outputs to the motherboard. During the last minutes of allowed time, the program periodically flashes the display warning the user and, through power and reset switch presses, a time extension can be requested. If allowed, according to the database, use time is extended by the predefined setting. Otherwise time runs out normally and the motherboard is powered off and the USB and video circuits switched back to the single board computer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Inventors: Kenneth Mark Woog, Timothy Michael Woog
  • Patent number: 10279266
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention are directed to a computer-implemented method for monitoring game activity of a game system. A non-limiting example of the method includes monitoring, by a processing device, game activity of the game system. The processing device determines characteristics of the game activity, along with expected characteristics of the game activity. The processing device analyzes the characteristics of the game activity and the expected characteristics of the game activity. Based at least in part on analyzing the characteristics of the game activity and the expected characteristics of the game activity, an entity that is controlling the game system is determined.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 7, 2019
    Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kevin W. Brew, Michael S. Gordon, James R. Kozloski, Ashish Kundu, Clifford A. Pickover
  • Patent number: 10275988
    Abstract: A game controller operable to control play of a game. The game controller includes a configuration module, a wager determination module and a trigger module. The configuration module configures a secondary event trigger having a hit rate which is fixed over a plurality of games. The wager determination module determines an amount wagered for play of one of the games. The trigger module triggers a secondary game event in which a higher value prize and lower value prize are each eligible to be awarded upon determining the trigger in the game, such that a probability of awarding the higher value prize increases with the amount wagered in the game, while the probability of awarding the lower value prize decreases.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 6, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Paul Francis Bramble
  • Patent number: 10275980
    Abstract: A lottery host, retailer terminal(s) and specially adapted tickets and ticket packs provide embodiments of a wagering event integrity control system, method and apparatus as disclosed. In various embodiments, purchased but unactivated tickets for a lottery drawing are activated based upon a code and/or signal received by the lottery host, wherein the received code and/or signal is associated with different tickets in the ticket pack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: IGT Global Solutions Corporation
    Inventors: Bradford Heathcote, Aaron Michael Koll, Sarah W. Simpkins
  • Patent number: 10258883
    Abstract: An online game is provided to users via client computing devices. Gameplay metrics are determined for users of the online game based on actions taken by the users in the online game. Secondary games are provided, where the potential awards provided by the secondary games are determined based on the gameplay metrics of the users.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 19, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 16, 2019
    Assignee: Kabam, Inc.
    Inventors: Albert Wei, Kevin Lee, Jay Jodway, David McNeill, Devin Nambiar
  • Patent number: 10252133
    Abstract: A basketball training apparatus includes a shot completion sensor, a condition sensor, and a computer. The shot completion sensor determines whether a shot goes through a basketball hoop. The condition sensor senses a physical condition of a basketball shooter. The computer is in communication with the shot completion sensor and the condition sensor, and has a processor for calculating shot completion percentage as a function of the physical condition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Airborne Athletics, Inc.
    Inventors: Douglas Brad Campbell, Jeffrey Jon Campbell
  • Patent number: 10255756
    Abstract: This disclosure relates to enabling a user to access a game hosted on a game platform without registering a platform account. In implementations, a game provider may set a game trigger based on an instance of a game. In response to a determination that the game trigger is met, instructions effectuating presentation of a platform registration request to a user may be transmitted to a platform provider.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 9, 2019
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventor: Ziqiang Xu
  • Patent number: 10248168
    Abstract: Provided are systems and methods tracking a prayer session of a device user and notifying the device user regarding prayer session activity. The method includes receiving motion information from an accelerometer of the device, receiving altitude information from an altimeter of the device, and receiving position information from a gyroscope of the device while the device user is engaged in the prayer session. The method further includes determining a prayer unit number or prayer position based on one or more of the received motion information, altitude information, and position information, and notifying the device user of the determined prayer unit number or prayer position.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Inventors: Mateen-Mohammed Abdul Khadir, Asif Ahmed, Aijaz Ansari
  • Patent number: 10249145
    Abstract: A game system and method plays an electronic game and simulates the outcome as a keno game. The game system allows a player to place a wager, plays the electronic game, and establishes an outcome of the electronic game. The outcome of the electronic game includes a payout according to a first pay table if a set of predetermined conditions has been achieved. The outcome of the game is simulated as a keno game. The outcome of the keno game is equivalent to the outcome of the electronic game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.
    Inventor: Jon Yarbrough
  • Patent number: 10238964
    Abstract: There is provided an information processing apparatus including a waveform generation unit configured to generate a waveform according to a relative movement between two objects in a virtual space, and an output control unit configured to control a haptic output and a sound output on the basis of frequency distribution of the waveform generated by the waveform generation unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: SONY CORPORATION
    Inventors: Akihiro Komori, Yusuke Nakagawa
  • Patent number: 10238947
    Abstract: A golf aid system for assisting a user with a golf shot on a golf course includes a user tracking system configured to determine the location of the user on the golf course, a portable electronic device with a display screen, and a processor. The processor, which is operable to communicate with the user tracking system and the portable electronic device, is configured to determine one or more target locations on the golf course, with each of the target locations representing a recommended target for a respective one of the golf clubs. The processor directs the portable electronic device to display an indicator of the respective golf club proximate the corresponding target location via the display screen, such that the user perceives at least a portion of the indicator to be coincident with the corresponding one of the target locations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 20, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: NIKE, Inc.
    Inventor: Nicholas A. Leech
  • Patent number: 10238955
    Abstract: A method of delivering cards from a card housing unit during a card game including automatically detecting, using one or more processors, at least one of a card being held within an opening in the card housing unit for a period of time longer than a predetermined period of time or an attempt to manually draw a card from the opening after the card game ends, and based on the automatic detection, controlling, using one or more processors, operation of a lock member to restrict movement of the card relative to the opening in the card housing unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 9, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 26, 2019
    Assignee: ANGEL PLAYING CARDS CO., LTD
    Inventor: Yasushi Shigeta
  • Patent number: 10232252
    Abstract: A front end server receives a request to start executing a game on at least one game server, the at least one game server being capable of executing at least one game, having an upper limit set to a total of amounts of resources that can be secured in executing at least one game, and executing a game as an object of execution when an amount of resources associated with the game as the object of execution can be secured. A management server starts a new game server when an amount of resources associated with the game according to the execution start request exceeds an amount of remaining resources that can be secured in each game server already started or being started at a time of receiving the execution start request. The management server makes one of the game servers execute the game according to the execution start request.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc.
    Inventors: Kazushi Yoshida, Osamu Ota, Hisashi Tomita, Tatsuya Suzuki, Ryota Akao
  • Patent number: 10226692
    Abstract: An example information processing system includes a computer device comprising a housing, a display on a front surface of the housing, and processing circuitry configured to generate images; and first and second controllers each configured for detachable attachment to first and second different side surfaces of the housing of the computer device. The computer device is configured to receive signals from the first and second controllers both when the first and second controllers are attached to the computer device and when the first and second controllers are detached from the computer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: NINTENDO CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshiaki Koizumi, Yui Ehara, Munetaka Nishikawa, Kochi Kawai, Kenichi Mae
  • Patent number: 10223859
    Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include detecting initiation of a wagering game and determining, in response to the detecting the initiation of the wagering game, first content and second content to present for the wagering game. The operations can further include providing the first content for presentation on a display device, the first content being viewable through the gaming eyewear, and providing the second content for presentation as a virtual image via the gaming eyewear.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Date of Patent: March 5, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott A. Massing, Damon E. Gura, Daniel P. Louie, Jesse M. Smith, Jamie W. Vann
  • Patent number: 10213693
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method assigns one or more trophies to a user. A game is emulated in response to a request from a client device. A trophy trigger is detected during emulation of the game by comparing a current program counter value to a predetermined value and comparing a stored instruction in an instruction storage location to a predetermined instruction when the current program counter value matches the predetermined counter value. The one or more trophies are assigned to a user account that is associated with the user when the current program counter value matches the predetermined value and the instruction in the instruction storage location matches the predetermined instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2019
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Timothy Lindquist, George Weising, Geoffrey Piers Robert Norton, Jacob P. Stine, Dmitri Tolstov, Takayuki Kazama