Patents Examined by Werner G Garner
  • Lockbox puzzle game
    Patent number: 11148041
    Abstract: A lockbox game is presented herein. The game includes a locked container with one or more prizes therein. The locked container, with the cover locked, is provided to a participant along with a series of puzzles. The participant is required to solve the puzzles in order to collectively reveal a lock code that can be used to open the locked container and retrieve the one or more prizes therein. The game can be presented in a number of different versions, including a stationary or tabletop version and a travel version. A mobile application may be used to display puzzles, convert puzzle solutions to portions of the lock code, or reveal locations to which the participant must travel during the game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Lockbox Adventures LLC
    Inventor: Benjamin L. Ferry
  • Gaming cabinet with curved displays, integrated candle lighting, and three-dimensional effect lighting
    Patent number: 11151834
    Abstract: Disclosed are gaming systems, methods and machines for a gaming cabinet configuration. In particular, the gaming systems, methods and machines may incorporate gaming cabinets that include one or more curved or arcuate screens, one or more candles integrated into the gaming cabinet, and/or one or more diffuse lighting elements to provide lighting features or effects.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2020
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce Urban, Dominic DeMarco, Rajendrasinh Jadeja, James Stair, Joseph Kaminkow, Michael Bristol, Daniel Harden, Ariel Turgel, Cheng-Fu Hsieh, Mark Hearn, Elliot Ortiz, Jon Hanlin
  • Game system and game apparatus
    Patent number: 11138832
    Abstract: A game system includes a receiver that receives an input of setting information related to the use of a service for an electronic money payment from a player when the service is used; a reader that reads electronic money information from a recording medium; a payment unit that makes a payment corresponding to the setting information received from the player by using the electronic money information read from the recording medium; and a setting information recorder that records first setting information input by the player. When the service is used, a screen for receiving the input of the first setting information from the player is generated when the first setting information is recorded in the setting information recorder, and a screen for receiving the input of second setting information from the player is generated when the first setting information is not recorded in the setting information recorder.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 5, 2021
    Assignee: SEGA CORPORATION
    Inventors: Teruhito Abe, Naoki Nakamura, Koichi Kimata
  • Induction card managing device for a gaming machine
    Patent number: 11127251
    Abstract: An induction card managing device for a gaming machine includes a housing unit having a front housing, a connection seat, and a rear housing. The front housing includes a top side having a card slot. Two guiding plates extend forwards from the connection seat into the front housing and form a card passage therebetween. An induction card can be inserted downwards through the card slot into the card passage and is positioned by a bottom plate between the two guiding plates. The control device is mounted in the housing unit and includes a controller, a sensor, a display, and an inputting device. The display and the inputting device are received in a through-slot and openings in the front housing, respectively. The sensor is received in the rear chamber, is aligned with the card passage of the connection seat, and can proceed with reading/writing on the induction card.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2020
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Top Vending Machine Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Yuan-Fong Chang
  • Method for controlling a game play
    Patent number: 11123637
    Abstract: A computer implemented method for controlling a game play. The method includes rendering a game view on a display of a computing device, the game view including a first area and a second area; displaying one or more first objects in the first area, the one or more first objects configured to execute one or more actions in the first area, the one or more actions being executed at a first execution speed; detecting a selection of a second object in the second area of the display; and changing an execution speed of the one or more actions being executed by the one or more first objects in the first area to a second execution speed while it is detected that the second object is selected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: September 21, 2021
    Assignee: Supercell Oy
    Inventors: Rauli Laatikainen, Patrick Corander
  • Multi-purpose board game employing a game board and game pieces with wireless technology to communicate to the internet
    Patent number: 11110341
    Abstract: An electronic game board wherein the board comprises a plurality of sensors and indicators such that two or more players may play the same game with each other using two or more different game boards that may communicate with each other either directly or through a server. The game board comprises a memory, antenna, and microprocessor associated with the sensors and indicators so that the game board may determine, store, and display a game state based-in-part on data obtained from the game board itself and either another game board or an artificially intelligent player operating in response the present game board.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Inventor: Matthew Knippen
  • Gaming system and a method of gaming
    Patent number: 11107316
    Abstract: A gaming system is disclosed that comprises a game play monitor arranged to monitor game play data associated with a player during game play, and a reward controller arranged to maintain a game player data target associated with at least one player. The system is arranged to maintain a current game play data total such that the game play data total accumulates in response to detection of game play data by the game play monitor, and to determine whether to allocate a reward to the at least one player based on the current game play data total and the game play data target. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 16, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Inventor: Richard G. LeBaron
  • Gaming device having prize ladder populated with incrementable prize levels
    Patent number: 11107314
    Abstract: A gaming device having a processor to control a display to display a set of prize levels having a bottom level, a variable level associated with a variable prize, and an intermediate level. In each of a plurality of game instances, the processor selects a plurality of symbols, control the display to display the selected symbols, determines whether the symbols displayed include increment symbols, upon the symbols displayed including the increment symbols, increments the variable prize by respective amounts of the increment symbols, evaluates symbols displayed for a winning combination, and the symbols displayed including the winning combination, increments from a current prize level to a different prize level in the set of prize levels provided the different prize level is not a top level. At an end of the plurality of game instances, the processor awards a current prize of the current prize level.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Billy Tam
  • Information processing method and apparatus, storage medium and electronic device
    Patent number: 11090555
    Abstract: An information processing method and apparatus, a storage medium, and an electronic device are provided. The method includes: marking location information sent by a network side is received, the marking location information at least including location information of the game scene; an marking location is determined in a game scene according to the location information of the game scene, and direction information of the marking location is acquired; a direction indicator is provided on the GUI, the direction indicator including a direction identifier for identifying a direction; and at a position corresponding to the direction identifier corresponding to the direction information, a graphical identifier corresponding to the direction information of the marking location is generated.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: NETEASE (HANGZHOU) NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Qingbo Miao
  • Gaming machine with externally controlled content display
    Patent number: 11087592
    Abstract: A gaming system including a number of host devices each coupled to one or more gaming machines, wherein content provided by the host device is output on the gaming machine. To output the content provided by the remote host, a host-controlled process that is authenticated by the gaming machine and executed in a secure memory location such that it is isolated from other processes executing on the gaming machine may be utilized. The host-controlled processes may be decoupled from the process used to execute the game of chance played on the gaming machine such that the content output by the host-controlled process doesn't alter the play of game of chance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 11, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Reid M. Weber, Erik B. Petersen, Adrian R. Marcu, William C. Little, Steven G. LeMay
  • Method of gaming, a game controller, and a gaming system
    Patent number: 11087593
    Abstract: An example method of gaming includes: conducting a progressive jackpot including a prize defined by a plurality of digits; and incrementing the progressive jackpot by incrementing a digit of said plurality of digits of the prize in response to a trigger event corresponding to the digit occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 18, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 10, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Ryan Hawkins
  • Managing game metrics and authorizations
    Patent number: 11077376
    Abstract: Various metrics as may be deployed in an active, passive, or hybrid validation architecture are disclosed. A computing device configured to monitor network game activity may identify an inconsistency between user game data and a particular game metric governing a particular aspect of the network gaming environment. Upon identification of an inconsistency between game data and a game metric, which may indicative of illicit game play, a validation process (e.g., active, passive, and/or hybrid) may be implemented to further confirm the existence of illicit game. Alternatively, an action to maintain integrity of the gaming community may be executed without further confirmation whereby a purportedly illicit game device may be ejected from the network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2019
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
    Inventors: Adam P. Harris, Steve C. Schneider
  • Electronic gaming machine and methods for displaying supplemental information
    Patent number: 11062552
    Abstract: Embodiments provide systems, apparatus, and methods for rendering supplemental information on an electronic gaming machine, where the supplemental information does not relate to game play on the machine. The supplemental information can include safety warnings, maintenance information, or other information. The electronic gaming device can detect user interactions with the electronic gaming machine, such as using sensors or a player interface that includes a touchscreen. The user interactions can be compared with a condition associated with the supplemental information. Feedback, such as visual, audio, or haptic feedback, or a combination thereof, can be provided to indicate to the user whether the condition is satisfied. Numerous additional aspects are disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 10, 2020
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Bruce W. Essex
  • Fraudulence monitoring system of table game and fraudulence monitoring program of table game
    Patent number: 11049362
    Abstract: A detection system of the present disclosure stores positions and the amount of game tokens that a game participant places on a game table based on a measurement result by a bet chip measuring device in the same persons for each game participant or player positions of the game table. A management control device compares an actual winning rate and a total return amount with figures obtained by a probability statistic calculation at the time of an end of the number of games to determine whether there is a significant difference therebetween and specifies any one of the game participant or the player position, the game table, or a room having the game table where the significant difference is occurring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: ANGEL PLAYING CARDS CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Yasushi Shigeta
  • Regulated gaming machines and casino games configured to enable aggregated wagers
    Patent number: 11049364
    Abstract: A computer-implemented method of operating a regulated gaming machine may comprise accepting funds from a player and enabling the player to play a wager-based game using the accepted funds. The wager-based game may be configured to present a plurality of in-game assets for player interaction during the game, with each of the plurality of in-game assets being configured as a separate wagering opportunity, a successful player interaction with any of which generates a wager. Game play may then be enabled and a player interaction received via a player interface. It may then be determined when the received player interaction successfully interacts with a single one of the plurality of wagering opportunities and when the received player interaction successfully interacts with a predetermined plurality of individual ones of the plurality of wagering opportunities.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 16, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2021
    Assignee: SYNERGY BLUE LLC
    Inventor: Michael M Oberberger
  • Information processing method and apparatus, storage medium and electronic device
    Patent number: 11033817
    Abstract: An information processing method and apparatus, a storage medium, and an electronic device are provided. The method includes: a direction indicator is provided on the GUI, the direction indicator including a direction identifier for identifying a direction; a location marking operation is detected, a marking location is determined in the game scene according to the location marking operation, and direction information of the marking location is acquired; and a graphical identifier corresponding to the marking location is generated at a position corresponding to the direction indicator according to the direction information.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: NETEASE (HANGZHOU) NETWORK CO., LTD.
    Inventor: Qingbo Miao
  • Sensor equipped device for holding and counting gaming chips
    Patent number: 11030855
    Abstract: A system useful for recording and monitoring the number of gaming tokens (chips) in a single row of a container (chip tray), in each of the rows of a container, in all of the rows of a container, and/or in each or all rows of all of the containers of a gaming establishment (casino), has a number of measuring infrared sensors removably attached to the container, the measuring sensors and microprocessor determining the number of gaming tokens or sum monetary value of gaming tokens and communicating the number of gaming tokens or their monetary value to a display screen for monitoring by casino personnel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2018
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Elevated Gaming Technology, LLC
    Inventors: James H. Halsey, William L. Evans
  • Gaming machine, control method for machine, and program for gaming machine
    Patent number: 11030848
    Abstract: A gaming machine provides an operation unit, a display unit, and a control unit. The operation unit is an operation of the player. The display unit is operably coupled to the operation unit and is configured to display first and second display areas. A number of free bonus may be awarded during a primary game. During the free spins, any occurrences of a predetermined symbol is copied to the second display area. After the free spins, a secondary bonus may be provided using the second display area and the copied symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 6, 2019
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2021
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Kazutaka Shiraishi
  • Computer architecture for simulation of sporting events based on real-world data
    Patent number: 11007440
    Abstract: Methods for improving simulation of a sporting event by using real-world data are provided. In one aspect, a method includes positioning a simulated player corresponding to a player on a simulated field based on player positional data. The method also includes positioning a simulated ball corresponding to a physical ball on the simulated field based on ball positional data. The method also includes modifying the simulation based on user input by deviating the simulated player from the player positional data of the player on the physical field of the sporting event based on the user input when the user input moves the simulated player outside of a visual ring. The method also includes deviating a second player from a corresponding second player positional data when the second player is within a deviation ring, a radius of the visual ring different from a radius of the deviation ring.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 14, 2019
    Date of Patent: May 18, 2021
    Assignee: Electronic Arts Inc.
    Inventor: Christopher George Burnett
  • Information processor, recording medium, and game control method
    Patent number: 11004300
    Abstract: An information processor includes: a display configured to display a screen of a game; a storage device configured to store an amount of a gaming medium usable in the game; and a controller programmed to execute the process of: comparing an amount of the gaming medium stored in the storage device with an amount of the gaming medium at login to the game, and displaying a predetermined message on the display when a relation between these amounts becomes equal to a predetermined ratio.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 11, 2021
    Assignee: Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Masaki Oyama, Atsushi Kumita, Toshikazu Jinnouchi