Patents Examined by Werner Garner
-
Patent number: 9526990Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: December 10, 2013Date of Patent: December 27, 2016Assignee: SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT AMERICA LLCInventors: Adam P. Harris, Steve C. Schneider
-
Patent number: 9520023Abstract: Disclosed is a method for enabling a player to use a mobile bonus feature system and a mobile device to become eligible for mobile promotions in addition to prizes or awards offered by a game on an underlying gaming machine. The method includes: enabling selection of a mobile promotion and an associated game on an underlying gaming machine; once the player meets criteria of the mobile promotion on the underlying gaming machine, enabling the player to use a camera of the mobile device to take a photo of a game result that satisfies the mobile promotion; analyzing the photo of the game result to confirm the player has met the criteria of the mobile promotion; and once confirmed, awarding the player a bonus associated with the mobile promotion.Type: GrantFiled: September 16, 2013Date of Patent: December 13, 2016Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: Martin S. Lyons, Bryan M. Kelly
-
Patent number: 9511291Abstract: Disclosed is a method for enabling an augmented reality tracking system and a mobile device to display augmented reality by overlaying a virtual 3D object over a physical 3D object. The method includes: enabling a user to capture a live camera image of a 3D object via camera on the mobile device; determining if there are image tags on the 3D object in the live camera image; using the one or more image tags to access information used by the augmented reality system; and overlaying virtual 3D objects onto a live camera image of the virtual 3D object on a display of the mobile device to produce augmented reality effects, wherein the augmented reality tracking system establishes a communication channel with the gaming machine enabling additional elements of the game to be augmented on the mobile device, and elements of the game content to be influenced by the augmented state.Type: GrantFiled: June 14, 2013Date of Patent: December 6, 2016Assignee: BALLY GAMING, INC.Inventors: Martin S. Lyons, Roderick Ang, Brett Jackson, Joseph Randy Hedrick
-
Patent number: 9443382Abstract: Disclosed is a method for enabling a user in an augmented reality gaming venue to use an augmented reality gaming venue component and a mobile device to find a particular game or gaming machine. The method includes: controlling a camera on the mobile device using the augmented reality gaming venue component, once the component is activated; determining the location of the mobile device; determining the orientation of the mobile device; querying a casino management system to retrieve data for the augmented reality gaming venue; generating a list of gaming machines and other objects currently visible to the camera; rendering a camera-captured image on a display of the mobile device; and overlaying icons on the image for each visible object to display additional visual information to a user on the display of the mobile device in response to the user aiming the mobile device at gaming machines or other objects of interest in the augmented reality gaming venue.Type: GrantFiled: December 15, 2010Date of Patent: September 13, 2016Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventor: Martin S. Lyons
-
Patent number: 9424719Abstract: A gaming system and method for administering a Sudoku-based game is provided that includes at least one engine for randomly generating a Sudoku puzzle, at least one first module for modifying the generated Sudoku puzzle into a game puzzle, at least one second module for permuting the game puzzle for each player, and at least one system for providing a game puzzle to each player and administering a gaming game from the game puzzle provided to each player.Type: GrantFiled: September 10, 2009Date of Patent: August 23, 2016Assignee: SUDOKUPDQ(TM) LLCInventors: William B. Biggar, James Kenneth Blundell
-
Patent number: 9419843Abstract: A custom Application-Specific Integrated Circuit (“ASIC”) that simultaneously processes data packets and multimedia packets, including Voice over Internet Protocol (“VoIP”) packets, that are transmitted by a plurality of clients connected to a central server over a network, such as the Internet, and that are also transmitted by the central server to the plurality of servers. The custom ASIC may be configured to restrict the receipt of both the multimedia and the data packets to selected, predetermined clients connected to the central server and prevent the receipt of such packets by non-authorized clients. A method of processing data packets and multimedia packets, including VoIP packets, and a system utilizing the custom ASIC are also provided.Type: GrantFiled: July 6, 2006Date of Patent: August 16, 2016Assignee: BROADCOM CORPORATIONInventor: James M. Muth
-
Patent number: 9403088Abstract: A game device recognizes a player's voice to obtain an input voice text. The game device compares the input voice text with a statement identification keyword. The game device transmits a statement ID corresponding to the keyword with which the input voice text coincides to another game device. Each game device that participates in the game stores statement voice data in the voice of an actor corresponding to the statement ID. When the game device has received the statement ID from another game device, the game device extracts and reproduces the corresponding statement voice data.Type: GrantFiled: July 30, 2009Date of Patent: August 2, 2016Assignee: BANDAI NAMCO ENTERTAINMENT INC.Inventor: Shouji Nakashima
-
Patent number: 9387395Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, an accessory having a plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, a plurality of light sources, wherein each light source emits a controllable spectrum of light through a corresponding one of the plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, and a controller coupled to the plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, and the plurality of light sources. The controller can be operable to detect tactile contact of each of the plurality of tactile-sensitive buttons, receive status information associated with a video game, and adjust the spectrum of light emitted by at least a portion of the plurality of light sources according to the status information to indicate one or more aspects of the video game. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: July 12, 2016Assignee: STEELSERIES ApSInventors: Kim Rom, Jacob Wolff-Petersen
-
Patent number: 9381429Abstract: Embodiments are directed to compositing multi-dimensional video game world data obtained from execution of a video game world sequence. An animation editor records the video game world data within a plurality of data logs after execution of an animation component of the video game world and prior to providing the data to a material system and/or graphics device for rendering. The user may edit the recorded data to make modifications in the recorded game sequence, by compositing sequences with content such as other sequences, multiple composited recordings, and/or a modified camera perspective during the editing process. The composited modifications may then be fed back for re-recording the animation component.Type: GrantFiled: February 24, 2011Date of Patent: July 5, 2016Assignee: VALVE CORPORATIONInventors: Bay Leaf Raitt, Joseph Eddy Demers, Yahn William Bernier, Brian Ratcliff Jacobson, Marc Sean Scaparro, Karl Ian Whinnie
-
Patent number: 9378625Abstract: A slot machine has a display on which symbols are rearranged in partitioned regions arranged in multiple columns and rows. The display has multiple display windows corresponding to the respective columns for each unit game. In each of the display windows, symbols are rearranged by executing video display in which a symbol column having multiple symbols is scrolled in an arrangement direction of the symbols. When a symbol rearranged in at least one partitioned region in at least one of the symbol columns already stopped from scrolling forms a pattern just before winning combination establishment in which the rearranged symbol requires a specific symbol in at least one other symbol column in scrolling, a passing sound of the specific symbol is outputted from a speaker in synchronization with a timing at which the specific symbol in the symbol column in scrolling passes through the display window.Type: GrantFiled: September 24, 2009Date of Patent: June 28, 2016Assignee: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.Inventors: Taihei Abe, Koutarou Moriyama, Toshiaki Ohkubo, Shigeki Hayashi, Yuka Hotta, Tsuyoshi Ohira, Hiroki Abe, Takanori Sakata
-
Patent number: 9364750Abstract: A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a gaming console having a controller to receive a request to decrease or increase at least one of a plurality of sounds generated by a gaming application to enhance at least one condition in the gaming application, and modify sound produced by the gaming application according to the request. Additional embodiments are disclosed.Type: GrantFiled: September 11, 2009Date of Patent: June 14, 2016Assignee: STEELSERIES ApsInventors: Jacob Wolff-Petersen, Tino Soelberg
-
Patent number: 9349257Abstract: A gaming system, a gaming machine and a method is provided having a Five Card Video Draw poker game with a single hand or multiple hands. The gaming system or gaming machine first determines whether a dream card is going to be used in a particular round of play or a dream card is used on every hand. If the dream card is going to be used, then the last card of the initial hand is chosen so that, when the last card is combined with the other randomly selected cards of the initial hand, the initial starting hand will have the highest possible expected value.Type: GrantFiled: August 24, 2015Date of Patent: May 24, 2016Assignee: IGTInventors: Ernest W. Moody, Michael W. Wood
-
Patent number: 9342946Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: conducting a base game; modifying a current value of a feature counter by a random value in response to a designated counter event occurring in the base game; determining whether the current value of the feature counter corresponds to one of a plurality of feature games in response to a feature trigger event occurring; and conducting any feature game to which the current value of the feature counter corresponds.Type: GrantFiled: September 30, 2008Date of Patent: May 17, 2016Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITEDInventor: George Roukis
-
Patent number: 9311774Abstract: 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: GrantFiled: September 12, 2008Date of Patent: April 12, 2016Assignee: IGTInventors: Reid M. Weber, Erik B. Petersen, Adrian R. Marcu, William C. Little, Steven G. LeMay
-
Patent number: 9168452Abstract: In accordance with some embodiments, a plurality of outcomes are generated and used to create a video presentation of representative outcomes for one or more players (e.g., for a keno game, for a bingo game). The video presentation is recorded onto a tangible medium (e.g., DVD or CD-ROM) or otherwise provided to one or more players (e.g., a player may access the video presentation online). This allows one or more players to purchase a video presentation of (e.g., predetermined) outcomes in a jurisdiction in which gambling is legal yet view the presentation at the player's convenience (e.g., from any jurisdiction and at any time). At least one player who is associated with such a video presentation may subsequently redeem it for a redemption value associated therewith.Type: GrantFiled: March 29, 2006Date of Patent: October 27, 2015Assignee: IGTInventors: Jay S. Walker, Robert C. Tedesco, James A. Jorasch, Michael W. Patterson
-
Patent number: 9142084Abstract: A gaming table apparatus has a gaming table with a gaming table support surface. At least two token sensors are provided, which are electrically connected in series to a token sensor controller. The at least two token sensor units are physically restrained by the table support surface. The game controller is in communication with the token sensor controller, wherein the game controller is configured to associate player position data with transmitted wager data received from the token sensor controller.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2010Date of Patent: September 22, 2015Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.Inventors: James V. Kelly, Troy D. Nelson, Vladislav Zvercov, Attila Grauzer
-
Patent number: 9129485Abstract: A gaming system, a gaming machine and a method is provided having a Five Card Video Draw poker game with a single hand or multiple hands. The gaming system or gaming machine first determines whether a dream card is going to be used in a particular round of play or a dream card is used on every hand. If the dream card is going to be used, then the last card of the initial hand is chosen so that, when the last card is combined with the other randomly selected cards of the initial hand, the initial starting hand will have the highest possible expected value.Type: GrantFiled: November 15, 2010Date of Patent: September 8, 2015Assignee: IGTInventors: Ernest W Moody, Michael W Wood, Maureen Wood
-
Patent number: 9088425Abstract: Method and systems for establishing a collaboration among individuals and an imaginary character in a virtual world are disclosed. An exemplary method may include establishing an internet protocol channel between a first individual and a program represented by the imaginary character. The exemplary method may also include establishing a non-internet protocol channel between a second individual and the program represented by the imaginary character.Type: GrantFiled: August 17, 2006Date of Patent: July 21, 2015Assignee: Verizon Patent and Licensing Inc.Inventors: Alok S. Raghunath Rao, Ashok K. Meena, Raju T. Ramakrishnan, Ramakrishnan R. Sankaranarayan
-
Patent number: 8974307Abstract: A system for allowing a user to remotely access a game includes: a game console; a remote console client configured to receive a game control signal; and a remote console server. The remote console server includes an audio and video encoder configured to receive an audio output and a video output from the game console and to convert the audio output and the video output to a network packet. The remote console server also includes: a game controller emulation unit and a network interface configured to send and receive the network packet. The game controller emulation unit is configured to receive a game controller signal from the game console and to send the game controller signal to the remote console client and to receive a game controller input from the remote console client and send the game controller input to the game console.Type: GrantFiled: October 9, 2013Date of Patent: March 10, 2015Assignee: Elbo, Inc.Inventors: Peter Anthony Walker, Oswald Anthony Becca
-
Patent number: 8961309Abstract: An interactive computerized game system including a visual display, one or more user input devices, and a processor executing software that interacts with the display and input device(s) is disclosed. The software displays images of musical targets on the visual display, the musical targets possibly corresponding to a pre-recorded source of music. At least one of the user input devices is a touchscreen arranged to simulate a portion of a musical instrument. During gameplay, the gameplayer must touch the touchscreen at the appropriate time and/or in the appropriate location in response to the displayed images of musical targets. The system provides a positive indication if the player's input matches the attributes of the displayed musical targets.Type: GrantFiled: May 8, 2007Date of Patent: February 24, 2015Assignee: Disney Enterprises, Inc.Inventors: Derek T. Dutilly, Jonathan Browne, Nikolaus Paul Ingeneri, Shannon Richard Monroe