Patents Examined by William M. Pierce
  • Patent number: 7780171
    Abstract: A game machine (1) includes a game board (3) having a housing section opened on a game surface, a target which is provided to the housing section so as to freely appear and disappear, and a target driving mechanism which is provided into the game board and allows the target (9) to appear and disappear from and into the housing section. The game machine is provided with a supporting pedestal (2) which supports the game board, a rotation driving device (20) which rotates the game board supported to the supporting pedestal about a pivot axis line RC extending to a direction where the line crosses the board surface in a reciprocating manner, and a tilt giving mechanism which is provided between the supporting pedestal and the game board and gives a motion to the game board according to the rotating motion of the game board about the pivot axis line RC so that the game board tilts with respect to the pivot axis line.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 24, 2010
    Assignee: Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Shigehito Mukasa, Koki Atobe, Hironori Takahashi, Kazufumi Koike
  • Patent number: 7775523
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for assembling one or more coherent images from a plurality of segments of the coherent image reproduced on parts, pieces, blocks, cards, or the like is disclosed. In one embodiment of the present invention, the face of each segment includes a portion of the resulting single coherent image. When all segments are correctly arranged and stacked, or overlapped, with the correct orientation, the visible images on the faces of the segments mesh to form one or more larger coherent images. A variety of plates or stands are disclosed to aid the player in stacking the segments and arranging them with the proper orientation during the reassembly process. Additionally, information or images may be included on the portions of the faces of each segment that are obscured by other segments when the segments are properly assembled, thereby allowing such games to have multiple uses.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Inventor: Michael Edward Adams
  • Patent number: 7766332
    Abstract: A card handling device includes a sensing system for identifying cards handled thereby. A control system may be configured to selectively control an infeed system, a storage system, and/or an output system of the device in response to a signal received from the sensing system, and to enable a user to selectively perform one or more of a shuffling operation, a sorting operation, and a dealing operation using the device. A card handling device may be configured to dispense randomly arranged hands, prearranged hands, randomly arranged decks, or prearranged decks.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Assignee: Shuffle Master, Inc.
    Inventors: Attila Grauzer, Ernst Blaha, Peter Krenn, Paul K. Scheper
  • Patent number: 7766330
    Abstract: A device for relaxing a participant while participating in an activity is provided. The device may comprise an amusement machine and a relaxasizer. The amusement machine may be interactive with the participant. Also, the amusement machine may have a receptacle having a starter circuit for permitting the participant to interact with the amusement machine. The relaxasizer may be positioned adjacent to the amusement machine for massaging the participant's lower body while the participant interacts with the machine. Also, the relaxasizer may be activated by the starter circuit of the amusement machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 22, 2006
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2010
    Inventor: Alfiero Balzano
  • Patent number: 7762557
    Abstract: A method of playing a trivia game includes the step of registering a plurality of players to participate in the trivia game. Then, providing a clue to the plurality of players and receiving an answer from each player participating in the trivia game. Next, eliminating players associated with an incorrect answer and allowing players associated with a correct answer to continue participating in the trivia game. The steps of providing the clue, receiving the answer and eliminating players are repeated until one of only one player who provided correct answers remains before the trivia game ended, at least one player who provided correct answers remains when the trivia game ended and all registered players have been eliminated before the trivia game ended.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Inventors: Gregory Davidzon, Semyon Katsman
  • Patent number: 7758048
    Abstract: A question and answer game includes more than one answer choice to each question and each answer choice has a strategic element with a risk/reward tradeoff.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 15, 2005
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: North Star Games LLC
    Inventors: Dominic Crapuchettes, Nathanael Breeze Heasley
  • Patent number: 7758049
    Abstract: An amusement apparatus comprising a roulette wheel (102), a hi/lo betting area (112), wherein, in use, the roulette wheel (102) is arranged to be spun and a winning number generated thereby, the hi/lo betting area (112) being arranged to allow a player to place a bet on whether the winning number generated by a spin of the roulette wheel (102) will be higher or lower than the winning number of a preceding spin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Assignee: Bell Fruit Group Limited
    Inventor: David William Johnston
  • Patent number: 7758047
    Abstract: A word game in which a participant attempts to decipher a word formed from a plurality of stylized alphabet letters that share a common side. The alphabet letters are majuscule English language alphabet letters in a block style font formed of line segments on a square grid. A portion of the alphabet letters is assigned a first level of difficulty, another portion is assigned a second level of difficulty different than the first level of difficulty, and yet another portion may be assigned a third level of difficulty different than the first and the second levels of difficulty. A word score is determined by adding together the level of difficulty assigned to each of the alphabet letters. A word formed from the alphabet letters may be assigned a level of difficulty determined by the word score of the word and the number of letters in the word.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 18, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 20, 2010
    Inventor: Sean J. Colas
  • Patent number: 7753804
    Abstract: A bowling ball having an asymmetrical weight block with respect to its central axis. The weight block has a pair of ends through which the central axis of the block extends, and a medial portion which is offset or skewed with respect to the weight block axis. The block has an outer surface which has a maximum cross section in at least one plane intersected by the central axis intermediate of the two ends. The plane is intersected by the central axis and is enclosed by a boundary defining the largest transverse cross section of the block not normal to the central axis. The medial plane is disposed at an angle of between about 22.5° and 90° with respect to the central axis of the block.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 13, 2010
    Assignee: Lane No. 1
    Inventor: Richard Sposato
  • Patent number: 7749095
    Abstract: A weight material is provided on a heel side of a hosel portion in a golf club head. A convex portion E is provided on the heel side of the head. The weight material is disposed within the convex portion. The weight material is made of high specific gravity metal such as tungsten, and welded on both a lower column and a skirt portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 29, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 6, 2010
    Assignee: Bridgestone Sports Co., Ltd.
    Inventor: Masafumi Nishitani
  • Patent number: 7744091
    Abstract: An identity guessing game includes a plurality of identities to be guessed. Each identity is provided on a media in a manner permitting selection of one identity by a player for a round of play. The game also includes a plurality of clue sets, each clue set having multiple clues relating to a respective one of the identities. Each clue within each clue set is provided on a media so as to be presentable one at a time to a player during the round of play. A game can be played by selecting or providing a first identity to be guessed and a first set of clues each relating to the first identity. A first player is presented with at least one clue of the first set of clues. The first player can then determine whether to guess the first identity and move to the next step or to be presented with another of the first set of clues.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 21, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventors: Alana Berke, Eileen Berke
  • Patent number: 7744478
    Abstract: A bowling game kit suitable for use on a sand beach comprises a backstop and an elongated flexible rectangular sheet of material connected at one end of the backstop and having one or more target holes adjacent the backstop, which can be in register with buckets situated in depressions formed in the sand. The elongated sheet can be wrapped around the backstop, forming an elongated enclosure in which the buckets and other components can be stored and transported.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Inventor: Mark Chelak
  • Patent number: 7744471
    Abstract: A non-threatening combination baton and spray dispenser that can be readily employed was a baton or as a dispenser without requiring complex re-orientation or concentrated aiming, including an expandable baton having a mounted connector coupling that facilitates connection to an end of an irritant spray dispenser disposed in axial alignment with the baton. The connector coupling supports a switch mechanism readily operable by the user's thumb while grasping the connector coupling to selectively dispense spray axially from the dispenser with the baton in either its retracted or expanded positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Armanent Systems and Procedures, Inc.
    Inventor: Kevin L. Parsons
  • Patent number: 7744472
    Abstract: A shark deterrent device is disclosed. The device comprises at least two hollow cylindrical shafts, a tip, a twist-release mechanism, and at least one self-lock mechanism. The tip may be replaceable. The shark deterrent device is a retractable unit that is easy for a diver to carry and stow, and yet can be extended in order to deter a shark. The device is unlocked from its retracted position by twisting a collar, thereby unlocking the concentric shafts and allowing the unit to be fully extendable by hand. Once the unit is fully extended, a self-lock mechanism lock the unit to prevent it from retracting during use. The unit has a handle formed at one end of the outermost cylindrical shaft and a tip at the opposing end of the innermost cylindrical shaft. The tip may be replaceable and removed, and other useful tips may be attached.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 20, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Triton Artificial Reef, LLC
    Inventors: Jacques Chauvet, David Conroy
  • Patent number: 7736237
    Abstract: Incapacitation of a mammalian subject results from the application of a pulsed, low-power electric waveform. The waveform is applied to the subject at a frequency and over a time period sufficient to induce involuntary muscular contraction. Additionally, the contraction causes limited lactic acid production and is non- or minimally-injurious to the subject's tissues. A device utilizing such a waveform is designed to control or otherwise subdue an individual.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 23, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Aegis Industries, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth J. Stethem, Casey Hathcock, Bruno D. V. Marino, Anita Mehta, Robert Randolph Bernard, James Lee, Viet Thinh Pho
  • Patent number: 7735831
    Abstract: Systems and methods for playing a dealer-facilitated card game including use of a dealer-equalization criteria and a dealer-favored bias criteria. The game involves dealing a starting hand to at least one player and to the dealer, wherein each starting hand includes one or more cards representing a potential portion of a resulting hand. A bet is placed by the player, and the bet is called by the dealer. The respective ranks of each hand are determined and one of the resulting hands is identified as the winning hand. Distribution of the betting pool is assessed based on at least the winning hand and dealer-favored bias criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Sklansky Games, LLC
    Inventors: David Bruce Sklansky, Bradley Berman
  • Patent number: 7735830
    Abstract: A wagering game that allows the player and/or the dealer a redeal. If the player doesn't like his or her hand, the player can discard the player's hand and receive a new set of cards. If the dealer doesn't like his or her hand, according to predetermined dealer criteria, then the dealer can discard the dealer's hand and receive a new set of cards. The highest hand wins. The player can also have the opportunity to make a bonus bet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 4, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Wizard of Odds Consulting, Inc
    Inventor: Michael Shackleford
  • Patent number: 7731193
    Abstract: In a guts game variation, one or more players play against one another and a sole participant must beat two “dead man” hands to win. For example, each player bets the ante and is dealt a hand of two cards. Each player is then given the option to participate in the hand or withdraw. All participating hands are revealed by turning the cards face-up. The player with the highest hand collects the pot, and all other participating players must put into the pot an amount equal to the value of winner's pot. When only one participant has elected to remain in the hand, the participant must beat both “dead man” hands in order to win the pot. The game ends when a sole participant beats both “dead man” hands, whereupon the cards are reshuffled and re-dealt to commence a new round of play.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 8, 2010
    Inventor: Steve Fabre
  • Patent number: 7726653
    Abstract: The present invention preferably relates to a casino card game played with a standard fifty-two card deck. The game is divided into a bonus round, progressive bonus round, and a challenge round. Each player places an ante and a bonus wager and, if desired, an optional progressive bonus wager at the start of the game and must place an additional wager to continue into the challenge round. The dealer pays winning hands at three points in the game, at the end of the bonus round, at the end of the progressive bonus round, and at the end of the challenge round. The bonus round is paid according to each player's two card hand plus a third (bonus) community card. The progressive bonus round is paid according to each player's two card hand plus a third (bonus) and fourth (progressive bonus) community card. The challenge round is played one-on-one with each player two card hand versus the dealer's.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Inventor: Joseph V. Durbin
  • Patent number: 7726655
    Abstract: A game to be modified in accordance with the invention involves a first random outcome and a second random outcome that are combined according to game rules to produce a game outcome. The game is administered by receiving a player request for a specific entry, the specific entry replacing one of the random outcomes and being selected from a finite set of possibilities not determined by chance. The requested specific entry affects the probable outcome of the game. The specific entry is combined with the remaining one of the random outcomes according to the game rules to determine the game outcome. According to one embodiment, the specific entry may be a score such as 18 which replaces the player's hand in the game of blackjack.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2004
    Date of Patent: June 1, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Jay S. Walker, James A. Jorasch, Peter Kim, Geoffrey M. Gelman, Andrew P. Golden, Russell Pratt Sammon, Norman C. Gilman