Patents by Inventor Benjamin James Ellis

Benjamin James Ellis has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20110077072
    Abstract: An embodiment of the present invention provides a bonus scheme associated with a gaming process that is a feature event. With reference to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, a gaming process is conducted at Steps S3 to S5, the outcome of which determines a gaming process win value. At Step S7 the gaming process win value is compared to a threshold value and, if the gaming process win value is less than, or equal to the threshold value, a bonus prize is awarded to the player at Step S9.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 29, 2010
    Publication date: March 31, 2011
    Applicant: Dynamite Games Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Benjamin James Ellis
  • Publication number: 20110009186
    Abstract: Gaming apparatus, e.g. an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) (1), includes a controller (2) for implementing e.g. a slot-machine game, a poker game or the like. The EGM (1) displays a gaming image on a display (5), e.g. virtual symbol reels or card hands, and receives player instructions via an input (6) or the like, e.g. to spin the reels or manage the cards. The EGM (1) includes a guarantee feature in which an event is guaranteed to trigger if a monitored event (e.g. of the same type as the guaranteed event) does not occur within a set amount of gameplay. A guarantee indicator (9), e.g. a numerical countdown or gauge, indicates the remaining amount of gameplay required before the guarantee feature triggers. The monitored and/or guaranteed event may be a win event or a feature event, e.g. the triggering of a bonus round, free game or the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2010
    Publication date: January 13, 2011
    Inventor: Benjamin James Ellis
  • Publication number: 20100151932
    Abstract: Gaming apparatus, e.g. an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) (1), includes a controller (2) for implementing e.g. a slot-machine game. The controller (2) displays a suitable gaming image on a display (6), e.g. virtual symbol reels (11) having a plurality of pay lines (12), and a player interacts with the EGM (1) through push buttons (8) or the like, e.g. to select the number of pay lines (12) to play and to spin the reels (11). The EGM (1) includes means for selecting one or more of the pay lines (11) as bonus pay lines and for associating a bonus feature with the bonus pay lines, so that if an appropriate win event occurs on a bonus play line, the bonus feature will trigger. For example, a win on a bonus pay line could pay out three times the prize of a win on a normal pay line.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: June 17, 2010
    Applicant: Dynamite Games Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Benjamin James Ellis
  • Publication number: 20100137061
    Abstract: Gaming apparatus (1), e.g. an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM), includes a controller (2) for implementing e.g. a slot-machine game, casino game or the like. The controller (2) displays a suitable gaming image on a screen (6), e.g. virtual symbol reels or card hands, and a player interacts with the EGM 1 through buttons (8) or the like, e.g. to spin the reels or deal cards. The apparatus includes award means for awarding a player event points during the course of play, accumulator means for accumulating the awarded event points, and purchasing/selection means for allowing a player to purchase a game event using the accumulated event points. These game events may provide the player with the chance of higher returns or the like, and may include free plays, high return games, a jackpot game and the like.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 28, 2008
    Publication date: June 3, 2010
    Applicant: Dynamite Innovations Pty. Ltd.
    Inventor: Benjamin James Ellis
  • Publication number: 20090203422
    Abstract: Gaming apparatus, e.g. an Electronic Gaming Machine (EGM) (1), includes a controller (2) for implementing e.g. a slot-machine game, casino-type game or other betting game. The EGM (1) displays a gaming image on a display (6), e.g. virtual symbol reels or card hands, and receives player instructions via an input (7), e.g. to spin the reels or manage the cards. The EGM (1) includes a means for playing a game and for receiving bets, and means for monitoring game events over a number of plays of the game. It also includes means for placing one or more series bets on the occurrence of game events over a series of game plays, and series win means for determining that a player has won a series bet based on the bet placed and the monitored events. The monitored game events may be prize events, e.g. the winning of a cash amount, or feature events, e.g. the triggering of a bonus round, free game or the like. The series bet win may be a prize, e.g. a jackpot, or may be some other valuable feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2007
    Publication date: August 13, 2009
    Applicant: DYNAMITE GAMES PTY LTD.
    Inventor: Benjamin James Ellis
  • Publication number: 20040087354
    Abstract: A game which can be played on a screen of a slot machine or computer, wherein the game comprises at least one row of symbols, numbers or the like which are displayed on said screen such that the row/s collectively form a predetermined geometric shape; wherein the rows include at least one row having at least two symbols, numbers or the like and at least one other row having at least one symbol or number; wherein each said rows are capable of spinning horizontally or vertically; wherein said rows initially spin simultaneously then stop spinning in succession.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2003
    Publication date: May 6, 2004
    Inventor: Benjamin James Ellis