Patents by Inventor C. Hughes

C. Hughes 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).

  • Patent number: 6697209
    Abstract: In a helical scan recording system, magnetic tape (31) is transported by a tape transport (98) proximate a rotating scanner (85). The scanner has a pair of read heads (82) mounted thereon, e.g., a first read head and a second read head, which travel in a helical direction on the magnetic tape in view of the transport of the tape and rotation of the scanner. A synchronization detection system (38) determines a first synchronization mark detection time at which a first synchronization mark is read by the first read head from the first track, and a second synchronization mark detection time at which a synchronization mark read by the second read head from the second track. A position error signal generator (100) develops a position error signal (PES) based upon a difference between the first synchronization mark detection time and the second synchronization mark detection time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 18, 2001
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2004
    Assignee: Exabyte Corporation
    Inventors: Timothy C. Hughes, David E. Norton, Jr.
  • Publication number: 20040018873
    Abstract: A gaming device having a bonus round with multiple selection groups. The bonus round does not end upon an “end-bonus” selection; rather, the bonus round ends upon the selection of a predetermined number of selections from the last or final selection group. In one embodiment, the number of selections is determined from a selection group preceding the final selection group. Prior to determining the number of final selection group picks, the game provides the player with at least one selection group in which the player selects award indicators until selecting an indicator that advances the player to the next selection group. Player excitement and enjoyment is enhanced because the present invention provides the player with multiple opportunities to achieve game credits and because the player is guaranteed to have at least one opportunity to select from the final selection group. In one embodiment, the final selection group has larger values than the previous selection groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 18, 2003
    Publication date: January 29, 2004
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Paulina Glavich, Bayard S. Webb, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: 6672835
    Abstract: A self-contained variable pitch and/or constant speed propeller including provisions for feathering and reverse pitch operation, wherein no direct contact is required between the fixed engine or airframe and the rotating propeller for effectuation of blade pitch change, therefore eliminating the burdens and complexities general associated with propeller installation, maintenance and blade pitch change operations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 19, 2003
    Date of Patent: January 6, 2004
    Inventor: Arthur C. Hughes
  • Publication number: 20030211637
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an electrochemical device for detecting single particles, and methods for using such a device to achieve high sensitivity for detecting particles such as bacteria, viruses, aggregates, immuno-complexes, molecules, or ionic species. The device provides for affinity-based electrochemical detection of particles with single-particle sensitivity. The disclosed device and methods are based on microelectrodes with surface-attached, affinity ligands (e.g., antibodies, combinatorial peptides, glycolipids) that bind selectively to some target particle species. The electrodes electrolyze chemical species present in the particle-containing solution, and particle interaction with a sensor element modulates its electrolytic activity. The devices may be used individually, employed as sensors, used in arrays for a single specific type of particle or for a range of particle types, or configured into arrays of sensors having both these attributes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2002
    Publication date: November 13, 2003
    Inventors: Joseph Schoeniger, Albert W. Flounders, Robert C. Hughes, Antonio J. Ricco, Karl Wally, Stanley H. Kravitz, Richard P. Janek
  • Publication number: 20030192810
    Abstract: A process and an apparatus for removing particulate material from a flash zone gas oil stream produced in a delayed coking unit. The process and apparatus of the invention employ cyclonic separation to remove particulate material from the flash zone gas oil stream. The stream can then be further processed, for example by passing the stream to a fixed bed catalytic hydroprocessing unit and then to a fluidized bed catalytic cracking unit, or to other processing units, thereby enhancing the value of the flash zone gas oil stream.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 11, 2002
    Publication date: October 16, 2003
    Inventors: Sharon A. Annesley, Gary C. Hughes, Jamal Allyen Sandarusi
  • Publication number: 20030162583
    Abstract: The present invention includes a gaming device and a method for operating the gaming device. The gaming device of the present invention includes: (i) a central game in which a player picks at least one masked central game outcome, including a transfer; (ii) at least one peripheral game that begins after the player's pick of the transfer, wherein the player picks at least one masked peripheral game outcome, including a return; (iii) whereby the game enables the player to return to the central game and pick at least one more masked central game outcome after the player picks the return in the peripheral game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2002
    Publication date: August 28, 2003
    Inventors: Anthony J. Baerlocher, Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Chester E. Stites
  • Patent number: 6595854
    Abstract: A gaming device having a bonus round with multiple selection groups. The bonus round does not end upon an “end-bonus” selection; rather, the bonus round ends upon the selection of a predetermined number of selections from the last or final selection group. In one embodiment, the number of selections is determined from a selection group preceding the final selection group. Prior to determining the number of final selection group picks, the game provides the player with at least one selection group in which the player selects award indicators until selecting an indicator that advances the player to the next selection group. Player excitement and enjoyment is enhanced because the present invention provides the player with multiple opportunities to achieve game credits and because the player is guaranteed to have at least one opportunity to select from the final selection group. In one embodiment, the final selection group has larger values than the previous selection groups.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2003
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Paulina Glavich, Bayard S. Webb, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Publication number: 20030104874
    Abstract: The present invention concerns a club for impacting an object. The club may have a club head having a club face. At least one microprocessor in communication with a plurality of infrared sources is also provided. There are also a plurality of infrared sensors, and indicators configurable in a configuration indicating proper club face alignment and a configuration indicating club face misalignment. The infrared sources are periodically pulsed by a microprocessor between an activated and deactivated state. The sensors are configured on the club head to receive infrared from the infrared sources and to generate a signal in response to the infrared received. The microprocessor is programmed to receive signals from the sensors when the infrared sources are activated. The microprocessor is programmed to activate the indicators in an aligned or misaligned configuration.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 30, 2001
    Publication date: June 5, 2003
    Inventors: Michael J. Galanis, Dale Kempf, William C. Hughes
  • Publication number: 20030064770
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming device having a game that may be implemented in a primary or bonus game. More specifically, the present invention provides a processor controlled gaming device that presents a plurality of masked value choices to the player, provides a time period in which the player can elect to accept a masked choice and reveals and provides a value associated with the choice to the player if the player accepts in time. If the player does not accept in time or decides not to accept the choice, the gaming device, in one preferred embodiment, reveals the value the player could have accepted when the time period lapses or times out. When the player has successfully accepted a predefined number of masked choices, the game adds or multiplies the values yielded by the choices to form an award for the player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 28, 2001
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Joseph E. Kaminkow, Andrea C. Hughs-Baird
  • Publication number: 20030064790
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming device which includes an award indicator which includes rotating objects. At least one award value and preferably other symbols are displayed on the faces of the objects. The gaming device provides players with certain award values displayed by the objects after the objects have stopped rotating. This type of gaming device provides players with increased entertainment and enjoyment when playing gaming devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: April 3, 2003
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, James M. Gray, Michael S. Hoy, Joseph E. Kaminkow, Daniel J. Waller
  • Publication number: 20030060275
    Abstract: The present invention involves a gaming device with a bonus scheme which includes at least one input value; a plurality of selections and at least one modifier associated with a selection. The gaming device enables a player to apply input values to desired selections and depending upon which modifiers are associated with the selections, the player can gain a relatively high or low output value. This type of bonus scheme adds excitement to bonus rounds and increases player entertainment.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventor: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird
  • Publication number: 20030060252
    Abstract: The present invention includes a gaming device which includes a plurality of game functions for a single game and a probability associated with each game function. After a predetermined event occurs, the processor uses the probabilities to generate a particular game function for a player to use. Preferably, the predetermined event is a game triggering event. The processor can generate different game functions for a single game from predetermined event to predetermined event. This type of gaming device increases the interest and entertainment of gaming device players.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2001
    Publication date: March 27, 2003
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Ryan William Cuddy, Brian Daniel Swift
  • Publication number: 20030054876
    Abstract: A gaming device having a bonus round with multiple selection groups. The bonus round does not end upon an “end-bonus” selection; rather, the bonus round ends upon the selection of a predetermined number of selections from the last or final selection group. In one embodiment, the number of selections is determined from a selection group preceding the final selection group. Prior to determining the number of final selection group picks, the game provides the player with at least one selection group in which the player selects award indicators until selecting an indicator that advances the player to the next selection group. Player excitement and enjoyment is enhanced because the present invention provides the player with multiple opportunities to achieve game credits and because the player is guaranteed to have at least one opportunity to select from the final selection group. In one embodiment, the final selection group has larger values than the previous selection groups.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 15, 2002
    Publication date: March 20, 2003
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Paulina Glavich, Bayard S. Webb, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Publication number: 20030048563
    Abstract: A helical scan tape recorder (30) comprises a rotatable scanner (85) upon which is mounted a first set of plural transducing heads (W1, W3) and a second set of transducing heads (W2, W4). A transport system transports magnetic tape (31) proximate the rotatable scanner in a manner so that information is transduced by at least one of the transducing heads during a revolution of the scanner. The sets of transducing heads are so mounted on the scanner with respect to azimuthal orientation of the transducing heads that all tracks transduced by the transducing heads have a desired width regardless of an error in physical distance separating the sets of transducing heads. In one aspect, the first set of plural transducing heads comprises a first head (W1) and a third head (W3), and the second set of plural transducing heads comprises a second head (W2) and a fourth head (W4).
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 25, 2002
    Publication date: March 13, 2003
    Inventors: Steven L. Magnusson, Timothy C. Hughes
  • Publication number: 20030045349
    Abstract: A gaming device including a plurality of selections, a plurality of credit symbols associated with the selections, a plurality of awards symbols associated with the selections, and a winning combination of award symbols. A player is awarded credits when the player selects a selection having an associated credit symbol and player accumulates award symbols when the player selects a selection associated with an award symbol. The player wins a preferably large award when the player accumulates said winning combination of award symbols. The number of player selections is determined based on the player's wager in the primary game wherein the player obtains a specified number of player selections which are necessary to achieve the winning combination and thereby win the large award.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 20, 2002
    Publication date: March 6, 2003
    Inventor: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird
  • Patent number: 6468156
    Abstract: A method and subsystem for paying awards in a gaming machine having a Bet Module adapted to configure the gaming machine to have a plurality of discrete Bet Values (BV) available to a game user. A Pay Table Module is further included which is configured to provide a plurality of associated payout awards which vary with the bet value wagered, wherein a discrete bonus Bet Value (BVbonus), which commences a maximum bonus pay schedule (Xbonus), may be adjustably selected from at least two of the discrete bet values.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 1999
    Date of Patent: October 22, 2002
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Steven G. LeMay
  • Publication number: 20020132070
    Abstract: A plastic trash bag with odor control is formed of a bag having a pair of opposed sides joined together along longitudinal edges and at one end, the bag being longitudinally folded such that one bag side defines a pair of adjacent facing surfaces. A generally uniform dusting of odor-absorbing particles is disposed on at least the adjacent facing surfaces.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2001
    Publication date: September 19, 2002
    Inventors: Richard J. Franzen, Paul C. Hughes, Kevin M. Lorang
  • Publication number: 20020117389
    Abstract: An improved delayed coking unit with at least one coke drum wherein said coke drum comprises a substantially closed interior, a top portion having an aperture, an overhead vapor outlet nozzle removably connected to the aperture, and a deflector for deflecting solids and heavy hydrocarbon liquids from exiting said interior of said coke drum through said aperture.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 4, 2001
    Publication date: August 29, 2002
    Applicant: Conoco Inc.
    Inventors: Jim R. Roth, Harry R. Janssen, Betty Janssen, Gary C. Hughes, Brian J. Doerksen
  • Patent number: 6439995
    Abstract: The apparatus and method of the present invention provides a gaming device having a bonus round with multiple selection groups. The bonus round does not end upon an “end-bonus” selection; rather, the bonus round ends upon the selection of a predetermined number of selections from the last or final selection group. In one embodiment of the present invention, the number of selections is determined from a selection group preceding the final selection group. Prior to determining the number of final selection group picks, the present invention provides the player with at least one selection group in which the player selects award indicators until selecting an indicator that advances the player to the next selection group. Player excitement and enjoyment is enhanced because the present invention provides the player with multiple opportunities to achieve game credits and because the player is guaranteed to have at least one opportunity to select from the final selection group.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 7, 2000
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2002
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Andrea C. Hughs-Baird, Paulina Glavich, Bayard S. Webb, Anthony J. Baerlocher
  • Patent number: D483552
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 20, 2002
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2003
    Inventor: Philip C. Hughes