Patents by Inventor Carrie D. Porterfield

Carrie D. Porterfield 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).

  • System for awarding a bonus to a gaming device on a wide area network
    Patent number: 7819746
    Abstract: A method for awarding a bonus to a player of an electronic gaming device at one of a plurality of casino properties is implemented with a slave server networked with gaming devices at each property. The slave servers are networked with a master server that accumulates a pool comprising a percentage of play on the gaming devices. The pool is initiated with a starting value, which defines the lower end of a range having a predetermined maximum number at the upper end. A number is randomly selected from within the range. As play progresses, the pool increases until it hits the random number. As a result, a slave server is randomly selected. The randomly selected slave server then awards the bonus to a randomly selected one of its associated gaming devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Date of Patent: October 26, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Richard J. Schneider, Michael B. Shelby, Lawrence R. Pitman, Carrie D. Porterfield, Erik B. Petersen
  • System for awarding a bonus to a gaming device on a wide area network
    Patent number: 7794322
    Abstract: A method for awarding a bonus to a player of an electronic gaming device at one of a plurality of casino properties is implemented with a slave server networked with gaming devices at each property. The slave servers are networked with a master server that accumulates a pool comprising a percentage of play on the gaming devices. The pool is initiated with a starting value, which defines the lower end of a range having a predetermined maximum number at the upper end. A number is randomly selected from within the range. As play progresses, the pool increases until it hits the random number. As a result, a slave server is randomly selected. The randomly selected slave server then awards the bonus to a randomly selected one of its associated gaming devices.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Date of Patent: September 14, 2010
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Richard J. Schneider, Michael B. Shelby, Lawrence R. Pitman, Carrie D. Porterfield, Erik B. Petersen
  • System for awarding a bonus to a gaming device on a wide area network
    Publication number: 20040063499
    Abstract: A method for awarding a bonus to a player of an electronic gaming device at one of a plurality of casino properties is implemented with a slave server networked with gaming devices at each property. The slave servers are networked with a master server that accumulates a pool comprising a percentage of play on the gaming devices. The pool is initiated with a starting value, which defines the lower end of a range having a predetermined maximum number at the upper end. A number is randomly selected from within the range. As play progresses, the pool increases until it hits the random number. As a result, a slave server is randomly selected. The randomly selected slave server then awards the bonus to a randomly selected one of its associated gaming devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2003
    Publication date: April 1, 2004
    Applicant: Acres Gaming Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard J. Schneider, Michael B. Shelby, Lawrence R. Pitman, Carrie D. Porterfield, Erik B. Petersen
  • System for awarding a bonus to a gaming device on a wide area network
    Publication number: 20030092484
    Abstract: A method for awarding a bonus to a player of an electronic gaming device at one of a plurality of casino properties is implemented with a slave server networked with gaming devices at each property. The slave servers are networked with a master server that accumulates a pool comprising a percentage of play on the gaming devices. The pool is initiated with a starting value, which defines the lower end of a range having a predetermined maximum number at the upper end. A number is randomly selected from within the range. As play progresses, the pool increases until it hits the random number. As a result, a slave server is randomly selected. The randomly selected slave server then awards the bonus to a randomly selected one of its associated gaming devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2002
    Publication date: May 15, 2003
    Applicant: Acres Gaming Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard J. Schneider, Michael B. Shelby, Lawrence R. Pitman, Carrie D. Porterfield, Erik B. Petersen