Patents by Inventor Colin Fong

Colin Fong 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: 20120278245
    Abstract: An instant lottery game system includes a game play defining element. A symbol display zone is carried on the game play defining element, the symbol display zone containing a plurality of symbols related to gaming machine games. A masking medium covers the symbols of the symbol display zone prior to use. A symbol interpretation zone is also carried on the game play defining element, the symbol interpretation zone carrying a plurality of indicia with the indicia being used in interpreting symbols revealed after removal of the masking medium to determine a prize outcome.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Publication date: November 1, 2012
    Inventors: Roxanne Costello, Philippa Graham, Colin Fong, Natalie Bryant, Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20120225713
    Abstract: Disclosed is gaming apparatus, which may be a gaming system and a method of gaming implemented on gaming apparatus. A plurality of linked gaming machines are monitored for the occurrence of a first event. The number of occurrences of the first event for each gaming machine is recorded. On the occurrence of a second event, a bonus is awarded on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 17, 2012
    Publication date: September 6, 2012
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Patent number: 8202151
    Abstract: Disclosed is gaming apparatus, which may be a gaming system and a method of gaming implemented on gaming apparatus. A plurality of linked gaming machines are monitored for the occurrence of a first event. The number of occurrences of the first event for each gaming machine is recorded. On the occurrence of a second event, a bonus is awarded on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 19, 2012
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Patent number: 8187072
    Abstract: An instant lottery game system (10) includes a game play defining element (12). A symbol display zone (14) is carried on the game play defining element (12), the symbol display zone (14) containing a plurality of symbols related to gaming machine games. A masking medium (20) covers the symbols of the symbol display zone (14) prior to use. A symbol interpretation zone (16) is also carried on the game play defining element (12), the symbol interpretation zone (16) carrying a plurality of indicia with the indicia being used in interpreting symbols revealed after removal of the masking medium (20) to determine a prize outcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2004
    Date of Patent: May 29, 2012
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Roxanne Costello, Philippa Graham, Colin Fong, Natalie Bryant, Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Patent number: 8152632
    Abstract: A gaming machine system includes a system controller. A plurality of gaming machines are linked to the system controller. Each gaming machine has a first display and a game controller arranged to control images of symbols displayed on the first display, the game controller being arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the first display and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize; a second display; and a feature game where, during play of the feature, feature images associated with the feature game are displayed on the second display. The system further includes a remote display to which each of the gaming machines is connected. The remote display is visible to a player playing any one of the gaming machines connected to the remote display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 10, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 10, 2012
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20120052940
    Abstract: A gaming system comprising a plurality of linked gaming devices each individually operable to play a main game and a group game, whereby the group game is played by at least two teams of players of the linked gaming devices; and a group game controller arranged to conduct the group game upon initiation for the at least two teams and to determine which team is to be awarded a prize at completion of the group game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2011
    Publication date: March 1, 2012
    Inventors: Colin Fong, Peter Woodlock
  • Publication number: 20110237336
    Abstract: Disclosed is gaming apparatus, which may be a gaming system and a method of gaming implemented on gaming apparatus. A plurality of linked gaming machines are monitored for the occurrence of a first event. The number of occurrences of the first event for each gaming machine is recorded. On the occurrence of a second event, a bonus is awarded on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 7, 2011
    Publication date: September 29, 2011
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Patent number: 7985128
    Abstract: Disclosed is gaming apparatus, which may be a gaming system and a method of gaming implemented on gaming apparatus. A plurality of linked gaming machines are monitored for the occurrence of a first event. The number of occurrences of the first event for each gaming machine is recorded. On the occurrence of a second event, a bonus is awarded on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 26, 2011
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20110159946
    Abstract: A method for use with a gaming machine. The gaming machine presents symbols on a display in an array of symbol positions and evaluates the selected symbols for winning combinations in pay lines in the array. The symbols are selected for the display positions independently and at least one line in the array is selected by a player using a player interface by selecting individual symbol display positions. One pay line may only trigger feature games and/or the feature game that is awarded may be determined dependent on the symbols presented in another pay line. The game played by the gaming machine may also present first and second game symbols in the same display position and the presented first and second symbols are evaluated for the occurrence of a winning combination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 28, 2011
    Publication date: June 30, 2011
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LTD.
    Inventors: Colin Fong, Philippa Graham
  • Publication number: 20110086697
    Abstract: A gaming system comprising: a display comprising a plurality of display portions associated with respective ones of a plurality of gaming devices; and a group game controller arranged to: control the display to display an object as moving between the display portions by displaying the object in individual ones of the display portions; determine display portions at which to display the object in each of a plurality of stopped display states, at least some of which correspond to respective ones a plurality of prizes; control the display to display the object in each stopped display state in the respective determined display portion; and award any prize associated with each stopped display state to a player of the respective gaming device upon at least one eligibility criteria being met in respect of the gaming device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2010
    Publication date: April 14, 2011
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20100323782
    Abstract: A gaming machine has display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means An underlying game is played in which one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. On the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets. Each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process. The prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player from the two or more different prize sets. The sets of prizes may be presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment which defines the prize outcome won by the player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2010
    Publication date: December 23, 2010
    Inventors: Edgar Pau, Colin Fong
  • Patent number: 7775869
    Abstract: A gaming machine has display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means An underlying game is played in which one or more random events are caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize. On the occurrence of a predefined event, the player is offered a choice of two or more different prize sets. Each set containing a plurality of prize outcomes, from which prize sets a prize is to be drawn and awarded to the player, typically by a random process. The prize is drawn from the prize set or sets selected by the player from the two or more different prize sets. The sets of prizes may be presented on segments of wheels that can spin or simulate spinning before stopping randomly on a segment which defines the prize outcome won by the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2001
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2010
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies, Inc. Australia
    Inventors: Edgar Pau, Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20100124982
    Abstract: A gaming machine (10) is provided that comprises a mechanically operable game component (703) and a video operable game component that is provided on a display screen (702) of a display device (701). The display screen (702) overlies the mechanically operable game component (703) and is transparent over the whole of an active area of the display screen (702) and wherein the whole of that area is useable to display the video game thereon. A shutter (705) is positioned between the display screen (702) and the mechanically operable game component (703) and is changeable between closed and open viewing states. In the closed state the mechanically operable game component (703) cannot be viewed by a player, and in an open viewing state the mechanically operable game component (703) can be viewed by the player. A display device (701) incorporating the above features is also provided.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 8, 2009
    Publication date: May 20, 2010
    Inventors: Scott Monroe Stewart, Philip Jeffery Anderson, Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20090221344
    Abstract: A gaming system is disclosed which comprises a plurality of reels, each reel comprising a plurality of symbols from a set of symbols, a symbol selector arranged to select a plurality of symbols from each reel for display, a reel selector arranged to select at least one reel, a function allocator arranged to allocate a function to at least one selected reel such that each displayed symbol on said at least one selected reel acquires the function, and a game outcome generator arranged to determine a game outcome based on the displayed symbols and on the function allocated to said at least one selected reel. A corresponding method of gaming is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 2, 2007
    Publication date: September 3, 2009
    Inventors: Colin Fong, Steven Johnson, Kathleen Johnson, James Johnson
  • Publication number: 20090170591
    Abstract: A gaming system (10, 40, 100) is disclosed which comprises a display device (44) arranged to display symbols (306, 308) from a plurality of sets of symbols (15a, 15b) at a plurality of display positions (304), each of the display positions (304) including a symbol associated with each of the sets of symbols (15a, 15b). The system also comprises a symbol set selector (24) arranged to facilitate selection by a player of one of the sets of symbols to be used for determining a game outcome, a symbol selector (20) arranged to select symbols for display at the display positions, and an outcome generator (28) arranged to determine a game outcome based on symbols from the selected symbol set displayed at the display positions. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2008
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20090124342
    Abstract: A gaming method and system, the method comprising providing one or more reels in a spinning reel game, the reels being displayed as three dimensional and displayed as provided with game symbols along and around the reels, displaying spinning of the reels and thereby sequentially displaying at least some of the game symbols displayed as provided along the reels, displaying rotating of the reels and thereby sequentially displaying at least some of the game symbols displayed as provided around the reels, stopping the spinning and the rotating of each of the reels at a respective stop position, and determining a game outcome based on at least some of the game symbols displayed when each of the reels is in its respective stop position.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 11, 2008
    Publication date: May 14, 2009
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20080146327
    Abstract: A gaming machine and a method of operating a gaming machine is disclosed. A game controller of the gaming machine includes a bonus feature in which meters having a plurality of number positions are selected and displayed on the display. By a selection process, a number from a set of numbers is selected and associated with at least one number position of the meters. Completion of filling of the number positions of at least one meter provides an indication of a prize won by a player and the gaming machine awards the indicated prize or a prize related to the indicated prize.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2007
    Publication date: June 19, 2008
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Colin Fong
  • Publication number: 20080076520
    Abstract: A gaming system is disclosed which comprises a symbol selector arranged to select at least one player symbol at each level of a multilevel game from a set of symbols, an outcome generator arranged to determine at each level of the multilevel game a successful or unsuccessful game level outcome based on a comparison of the at least one selected player symbol with at least one reference symbol such that the player proceeds to a succeeding game level if the game outcome is successful and the player does not proceed to a succeeding game level if the game outcome is not successful. The gaming system also comprises a prize allocator arranged to allocate a prize to a player based on the game level the player has successfully completed. A corresponding method is also disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 14, 2007
    Publication date: March 27, 2008
    Inventors: Matthew Chan, Colin Fong, Edgar Pau
  • Publication number: 20080064477
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes a display and a game controller that provides a wagering game in which a plurality of symbol display positions are provided on the display. When a player stakes a wager on the outcome of the wagering game the game controller selects symbols for display sequentially. The set of symbols is dynamic, wherein at least two symbols from the symbol set are changed between at least certain symbol selections depending on a characteristic of a symbol selected in a previous selection. The display positions may be arranged in rows and columns.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 4, 2007
    Publication date: March 13, 2008
    Inventors: Colin Fong, Raymond Maras, David Villa
  • Publication number: 20080058078
    Abstract: Disclosed is gaming apparatus, which may be a gaming system and a method of gaming implemented on gaming apparatus. A plurality of linked gaming machines are monitored for the occurrence of a first event. The number of occurrences of the first event for each gaming machine is recorded. On the occurrence of a second event, a bonus is awarded on each said gaming machine on which at least one monitored occurrence of the first event has occurred, the bonus award being dependent on the number of occurrences of the first event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 6, 2007
    Publication date: March 6, 2008
    Inventor: Colin Fong