Patents by Inventor Eiji Aida

Eiji Aida 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: 9520017
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 13, 2016
    Assignee: KONAMI GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 9378626
    Abstract: A method of providing a slot game to a player is described herein. The slot game includes a plurality of reels. Each reel includes a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols that are displayed in each of the symbol positions in a predetermined order. The method includes allowing the player to make a wager on the game, initiating a primary game and responsively spinning the reels, randomly determining an outcome of the primary game and responsively stopping the reels to display the outcome of the primary game in a grid, and awarding a first award to the player based on the primary game outcome. The method also includes detecting if a triggering condition occurs in the primary game outcome, and responsively modifying a reel function of at least one of the reels to generate an outcome of a secondary game including the modified reel function.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 28, 2016
    Assignee: KONAMI GAMING, INC.
    Inventors: Eiji Aida, Satoshi Suda
  • Patent number: 9208655
    Abstract: A gaming machine for providing a game to a player is described herein. The gaming machine includes a display device for displaying the game and a game controller. The game includes a plurality of reels having a predetermined number of elements, wherein each element has an associated symbol from a set of symbols and at least one reel has a run of consecutive elements. The game controller initiates an instance of the game, responsively displays the game on the display device, randomly determines an outcome of the game, and responsively spins and stops the reels to display the outcome. The outcome includes at least two reels having the same symbols being displayed in the same symbol positions. The game controller displays each one of the at least two reels having a run of consecutive elements, and populates the run of consecutive elements with an identical symbol.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignee: KONAMI GAMING, INC.
    Inventors: Eiji Aida, Daisuke Nakamura, Osamu Yoshimi
  • Patent number: 9092949
    Abstract: A gaming machine for allowing a player to play a game is described herein. The gaming machine includes a display device and a game controller for displaying a game on the display device. The game includes a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol positions in a predetermined order. The game controller allows a player to make a wager on the game and responsively displays the game on the display device. The game controller randomly determines an outcome of the game, responsively spins and stops the reels to display the outcome including at least two reels having the same symbols being displayed in the same symbol positions, and awards an award to the player as a function of the outcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 28, 2015
    Assignee: KONAMI GAMING, INC.
    Inventors: Eiji Aida, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20150126266
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2015
    Publication date: May 7, 2015
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 8961293
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: February 24, 2015
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Publication number: 20130296018
    Abstract: A gaming machine for allowing a player to play a game is described herein. The gaming machine includes a display device and a game controller for displaying a game on the display device. The game includes a plurality of reels having a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of game symbols displayed in each of the symbol positions in a predetermined order. The game controller allows a player to make a wager on the game and responsively displays the game on the display device. The game controller randomly determines an outcome of the game, responsively spins and stops the reels to display the outcome including at least two reels having the same symbols being displayed in the same symbol positions, and awards an award to the player as a function of the outcome.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Eiji Aida, Daisuke Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20130296019
    Abstract: A gaming machine for providing a game to a player is described herein. The gaming machine includes a display device for displaying the game and a game controller. The game includes a plurality of reels having a predetermined number of elements, wherein each element has an associated symbol from a set of symbols and at least one reel has a run of consecutive elements. The game controller initiates an instance of the game, responsively displays the game on the display device, randomly determines an outcome of the game, and responsively spins and stops the reels to display the outcome. The outcome includes at least two reels having the same symbols being displayed in the same symbol positions. The game controller displays each one of the at least two reels having a run of consecutive elements, and populates the run of consecutive elements with an identical symbol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 3, 2013
    Publication date: November 7, 2013
    Inventors: Eiji Aida, Daisuke Nakamura, Osamu Yoshimi
  • Publication number: 20130252710
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2013
    Publication date: September 26, 2013
    Applicant: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 8465359
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 18, 2013
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 8449376
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Date of Patent: May 28, 2013
    Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Publication number: 20110256919
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2011
    Publication date: October 20, 2011
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Publication number: 20110070941
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2010
    Publication date: March 24, 2011
    Applicant: Konami Gaming Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Publication number: 20110053678
    Abstract: A gaming machine including a display, a plurality of reels displayed on the display, each reel being arranged side by side so as to independently rotate in a vertical direction, a plurality of display areas forming the reel, each display area having a hexagonal shape for displaying an indicium, each display area being connected with each other in the vertical direction via a horizontal side of the hexagonal shape, and a controller, which determines a win occurrence in a case where an identical kind of indicium is stationarily displayed on at least two of the display areas which are adjacently arranged via an upwardly-sloping direction slope or a downwardly-sloping side of the hexagonal shape of the display area.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 3, 2010
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Konami Gaming, Inc
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 7857694
    Abstract: A display includes a plurality of display areas connected with each other, each operable to variably and stationarily display one kind of plural hexagonal indicium. A controller determines a win occurrence, in a case where an identical kind of indicium are stationarily displayed on at least two of the display areas which are adjacently arranged on the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 7, 2003
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2010
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 7824260
    Abstract: To display a plurality of symbols in a plurality of display regions, upon starting a game, and in a case where trigger symbols are stop displayed in any of the plurality of display regions, to draw for specific display regions where trigger symbols are displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that the symbols are displayed having a predetermined relationship among the symbols in at least game units, and at the same time, to draw for general display regions that have symbols other than the trigger symbol displayed, from a plurality of types of symbols so that arbitrary symbols are independently displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 2, 2010
    Assignee: Konami Corporation
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 7785190
    Abstract: In a slot machine, the display unit includes a region on which a plurality of symbol columns and rows are displayed. Normal directions of surfaces of the region, on which the symbol columns placed at both ends of the symbol rows are displayed, intersect in front of the display unit. The display unit preferably includes mechanical reels placed at ribs of a fan. Normal directions of circumferential surfaces of the mechanical reels at the forward ends thereof intersect at substantially the same point, and thereby the front ends oppose a player. The display unit may be alternatively an electronic display device that includes a curved or bent screen. Normal directions of surfaces on which video reels are displayed intersect at substantially the same point, and thereby the surfaces oppose a player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Konami Gaming, Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 7744455
    Abstract: A game machine is disclosed which includes a display unit, a memory unit which stores a cell array and a plurality of game symbols, a display control unit, and a game control unit. The display control unit displays the cell array, a peripheral region surrounding the cell array, and the plurality of game symbols on the display unit, animates the plurality of game symbols so that the plurality of game symbols move across the cell array and the peripheral region along trajectories that include curved trajectories, and positions and displays a static combination of game symbols in the cell array. The game control unit selects the static combination of game symbols to be displayed in the cell array, and determines whether a winning combination of game symbols will be included in the static combination of game symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 26, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 29, 2010
    Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Patent number: 7736224
    Abstract: A display includes a plurality of matrix areas. Each of the areas is operable to display one of plural indicias. A controller determines an occurrence of a win when predetermined indicias are stationarily arranged in the display so as to form a predetermined relative positional relationship at anywhere in the matrix areas.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 31, 2003
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2010
    Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated
    Inventor: Eiji Aida
  • Publication number: 20090027330
    Abstract: A virtual mouse device is preferably installed in a gaming machine, and serving as an input device. An image sensor unit is laminated on a specific area on a screen of a display unit, and detects fingers or a palm of a player that move on or over the specific area. The virtual mouse controller unit monitors the fingers or palm, and causes a virtual mouse to follow the fingers or palm within the specific area. If the fingers or palm moves out of the specific area, the virtual mouse controller unit then returns the virtual mouse to a default location. An input unit monitors the motion of the virtual mouse, and causes the display unit to move a mouse pointer on the screen depending on the amount and direction of travel of the virtual mouse.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2007
    Publication date: January 29, 2009
    Applicant: KONAMI GAMING, INCORPORATED
    Inventor: Eiji AIDA