Patents by Inventor Eric T. Ryan

Eric T. Ryan 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).

  • WAGERING GAME WITH PROGRESSIVE JACKPOT AWARD DRIVEN BY SOCIAL COMMUNICATIONS
    Publication number: 20140094241
    Abstract: Systems and methods include one or more processing devices configured to provide or send displayable content over a network to a client. The displayable content provides a wagering game system. The wagering game system includes a progressive wagering game that awards one or more progressive jackpot awards to a player. In response to social communications by the player over the network, the wagering game system provides a reward to the player, where the reward relates to the progressive wagering game or the one or more progressive jackpot awards.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: WMS GAMING INC.
    Inventors: Andrew C. Guinn, Daniel P. Louie, Travis N. Nelson, Richard B. Robbins, Eric T. Ryan, Rory M. Shanahan
  • Gaming system having configurable mechanical reels
    Patent number: 8235798
    Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a wager input device, a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game, and a controller operatively coupled to the display and the wager input device to operate in a plurality of selectable game modes of which a selected one is a current game mode. The display has an array of reel strips. Each of the selectable game modes is respectively associated with a subset of the reel strips of the array. A first game mode of the plurality of selectable game modes has at least one reel strip that differs from at least one reel strip of a second game mode of the plurality of selectable game modes. The second game mode has at least one reel strip that differs from at least one reel strip of the first game mode.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: August 7, 2012
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew R. Fitzsimons, James M. Rasmussen, Eric T. Ryan, Steven J. Lee
  • GAMING SYSTEM HAVING CONFIGURABLE MECHANICAL REELS
    Publication number: 20100248809
    Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a wager input device, a display for displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game, and a controller operatively coupled to the display and the wager input device to operate in a plurality of selectable game modes of which a selected one is a current game mode. The display has an array of reel strips. Each of the selectable game modes is respectively associated with a subset of the reel strips of the array. A first game mode of the plurality of selectable game modes has at least one reel strip that differs from at least one reel strip of a second game mode of the plurality of selectable game modes. The second game mode has at least one reel strip that differs from at least one reel strip of the first game mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 14, 2008
    Publication date: September 30, 2010
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew R. Fitzsimons, James M. Rasmussen, Eric T. Ryan, Steven J. Lee