Patents by Inventor Gary Joseph Penacho

Gary Joseph Penacho 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: 11928915
    Abstract: A method of playing a feature game on a gaming machine. A display displays a first game and a second game. A game controller determines if a merging condition occurs, and if a merging condition occurs, animates a merging of the first game and the second game into a merged game at the display. The merged game has a plurality of display positions from the first game, the second game, and a set of additional display positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2024
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey
  • Patent number: 11830322
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine for conducting an electronic game includes a player input interface configured to receive player credit inputs. A gaming data recording device is configured to record gaming related to the player credit inputs. A gaming machine controller configured to query the gaming data recording device and compute a first total game payout rate based upon the recorded player credit inputs for a first number of rounds of play and compute a second total game payout rate different than the first total game payout rate based on the recorded player credit inputs for a second number of rounds of play. The gaming machine is configured to award the second total game payout rate for a next round of play of the electronic game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Date of Patent: November 28, 2023
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Kieran Power
  • Publication number: 20230154284
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming machine, methods of gaming and gaming systems. The gaming system comprises: a first video display; a second video display; and a game controller. The game controller is arranged to: select a plurality of symbols from a symbol set for display on the first video display and the second video display; and evaluate a symbol subset comprising one or more of the plurality of symbols to determine whether to make an award. The number of symbols of the symbol subset is higher than a number of symbols in the symbol subset evaluated by the game controller in a previous game instance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2023
    Publication date: May 18, 2023
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Casey Lyle Condron, Thomas Tuomey, Kurt Larsen, Charles Schotborgh, Adam Pippin, Ryan Shawn Carr
  • Patent number: 11562624
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming machine, methods of gaming and gaming systems. The gaming system comprises: a first video display; a second video display; and a game controller. The game controller is arranged to: select a plurality of symbols from a symbol set for display on the first video display and the second video display; and evaluate a symbol subset comprising one or more of the plurality of symbols to determine whether to make an award. The number of symbols of the symbol subset is higher than a number of symbols in the symbol subset evaluated by the game controller in a previous game instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Casey Lyle Condron, Thomas Tuomey, Kurt Larsen, Charles Schotborgh, Adam Pippin, Ryan Shawn Carr
  • Patent number: 11551511
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine comprising a video display and a game controller arranged to select a plurality of symbols from a symbol set for display on the video display, evaluate the symbols displayed on the display to determine whether to initiate a symbol lock event, and upon initiating a symbol lock event, identify symbols which contribute to an award configuration, control the display to lock identified symbols, and updating remaining symbols in the display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Date of Patent: January 10, 2023
    Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Casey Lyle Condron, Thomas Tuomey, Kurt Larsen, Charles Schotborgh, Adam Pippin, Ryan Shawn Carr
  • Publication number: 20220284764
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine for conducting an electronic game includes a player input interface configured to receive player credit inputs. A gaming data recording device is configured to record gaming related to the player credit inputs. A gaming machine controller configured to query the gaming data recording device and compute a first total game payout rate based upon the recorded player credit inputs for a first number of rounds of play and compute a second total game payout rate different than the first total game payout rate based on the recorded player credit inputs for a second number of rounds of play. The gaming machine is configured to award the second total game payout rate for a next round of play of the electronic game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 23, 2022
    Publication date: September 8, 2022
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Kieran Power
  • Patent number: 11361611
    Abstract: A gaming machine including a display device and game controller is provided. The display device includes reels having display positions for presenting symbols that include non-blank symbols and blank symbols. The game controller is configured to spin the reels horizontally to obtain a first game outcome including a first arrangement of the symbols at the display positions. In response to a determination that the first arrangement includes blank symbols, the game controller is configured to determine whether horizontally shifting non-blank symbols in either direction with respect to the blank symbols in each reel results in an optimal win. The game controller horizontally shifts the non-blank symbols with respect to the blank symbols in each reel to obtain a second game outcome in response to a determination that the shifting results in the optimal win. The game controller increases a credit balance by an award associated with the optimal win.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: June 14, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey
  • Patent number: 11341816
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine for conducting an electronic game includes a player input interface configured to receive player credit inputs. A gaming data recording device is configured to record gaming related to the player credit inputs. A gaming machine controller configured to query the gaming data recording device and compute a first total game payout rate based upon the recorded player credit inputs for a first number of rounds of play and compute a second total game payout rate different than the first total game payout rate based on the recorded player credit inputs for a second number of rounds of play. The gaming machine is configured to award the second total game payout rate for a next round of play of the electronic game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 24, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Kieran Power
  • Publication number: 20220148374
    Abstract: A method of playing a feature game on a gaming machine. A display displays a first game and a second game. A game controller determines if a merging condition occurs, and if a merging condition occurs, animates a merging of the first game and the second game into a merged game at the display. The merged game has a plurality of display positions from the first game, the second game, and a set of additional display positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2022
    Publication date: May 12, 2022
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey
  • Patent number: 11257321
    Abstract: A method of merging a plurality of games into a single game on a gaming machine. A display displays first and second games. A game controller determines if a wager has been placed, and if the wager placed includes a base game wager and a game enhancement wager. Upon determining that the wager placed includes a base game wager and a game enhancement wager, the game controller merges the first and second games and a plurality of display positions into a merged game. The merged game selects symbols from the first game and the second game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 22, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey, Bradley Hendricks
  • Patent number: 11238692
    Abstract: A method of playing a feature game on a gaming machine. A display displays a first game and a second game. A game controller determines if a merging condition occurs, and if a merging condition occurs, animates a merging of the first game and the second game into a merged game at the display. The merged game has a plurality of display positions from the first game, the second game, and a set of additional display positions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 2020
    Date of Patent: February 1, 2022
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey
  • Publication number: 20210125452
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming machine, methods of gaming and gaming systems. The gaming system comprises: a first video display; a second video display; and a game controller. The game controller is arranged to: select a plurality of symbols from a symbol set for display on the first video display and the second video display; and evaluate a symbol subset comprising one or more of the plurality of symbols to determine whether to make an award. The number of symbols of the symbol subset is higher than a number of symbols in the symbol subset evaluated by the game controller in a previous game instance.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 8, 2021
    Publication date: April 29, 2021
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Casey Lyle Condron, Thomas Tuomey, Kurt Larsen, Charles Schotborgh, Adam Pippin, Ryan Shawn Carr
  • Publication number: 20210074123
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine for conducting an electronic game includes a player input interface configured to receive player credit inputs. A gaming data recording device is configured to record gaming related to the player credit inputs. A gaming machine controller configured to query the gaming data recording device and compute a first total game payout rate based upon the recorded player credit inputs for a first number of rounds of play and compute a second total game payout rate different than the first total game payout rate based on the recorded player credit inputs for a second number of rounds of play. The gaming machine is configured to award the second total game payout rate for a next round of play of the electronic game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 23, 2020
    Publication date: March 11, 2021
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Kieran Power
  • Patent number: 10922920
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming machine, methods of gaming and gaming systems. The gaming system comprises: a first video display; a second video display; and a game controller. The game controller is arranged to: select a plurality of symbols from a symbol set for display on the first video display and the second video display; and evaluate a symbol subset comprising one or more of the plurality of symbols to determine whether to make an award. The number of symbols of the symbol subset is higher than a number of symbols in the symbol subset evaluated by the game controller in a previous game instance.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 2, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 16, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Casey Lyle Condron, Thomas Tuomey, Kurt Larsen, Charles Schotborgh, Adam Pippin, Ryan Shawn Carr
  • Publication number: 20210035404
    Abstract: A gaming machine including a display device and game controller is provided. The display device includes reels having display positions for presenting symbols that include non-blank symbols and blank symbols. The game controller is configured to spin the reels horizontally to obtain a first game outcome including a first arrangement of the symbols at the display positions. In response to a determination that the first arrangement includes blank symbols, the game controller is configured to determine whether horizontally shifting non-blank symbols in either direction with respect to the blank symbols in each reel results in an optimal win. The game controller horizontally shifts the non-blank symbols with respect to the blank symbols in each reel to obtain a second game outcome in response to a determination that the shifting results in the optimal win. The game controller increases a credit balance by an award associated with the optimal win.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 20, 2020
    Publication date: February 4, 2021
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey
  • Publication number: 20210012610
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine comprising a video display and a game controller arranged to select a plurality of symbols from a symbol set for display on the video display, evaluate the symbols displayed on the display to determine whether to initiate a symbol lock event, and upon initiating a symbol lock event, identify symbols which contribute to an award configuration, control the display to lock identified symbols, and updating remaining symbols in the display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 30, 2020
    Publication date: January 14, 2021
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Casey Lyle Condron, Thomas Tuomey, Kurt Larsen, Charles Schotborgh, Adam Pippin, Ryan Shawn Carr
  • Patent number: 10878658
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine (EGM) is described. The EGM includes a memory storing a first return-to-player (RTP) rate as a current RTP rate and a second RTP rate as an inactive RTP rate, and a game controller configured to conduct the electronic game at the first RTP rate, reconfigure the current RTP rate to be the second RTP rate based on a scheduled timing, and conduct the electronic game at the second RTP rate during the scheduled timing. The EGM may also include a memory storing multiple tiers of wager amounts and a current RTP rate, and a game controller configured to receive a current wager amount for a current round of play, determine a first tier from the tiers of wager amounts based on the current wager amount, and reconfigure the current RTP rate for the current round of play as the RTP rate of the first tier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2019
    Date of Patent: December 29, 2020
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Kieran Power
  • Publication number: 20200349813
    Abstract: A method of merging a plurality of games into a single game on a gaming machine. A display displays first and second games. A game controller determines if a wager has been placed, and if the wager placed includes a base game wager and a game enhancement wager. Upon determining that the wager placed includes a base game wager and a game enhancement wager, the game controller merges the first and second games and a plurality of display positions into a merged game. The merged game selects symbols from the first game and the second game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 20, 2020
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Gary Joseph Penacho, Thomas Tuomey, Bradley Hendricks
  • Patent number: D914808
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 3, 2018
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2021
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Schin Hern Loong, Kevin Mark Ignacio, Gary Joseph Penacho
  • Patent number: D998047
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 22, 2021
    Date of Patent: September 5, 2023
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Schin Hern Loong, Kevin Mark Ignacio, Gary Joseph Penacho