Patents by Inventor James Loader

James Loader 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: 20200312095
    Abstract: An electronic gaming device comprising a display that displays a plurality of symbols in a plurality of symbol positions, a game controller that determines if the plurality of symbols include a trigger symbol, in response to determining that the plurality of symbols include the trigger symbol, controls the display to display the trigger symbol being transformed into a prize component symbol, incrementally animates a filling of a prize component of a first prize with the prize component symbol, and awards the first prize when a plurality of first prize components have been completely filled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 31, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Karen Kendall, James Loader, Lauren Paterson, Antoon Visser
  • Publication number: 20200312086
    Abstract: An electronic gaming device comprises a credit input device; a display; an input device operable to receive player input and a processor. The display displays a plurality of symbols selected for display, and one or both of a first trigger symbol and a second trigger symbol as part of the plurality of symbols selected for display. After displaying one or both of the first trigger symbol and the second trigger symbol, the processor animates collecting one or both of the first trigger symbol and the second trigger symbol. After displaying both of the first trigger symbol and the second trigger symbol are collected, the processor initiates a first composite feature game incorporating at least one characteristic of each of a first feature game and a second feature game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Karen Kendall, James Loader, Lauren Paterson, Antoon Visser
  • Publication number: 20200312087
    Abstract: A gaming device that includes a display displaying a plurality of symbols in a plurality of columns of symbol positions, respectively, and a game controller that determines whether the plurality of symbols selected for display include one or both of the first trigger symbol and the second trigger symbol, in response to determining that the symbols include a first trigger symbol but not a second trigger symbol, randomly determines whether to conduct a first feature game, and in response to determining that the symbols selected include both the first trigger symbol and the second trigger symbol, randomly determines whether to conduct a third feature game selected between the first feature game, a second feature game, and a composite game incorporating at least one characteristic of each of the first feature game and the second feature game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 25, 2020
    Publication date: October 1, 2020
    Inventors: Karen Kendall, James Loader, Lauren Paterson, Antoon Visser
  • Publication number: 20200168046
    Abstract: Gaming systems, methods, and machines provided herein may be used to provide bonus games that are associated with two different classes of awards, e.g., one or more first awards and one or more second awards. The first award(s) may generally be much more desirable to players than the second award(s), e.g., the first awards may be large-denomination jackpot awards, whereas the second awards may be small-denomination credit awards, e.g., non-jackpot awards. During play of such bonus games, selection of a stop position associated with a second award may cause that stop position to be instead associated with one of the one or more first awards for future play of the bonus game, thereby increasing the opportunities to win a first award in subsequent play of the bonus game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 30, 2020
    Publication date: May 28, 2020
    Inventors: James Loader, Matthew Chan
  • Patent number: 10621829
    Abstract: Gaming systems, methods, and machines provided herein may be used to provide bonus games that are associated with two different classes of awards, e.g., one or more first awards and one or more second awards. The first award(s) may generally be much more desirable to players than the second award(s), e.g., the first awards may be large-denomination jackpot awards, whereas the second awards may be small-denomination credit awards, e.g., non-jackpot awards. During play of such bonus games, selection of a stop position associated with a second award may cause that stop position to be instead associated with one of the one or more first awards for future play of the bonus game, thereby increasing the opportunities to win a first award in subsequent play of the bonus game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 14, 2020
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: James Loader, Matthew Chan
  • Patent number: 10490026
    Abstract: A gaming system includes a game implementer arranged to implement a base game, and an item collector arranged, during game play of a base game, by a player to add at least one item from a plurality of available items to an inventory associated with the player, wherein each collected item is usable by the player in a feature game. The system also includes a device arranged to store the item inventory of collected items usable by the player in the feature game. The system implements a feature game and includes an item selector arranged, during the feature game, to enable selection by the player of at least one item from the item inventory to use in the feature game, and an outcome evaluator arranged to determine an outcome of the feature game, based on the selected item. The feature game may be initiated by a player at any time.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Natalie Bryant, James Loader, Nichelle Nolan, Sam Walker, Adeline Jie
  • Publication number: 20190073875
    Abstract: Gaming systems, methods, and machines provided herein may be used to provide bonus games that are associated with two different classes of awards, e.g., one or more first awards and one or more second awards. The first award(s) may generally be much more desirable to players than the second award(s), e.g., the first awards may be large-denomination jackpot awards, whereas the second awards may be small-denomination credit awards, e.g., non-jackpot awards. During play of such bonus games, selection of a stop position associated with a second award may cause that stop position to be instead associated with one of the one or more first awards for future play of the bonus game, thereby increasing the opportunities to win a first award in subsequent play of the bonus game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 22, 2018
    Publication date: March 7, 2019
    Inventors: James Loader, Matthew Chan
  • Publication number: 20180114407
    Abstract: A gaming system includes a game implementer arranged to implement a base game, and an item collector arranged, during game play of a base game, by a player to add at least one item from a plurality of available items to an inventory associated with the player, wherein each collected item is usable by the player in a feature game. The system also includes a device arranged to store the item inventory of collected items usable by the player in the feature game. The system implements a feature game and includes an item selector arranged, during the feature game, to enable selection by the player of at least one item from the item inventory to use in the feature game, and an outcome evaluator arranged to determine an outcome of the feature game, based on the selected item. The feature game may be initiated by a player at any time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 24, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Natalie Bryant, James Loader, Nichelle Nolan, Sam Walker, Adeline Jie