Patents by Inventor James M. Cole

James M. Cole 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: 10755529
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a multi-hand video poker game in which the hands are displayed as an arrangement. One or more modifiers are applied to at least one row or column of the arrangement. All the hands are evaluated against one or more paytables and awards are determined. The awards for the hands that have applied modifiers are modified based on the respective modifier.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: August 25, 2020
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Bradford Brown, Wendy O'Steen-Wilson, Benjamin R. Holsclaw, Gerardo Marquez, James M. Cole, David Howe
  • Patent number: 9547958
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a video poker game with additional winning opportunities. Upon receiving a primary wager, the gaming system provides the player with a quantity of player cards. The gaming system enables the player to discard zero, some, or all of the player cards. The discarded cards are replaced. The player cards are compared to a paytable to determine an award, if any, won by the player. In addition to the player cards, the player is provided five card indicators. If one or more of the player cards matches with corresponding card indicators, then the player is provided an additional win opportunity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 17, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: James M. Cole, Michael David Capsouto
  • Publication number: 20160086451
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a multi-hand video poker game in which the hands are displayed as an arrangement. One or more modifiers are applied to at least one row or column of the arrangement. All the hands are evaluated against one or more paytables and awards are determined. The awards for the hands that have applied modifiers are modified based on the respective modifier.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Bradford Brown, Wendy O'Steen-Wilson, Benjamin R. Holsclaw, Gerardo Marquez, James M. Cole, David Howe
  • Publication number: 20150057062
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a video poker game with additional winning opportunities. Upon receiving a primary wager, the gaming system provides the player with a quantity of player cards. The gaming system enables the player to discard zero, some, or all of the player cards. The discarded cards are replaced. The player cards are compared to a paytable to determine an award, if any, won by the player. In addition to the player cards, the player is provided five card indicators. If one or more of the player cards matches with corresponding card indicators, then the player is provided an additional win opportunity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 26, 2013
    Publication date: February 26, 2015
    Inventors: James M. Cole, Michael David Capsouto
  • Publication number: 20140256399
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gaming system and method providing a game in which symbols can be selected more than once. In one embodiment, the gaming system initiates a play of the game, displays a plurality of different symbols, and receives a selection of at least one of the symbols to form a player symbol set. The gaming system randomly selects a designated quantity of the symbols to form a gaming system symbol set. Each of the symbols can be selected more than once. The gaming system determines any awards based on a comparison of the player symbol set with the gaming system symbol set, and provides any determined awards. If an additional award opportunity triggering event associated with the gaming system symbol set including a plurality of instances of a same one of the symbols occurs, the gaming system provides an additional award opportunity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: September 11, 2014
    Applicant: IGT
    Inventors: Thomas J. Humphrey, James M. Cole, Bradford D. Brown, Ross D. Wenker, Benjamin R. Holsclaw, Robert W. Ruymann
  • Patent number: 8814651
    Abstract: The present disclosure is directed to a gaming system and method providing a game in which symbols can be selected more than once. In one embodiment, the gaming system initiates a play of the game, displays a plurality of different symbols, and receives a selection of at least one of the symbols to form a player symbol set. The gaming system randomly selects a designated quantity of the symbols to form a gaming system symbol set. Each of the symbols can be selected more than once. The gaming system determines any awards based on a comparison of the player symbol set with the gaming system symbol set, and provides any determined awards. If an additional award opportunity triggering event associated with the gaming system symbol set including a plurality of instances of a same one of the symbols occurs, the gaming system provides an additional award opportunity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 26, 2014
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Thomas J. Humphrey, James M. Cole, Bradford D. Brown, Ross D. Wenker, Benjamin R. Holsclaw, Robert W. Ruymann
  • Patent number: 7601062
    Abstract: A gaming device and methods of operating a gaming device including paylines that transition in relation to symbol display areas are disclosed. Paylines transition from one position to another position in which the payline is associated with a different combination of symbol display areas than the symbol display areas associated with the payline in the position prior to the transition. The gaming device evaluates symbols displayed in symbol display areas associated with the payline in each of the positions to determine if the generated symbols displayed in the associated symbol display areas include a winning symbol or combination of symbols. The transition of the paylines may be displayed as a movement of the paylines, or portions thereof, individually or as a group, across the viewing area of a display in a scrolling, shifting or rotating manner.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Date of Patent: October 13, 2009
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: James M. Cole, William J. Bussick
  • Publication number: 20080108409
    Abstract: A gaming device and methods of operating a gaming device including paylines that transition in relation to symbol display areas are disclosed. Paylines transition from one position to another position in which the payline is associated with a different combination of symbol display areas than the symbol display areas associated with the payline in the position prior to the transition. The gaming device evaluates symbols displayed in symbol display areas associated with the payline in each of the positions to determine if the generated symbols displayed in the associated symbol display areas include a winning symbol or combination of symbols. The transition of the paylines may be displayed as a movement of the paylines, or portions thereof, individually or as a group, across the viewing area of a display in a scrolling, shifting or rotating manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2006
    Publication date: May 8, 2008
    Applicant: IGT
    Inventors: James M. Cole, William J. Bussick
  • Patent number: 7200640
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a system and method of searching, exploring or otherwise navigating the contents of a collection of networked documents or pages. In a preferred embodiment, this system provides a user with a multimedia display format which intuitively indicates, without the user opening a document or web page, the characteristics of the document or web pages. Additionally, this system permits a user to move between such documents without extensively entering explicit search terms. With this system, the contents of Internet web pages may be evaluated by incrementally adjusting through a multimedia display of a continuum of IP addresses or a continuum of related web pages, which are identified as having keywords that match any of a collection of keywords generated from an initially-inputted keyword. This system further comprises a dial or rotary control that allows the user to select, in a continuous fashion, among such displayed, Internet web pages.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 24, 2000
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2007
    Inventors: James M. Cole, Mark Donnelly, Medea E. Minnich, William H. Humm
  • Publication number: 20020111703
    Abstract: The present invention discloses an audio recorder that is especially useful for musicians. In a preferred embodiment, such a recorder provides a user with: (a) a generous amount of recording and playback time, (b) a means for repeating the playback of selected segments of a recording, (c) cueing as to when a selected portion of a recording will begin, (d) an audible metronome during recording and playback by imputing beats into a recording, (e) the ability to slow down or speed up the tempo of the playback of a recording, (f) a jack for plugging in external speakers or connecting the recorder to an external computer, (g) operation of the recorder from a rechargeable internal battery pack or through an external A/C transformer, and (h) a housing which easily clips onto a standard music stand.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2001
    Publication date: August 15, 2002
    Inventor: James M. Cole
  • Patent number: 5003883
    Abstract: A tandem warhead missile arrangement that has a composite material housing structure with a first warhead mounted at one end and a second warhead mounted near another end of the composite structure with a dome shaped composite material blast shield mounted between the warheads to protect the second warhead from the blast of the first warhead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 23, 1990
    Date of Patent: April 2, 1991
    Assignee: The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army
    Inventors: Larry C. Mixon, George W. Snyder, Scott D. Hill, Gregory L. Johnson, J. Frank Wlodarski, Alexis P. von Spakovsky, John D. Emerson, James M. Cole, John P. Tipton