Patents by Inventor Joseph G. Hart

Joseph G. Hart 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).

  • Dynamic threshold for pool-based bonus promotions in electronic gaming systems
    Patent number: 6358149
    Abstract: A method and apparatus for awarding bonuses over a gaming network having a plurality of gaming machines, such as slot machines, interconnected by a network. Play is allowed to occur on a plurality of gaming machines as the bonus pool, common to the gaming machines over the network is incremented responsive to play on the plurality of gaming machines. The total number of eligible gaming machines is detected responsive to play on each of the plurality of gaming machines. A first threshold value is set in consideration of the total number of eligible gaming machines detected. A bonus period would be initiated when the bonus pool satisfies the first threshold value. Accordingly, the threshold necessary to start the bonus period would be low if few players are detected, and high if many players are detected. Bonus amounts are paid from the bonus pool to the eligible gaming machines after which time the bonus period would end.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 4, 1999
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2002
    Assignee: Acres Gaming Incorporated
    Inventors: Richard J. Schneider, Joseph G. Hart, Joseph W. Canon, Robert P. Bartholomew, Michael B. Shelby, Lawrence R. Pitman