Patents by Inventor Kenji ENOKIDO

Kenji ENOKIDO 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: 20160292957
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine that achieves a uniform pay rate for the player with any number of activated paylines even though the gaming machine shows a symbol over a plurality of reel strips. The gaming machine selects a kind of element symbols from a plurality of kinds of element symbols based on the number of paylines activated with an input device, reconfigures symbol arrays to be displayed by replacing to-be replaced symbols included in the symbol arrays with the selected kind of element symbols, starts scrolling the to-be displayed symbol arrays while showing the selected kind of element symbols in the second display manner.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 30, 2016
    Publication date: October 6, 2016
    Inventors: Yukinori INAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI, Takaki NARITA
  • Publication number: 20160253876
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine that develops games from base games to various types of games and further allows easy pre-estimation of the benefit to be provided to the players. The gaming machine changes games from the first type in the first mode to the second type in the normal mode when a first trigger is completed in a game of the first type in the first mode, changes games from the first type in the first mode to the first type in the second mode when a second trigger is completed in a game of the first type in the first mode, and changes games from the first type in the second mode to the second type in the special mode when a third trigger is completed in a game of the first type in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Hiroki SAITO, Ai GENDA
  • Publication number: 20160253875
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine that develops games from base games to various types of games and further allows easy pre-estimation of the benefit to be provided to the players. The gaming machine changes games from the first type in the first mode to the second type in the normal mode when a first trigger is completed in a game of the first type in the first mode, changes games from the first type in the first mode to the first type in the second mode when a second trigger is completed in a game of the first type in the first mode, and changes games from the first type in the second mode to the second type in the special mode when a third trigger is completed in a game of the first type in the second mode.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 23, 2016
    Publication date: September 1, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji Enokido, Hiroki Saito, Ai Genda
  • Patent number: 9424709
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes: a lamp body provided with LEDs so that the lighting state thereof is viewable from the outside; a sensor configured to detect a player's gesture with respect to the lamp body 132; and a controller used to start a game, the controller starting the detection of the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game, and causing the LEDs to emit light in a light emission mode in sync with the detected player's gesture while the player's gesture is being detected.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 23, 2016
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Kenji Enokido, Kou Kobayashi
  • Patent number: 9324212
    Abstract: A gaming machine 1: variably displays a plurality of symbols on a lower image display panel 141 in response to an external input; randomly determining symbols 501 to be rearranged on the lower image display panel 141; determining one of game results based on the symbols 501 randomly determined; execute a common indication effect common to all the game results; and after common indication effect is executed, executes an individual indication effect according to the game result determined while the symbols are variably displayed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 18, 2014
    Date of Patent: April 26, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Kenji Enokido
  • Publication number: 20160093138
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes: a terminal controller configured to execute a bonus game on a common screen in accordance with a result of random determination made in a base game on a corresponding gaming terminal; a memory configured to accumulatively store a part of a bet amount bet in the base game as a capital source of a progressive payout; a center controller configured to execute a link game on the common screen; and a timer configured to output time information based on which the center controller makes, at predetermined time intervals, random determination about whether to execute the link game. When execution of the bonus game is triggered in accordance with the result of the random determination in the base game, the terminal controller executes a process of awarding a special payout from the capital source of the progressive payout, on condition that the link game is being executed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroki MUNAKATA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Hiroki SAITO, Kensaku YOSHIKAWA, Yukinori INAMURA
  • Publication number: 20160093144
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine that is capable of increasing the kind of winning patterns and the kind of payouts by substantially increasing the kind of symbols even though the gaming machine is equipped with real reels. The gaming machine increases the kind of symbols by (A-1-1) of determining a color selection tendency by lottery with reference to a color selection tendency determination table; (A-1-2) of determining one color determination table from a plurality of color determination tables in accordance with the color selection tendency determined in the (A-1-1); and (A-1-3) of determining a color for decorating a symbol or a background of the symbol by lottery with reference to the one color determination table determined in the (A-1-2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Tatsuya TERANISHI, Takaki NARITA
  • Publication number: 20160086429
    Abstract: There are provided highly entertaining games. A gaming machine includes: a lower image display panel configured to variably display a plurality of symbol arrays with a plurality of symbols including normal symbols and special symbols each of which regarded as any one of the normal symbols, and then display a game result by rearranging the symbols in a symbol display region containing a matrix of display blocks, and a game controller configured to run the game, and award, to a player, a payout according to the game result. Before the variable displaying is started, the game controller determines a plurality of symbols to be rearranged on the lower image display panel, and when the special symbol included in the symbols determined satisfy a predetermined condition, executes a process of determining whether to perform the predetermined indication effect.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 16, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Yukinori INAMURA, Kenji Enokido, Hiromoto Yamauchi, Hiroshi Takahashi
  • Patent number: 9286749
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes; a cabinet; an upper image display panel which is provided on the cabinet and is a display displaying an effect image regarding a game; a lamp body which is three-dimensionally formed and is a formed object provided on the cabinet to protrude toward the front surface as compared to at least the lower end of the upper image display panel; a sensor configured to detect the player' gesture with respect to the lamp body; a controller used to start the game, and the controller detects the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game and displays an effect image corresponding to the detected player's gesture on the upper image display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenji Enokido, Kou Kobayashi, Hiroki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20160071374
    Abstract: A gaming machine, which is configured to award, as a prize, one of plural types of progressive payouts which are different from one another in payout amount and are formed by accumulating a part of a bet amount each time a unit game is executed, includes a display device and a controller. The controller executes the processes of: (A) executing a normal game in which the symbols are rearranged on the display device and a prize is awarded in accordance with a combination of the rearranged symbols; (B) randomly selecting one of the plural types of progressive payouts; and (C) after the number of the specific symbol stored in association with the progressive payout selected in the process (B) is displayed stepwise on the display device, executing the selected progressive payout.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 10, 2015
    Publication date: March 10, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Tetsuya TERANISHI, Takaki NARITA
  • Publication number: 20160001178
    Abstract: To enable reliable synchronization of advertisement among gaming terminals, a gaming machine 300 comprises a plurality of slot machines 1, wherein: the plurality of slot machines 1 each comprises: an image display region 614b configured to present an advertisement when presentation condition is established; a speaker unit 617; a lamp unit 618; a XTALSI 34c configured to keep clock time; and a game controller 100, the game controller 100 being configured to perform synchronizing setting of the clock time kept by the XTALSI 34c, based on a synchronous signal transmitted from outside to the plurality of slot machines 1, sets the presentation start timing of an advertisement at a predetermined intervals, when a period between the clock time at which the conditions for presenting the advertisement have been established and a next presentation start timing exceeds a predetermined period, start presenting the advertisement at the next presentation start timing.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 2, 2015
    Publication date: January 7, 2016
    Inventors: Hiroki Munakata, Hiroaki Kashima, Yuuki Terada, Kenji Enokido
  • Patent number: 9208653
    Abstract: In a gaming machine, a display displays at least part of a map including a plurality of cell forming courses on which a character moves in a game. The controller executes each round of the game, moves the character to a destination cell in each round, determines whether an event set to the destination cell belongs to predetermined events, selects any one determination table from among a plurality of determination tables based on a position of the destination cell when the event belongs to the predetermined events, performs the event set to the destination cell, determines a result of the performed event based on the selected determination table, and awards a profit corresponding to the result of the performed event to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 13, 2013
    Date of Patent: December 8, 2015
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Hiroki Munakata, Kenji Enokido, Takehisa Itagaki, Masaya Honda, Daisyun Okamoto
  • Publication number: 20150339883
    Abstract: There is provided a gaming machine and a game control method with a wider variation in the games run in the gaming machine to make the games more attractive by increasing the number of types of the random determination process for symbols to be displayed. The main CPU executes a symbol random determination for determining symbols to be displayed on the reel device M1, based on the symbol random determination table; displays the symbols determined on the reel device M1; awards a first payout based on the symbols 501 displayed on the reel device M1; executes a continued random determination different from the symbol random determination, which determines whether to display a predetermined symbol on the reel device M1; performs displaying of the predetermined symbol on the display device, based on the result; and awards a second payout based on the predetermined symbols 501 displayed on the reel device.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 19, 2015
    Publication date: November 26, 2015
    Inventors: Hiroki MUNAKATA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Tatsuya TERANISHI, Ryosuke TAKAHASHI
  • Patent number: 9153103
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes: a symbol display device configured to display a result of a game by rearranging symbols in cells forming a matrix; and a controller used to start a base game requiring betting, a free game not requiring betting, and a plurality of types of bonus games. The controller is programmed to execute the steps of: executing a base game of randomly determining symbols to be rearranged in the symbol display device; determining whether a specific symbol is to be rearranged in a predetermined region of the symbol display device, the predetermined region including at least one cell; executing a free game of randomly determining symbols to be rearranged in the symbol display device; determining whether the specific symbol is to be rearranged in the predetermined region; and executing any one of the types of the bonus games.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: October 6, 2015
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Kenji Enokido, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Patent number: 9111423
    Abstract: A gaming machine executes a process of randomly determining symbols to be rearranged on a reel unit. The gaming machine executes a process of determining a combination formed by the symbols. The gaming machine executes a process of selecting from a plurality of choices an indication effect which is executed before the rearrangement of the symbols on the reel unit, based on the determined combination. The gaming machine executes a process of executing the selected indication effect by a notification device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 22, 2013
    Date of Patent: August 18, 2015
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Tatsuya Teranishi, Akira Osawa, Kenji Enokido
  • Patent number: 9033800
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes: a cabinet; an upper image display panel which is provided on the cabinet and displays an effect image concerning a game; a lamp body unit which includes a lamp body which is a formed object and a sensor configured to detect the player's gesture with respect to the lamp body and is provided at a position different from the upper image display panel when viewed from the front surface of the cabinet; and a controller used to start the game, and the controller detects the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game and displays an effect image corresponding to the detected player's gesture on the upper image display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Kenji Enokido, Keita Shimura, Kou Kobayashi, Hiroki Nakamura
  • Patent number: 9033801
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes a cabinet; a lamp body provided on a front surface of the cabinet; a sensor configured to detect a player's gesture with respect to the lamp body; an image display panel configured to execute an effect in sync with the gesture; and a controller used to start a game, the controller starting the detection of the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game, and while the player's gesture is being detected, executing the effect by the upper image display panel in sync with the detected player's gesture.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 18, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2015
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Kenji Enokido, Hiroki Nakamura, Hidekazu Suzuki, Hiromoto Yamauchi
  • Publication number: 20150133220
    Abstract: A gaming machine with more gaming excitement is provided. The gaming machine includes; a cabinet; an upper image display panel which is provided on the cabinet and is a display displaying an effect image regarding a game; a lamp body which is three-dimensionally formed and is a formed object provided on the cabinet to protrude toward the front surface as compared to at least the lower end of the upper image display panel; a sensor configured to detect the player' gesture with respect to the lamp body; a controller used to start the game, and the controller detects the player's gesture by the sensor at a timing corresponding to the state of the game and displays an effect image corresponding to the detected player's gesture on the upper image display panel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 20, 2015
    Publication date: May 14, 2015
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Kenji Enokido, Kou Kobayashi, Hiroki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20150087391
    Abstract: A gaming machine capable of realizing game patterns differing from one another in a bonus game is provided. A main CPU 222 selects by conducting a lottery one symbol determination table from a symbol determination table group having a plurality of symbol determination tables (the first to tenth symbol determination tables in a first embodiment, etc.) associated with a plurality of paylines and randomly determines symbols to be rearranged based on the selected one symbol determination table, the plurality of symbol determination tables having probabilities, with each of which a predetermined symbol combination is established on each of said plurality of paylines, is set to be higher than a predetermined probability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Taro KOBAYASHI, Susumu MIO, Kazunori OTSUKA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Tatsuya TERANISHI, Takaki NARITA
  • Publication number: 20150087390
    Abstract: A gaming machine capable of realizing game patterns differing from one another in a bonus game is provided. A main CPU 222 determines symbols to be rearranged by conducting a lottery based on a first symbol determination table in which in free games, probabilities, with each of which predetermined symbols (BONUS symbols) are rearranged on a particular condition (a condition that three or more BONUS symbols are rearranged in a display window 56), are set so as to exceed a predetermined probability and in the next free games subsequent to the game in which the predetermined symbols have been rearranged on the particular condition, determines symbols to be rearranged by conducting a lottery based on a second symbol determination table in which probabilities, with each of which the predetermined symbols are rearranged on the particular condition, are set so as to less than the predetermined probability.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2014
    Publication date: March 26, 2015
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Kenji ENOKIDO, Tatsuya TERANISHI, Takaki NARITA