Patents by Inventor Kenneth A. Stephens

Kenneth A. Stephens 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: 20180369687
    Abstract: A scratch-off lottery ticket and associated production method are provided wherein a primer material is applied as a dried layer to a front face of a ticket substrate. Game play indicia is printed on the primer layer in a designated game play area, and a scratch-off layer is applied over the game play indicia. The primer layer includes a particulate luminescent material homogeneously dispersed throughout, wherein the particulate luminescent material has a particle size and additive amount relative to the primer layer such that the particulate luminescent material does not add processing or material drying time to application of the primer layer. Fraudulent attempts to remove the scratch-off layer to reveal the underlying play indicia are rendered optically apparent by luminescence of the particulate luminescent material upon subsequent excitation of the play area with an excitation source.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 13, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Applicant: Scientific Games International, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Stephens
  • Patent number: 10105975
    Abstract: A method for producing scratch-off lottery tickets in a high speed printing line is provided, wherein the printing line includes one or more inkjet printing machines that print lottery tickets on a continuously running paper stock. One or more primer layers are applied to a surface of the paper stock in a defined game play area on each lottery ticket. With the inkjet printing machines game play indicia is printed over the primer layers in the game play area on each lottery ticket at a resolution of at least 600 dpi. The running paper stock is conveyed through the inkjet printing machines at a rate of at least 950 ft./min. The ink jet printing machines use a specially formulated dye-based ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: October 23, 2018
    Assignee: Scientific Games International, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Stephens
  • Publication number: 20180079237
    Abstract: A method for producing scratch-off lottery tickets in a high speed printing line is provided, wherein the printing line includes one or more inkjet printing machines that print lottery tickets on a continuously running paper stock. One or more primer layers are applied to a surface of the paper stock in a defined game play area on each lottery ticket. With the inkjet printing machines game play indicia is printed over the primer layers in the game play area on each lottery ticket at a resolution of at least 600 dpi. The running paper stock is conveyed through the inkjet printing machines at a rate of at least 950 ft./min. The ink jet printing machines use a specially formulated dye-based ink.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 31, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Stephens
  • Patent number: 9821577
    Abstract: A method for producing scratch-off lottery tickets in a high speed printing line is provided, wherein the printing line includes one or more inkjet printing machines that print lottery tickets on a continuously running paper stock. One or more primer layers are applied to a surface of the paper stock in a defined game play area on each lottery ticket. With the inkjet printing machines game play indicia is printed over the primer layers in the game play area on each lottery ticket at a resolution of at least 600 dpi. The running paper stock is conveyed through the inkjet printing machines at a rate of at least 950 ft./min. The ink jet printing machines use a specially formulated dye-based ink.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 21, 2017
    Assignee: Scientific Games International, Inc.
    Inventor: Kenneth A. Stephens
  • Patent number: 8282014
    Abstract: Lottery tickets are printed and validated (“branded”) at a point-of-sale terminal by providing a stock paper to the terminal, the stock paper having a first defined inkjet printing section, and a second defined section having a thermally sensitive ink composition applied thereto. At the point-of-sale terminal, the individual lottery tickets are printed on the stock paper, including printing game data and related indicia on the first section with an inkjet printer. For each ticket presented as a winning ticket, a validation mark is formed on the ticket by exposing the second section of the stock paper to a heat source to activate the thermally sensitive ink composition.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Date of Patent: October 9, 2012
    Assignee: Scientific Games International, Inc.
    Inventors: William Behm, Kenneth A. Stephens
  • Patent number: 7883092
    Abstract: An energy cured coating is described that may be used in numerous applications. In one embodiment, for instance, the coating can be used as a seal coat layer in a gaming card. In particular, the coating can be used to protect a hidden printed layer that is covered by a scratch-off material. In accordance with the present disclosure, the cured coating contains at least one monomer or oligomer in combination with a reactive plasticizer. The plasticizer may comprise one or more benzoates.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Date of Patent: February 8, 2011
    Assignee: Scientific Games International, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Stephens, Andrew W. Killian
  • Publication number: 20090166968
    Abstract: An energy cured coating is described that may be used in numerous applications. In one embodiment, for instance, the coating can be used as a seal coat layer in a gaming card. In particular, the coating can be used to protect a hidden printed layer that is covered by a scratch-off material. In accordance with the present disclosure, the cured coating contains at least one monomer or oligomer in combination with a reactive plasticizer. The plasticizer may comprise one or more benzoates.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 31, 2007
    Publication date: July 2, 2009
    Applicant: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: Kenneth A. Stephens, Andrew W. Killian
  • Publication number: 20090084843
    Abstract: Lottery tickets are printed and validated (“branded”) at a point-of-sale terminal by providing a stock paper to the terminal, the stock paper having a first defined inkjet printing section, and a second defined section having a thermally sensitive ink composition applied thereto. At the point-of-sale terminal, the individual lottery tickets are printed on the stock paper, including printing game data and related indicia on the first section with an inkjet printer. For each ticket presented as a winning ticket, a validation mark is formed on the ticket by exposing the second section of the stock paper to a heat source to activate the thermally sensitive ink composition.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2008
    Publication date: April 2, 2009
    Applicant: SCIENTIFIC GAMES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
    Inventors: William Behm, Kenneth A. Stephens