Patents by Inventor Kenneth Shawn Soong

Kenneth Shawn Soong 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: 11594106
    Abstract: A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine comprises a display device that presents a symbol array. The game-logic circuitry presents a first outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of symbols, locks, in response to the first outcome including at least one value-bearing symbol in a subset of the array, the value-bearing symbol in the subset, initiates a subset counter associated with the subset in response to the first outcome, presents at least one subsequent outcome by populating the array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols, locks any additional value-bearing symbols populating the subset, provides, in response to a number of value-bearing symbols meeting a trigger amount, an award as a function of values indicated by the locked value-bearing symbols, and, in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, removes any locked value-bearing symbols from the subset.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 28, 2023
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: George Bouvier, Richard Milosevich, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Patent number: 11587403
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Date of Patent: February 21, 2023
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Chesworth, George Napoleon Bouvier, Kimberly Cohn, Daniel P. Louie, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Publication number: 20220327894
    Abstract: A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine includes an electronic display device configured to display an array of symbol positions. The game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operations of: spinning and stopping symbol-bearing reels to land one or more first value-bearing symbols borne by the reels in the array; animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land; again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land a second value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in one of the tagged symbol positions; awarding an award based on the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol; and animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 27, 2022
    Publication date: October 13, 2022
    Inventor: Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20220277613
    Abstract: A gaming machine comprising a display device and game-logic circuitry is provided. The display device presents a plurality of symbol positions and a plurality of symbol reels, each symbol reel comprising symbols and associated with at least one symbol position. The game-logic circuitry causes the display device to present a first game outcome by populating each symbol position with a symbol from the symbol reels; causes, in response to a trigger event, the display device to lock at least one symbol reel; causes the display device to present an unlocked symbol reel incrementing through at least a majority of its symbols by populating the associated symbol positions with a respective new symbol for each increment; determines, for each increment, a game outcome based on the symbols currently populating the symbol positions; and causes the display device to present an award animation for any winning game outcomes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 3, 2021
    Publication date: September 1, 2022
    Inventors: Richard MILOSEVICH, George BOUVIER, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20220165132
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 10, 2022
    Publication date: May 26, 2022
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20220028220
    Abstract: A gaming machine comprises game-logic circuitry and a display device that presents a plurality of symbol positions and modifier positions. The game-logic circuitry causes the display device to present (i) a modifier outcome by populating one or more modifier positions with modifier symbols, and (ii) an animation of one or more symbol positions being populated with value-bearing symbols having award indicia in response to the modifier outcome including a first modifier symbol at a first modifier position. The game-logic circuitry increases, for a preexisting value-bearing symbol prior to the modifier outcome, the award value of the preexisting value-bearing symbol, wherein the display device presents an updated award indicia based on the increased award value, removes, in response to a termination condition, any locked value-bearing symbols from the symbol positions, and provides an aggregated award as a function of the award values of the locked value-bearing symbols occupying the symbol positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2021
    Publication date: January 27, 2022
    Inventors: Richard MILOSEVICH, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20210375098
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 17, 2021
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20210366236
    Abstract: A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine includes an electronic display device configured to display an array of symbol positions. The game-logic circuitry is configured to perform the operations of: spinning and stopping symbol-bearing reels to land one or more first value-bearing symbols borne by the reels in the array; animating the array to tag the symbol positions in which the first value-bearing symbols land; again spinning and stopping the symbol-bearing reels to land a second value-bearing symbol borne by the reels in one of the tagged symbol positions; awarding an award based on the value borne by the second value-bearing symbol; and animating the array to untag the one of the tagged symbol positions and any other ones of the tagged symbol positions that are in a cluster with the one of the tagged symbol positions.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventor: Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20210366237
    Abstract: A gaming system comprises a gaming machine and game-logic circuitry. The gaming machine comprises a display device that presents a symbol array. The game-logic circuitry presents a first outcome by populating the symbol array with a plurality of symbols, locks, in response to the first outcome including at least one value-bearing symbol in a subset of the array, the value-bearing symbol in the subset, initiates a subset counter associated with the subset in response to the first outcome, presents at least one subsequent outcome by populating the array with another plurality of randomly selected symbols, locks any additional value-bearing symbols populating the subset, provides, in response to a number of value-bearing symbols meeting a trigger amount, an award as a function of values indicated by the locked value-bearing symbols, and, in response to the subset counter meeting a termination count, removes any locked value-bearing symbols from the subset.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 23, 2021
    Publication date: November 25, 2021
    Inventors: George BOUVIER, Richard MILOSEVICH, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20210327219
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 1, 2021
    Publication date: October 21, 2021
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Patent number: 11094170
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Date of Patent: August 17, 2021
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Chesworth, George Napoleon Bouvier, Kimberly Cohn, Daniel P. Louie, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Patent number: 11017638
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Date of Patent: May 25, 2021
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Chesworth, George Napoleon Bouvier, Kimberly Cohn, Daniel P. Louie, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Patent number: 10957161
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Date of Patent: March 23, 2021
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Chesworth, George Napoleon Bouvier, Kimberly Cohn, Daniel P. Louie, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Publication number: 20200279457
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 20, 2020
    Publication date: September 3, 2020
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20200193778
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 25, 2020
    Publication date: June 18, 2020
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Publication number: 20200160664
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2020
    Publication date: May 21, 2020
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Patent number: 10643431
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Date of Patent: May 5, 2020
    Assignee: SG Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Jack Chesworth, George Napoleon Bouvier, Kimberly Cohn, Daniel P. Louie, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Patent number: 10482705
    Abstract: A gaming system includes one or more input devices, audio output devices, visual display devices, and information processors. At least one visual display device visually depicts a plurality of visual presentations and at least one audio output device renders audio selectively mixed from corresponding audio components of the visual presentations. At least one processor receives and processes information from at least one input device to determine a region of focused attention by the player with respect to the visual display devices. Using the region of focused attention, a corresponding primary visual presentation is determined from the plurality of visual presentations. The corresponding audio components of the plurality of presentations are selectively mixed such that the audio component of the primary visual presentation is dominant on at least one audio output device. The plurality of visual presentations may also be rearranged or altered to visually highlight the primary visual presentation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 19, 2019
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Scott T. Hilbert, Martin Lyons, Anthony J. Baerlocher, Joel Jaffe, Kenneth Shawn Soong
  • Publication number: 20180268659
    Abstract: A gaming system includes at least one input device adapted to receive a physical item associated with a monetary value that establishes a credit balance, an input indicative of a wager drawn on the credit balance for a wagering game, and a cashout input that initiates a payout from the credit balance. In response to a wager input, a wagering game is initiated that includes the spinning and stopping of a set of bonus reels through a plurality of bonus spins populating a bonus array with bonus symbols. The bonus reels comprise a combination of symbols reducing display processing requirements and improve mapping random numbers to displayed symbols for display during bonus spins having reduced durations. When completed, an award is determined based according to values associated with less than all of the bonus symbols displayed in a bonus outcome array.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 2, 2018
    Publication date: September 20, 2018
    Inventors: Jack CHESWORTH, George Napoleon BOUVIER, Kimberly COHN, Daniel P. LOUIE, Kenneth Shawn SOONG
  • Patent number: 9928694
    Abstract: Disclosed are a gaming system, a regulated gaming machine and a method primarily dedicated for use in playing at least one regulated casino wagering game in which the gaming machine randomly determines which of a plurality of mathematical models of the casino wagering game to apply to a given play in order to achieve a selected game yield which may be different from the game yield of any one of the plurality of mathematical models defined for the casino wagering game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 26, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Bally Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Joseph Kisenwether, Kenneth Shawn Soong