Patents by Inventor Kenta Kitamura

Kenta Kitamura 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: 9330526
    Abstract: A gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display panel configured to display images of a game, the display panel including a screen facing downward; a partial mirror disposed under the display panel and inclined with respect to the screen to partially reflect the images from the display panel into a forward direction; a background member disposed rear to the partial mirror such that an image of the background member passes through the partial mirror into the forward direction to overlap the images from the display panel; and a controller configured to execute the game and to control the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 3, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Jun Hirato, Takashi Izawa, Keita Shimura
  • 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: 20160093173
    Abstract: In a process (1-1), a plurality of choices, in each of which the content of fighting between the first moving body object and the second moving body object is assigned, are displayed on the display so as not to allow a player to recognize the content of the fighting; in a process (1-2), when one choice among the plurality of choices is selected by a player, the content of the fighting assigned in the one choice is displayed so as to allow a player to recognize the content of the fighting; and in a process (1-3), based on the content of the fighting assigned in the one choice, a view in which the first moving body object and the second moving body object fight is displayed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Akira OSAWA, Kenta KITAMURA, Hidekazu SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20160093146
    Abstract: Provided is a gaming machine capable of changing a symbol when a predetermined condition is satisfied even though the gaming machine is a type of gaming machine that mechanically drives real reels. The gaming machine drives the reels to show a second symbol and drives the reels to show consecutive first symbols when the second symbol is shown.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 24, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Susumu MIO, Ryosuke TAKAHASHI
  • 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: 20160093163
    Abstract: In a process (1-1), when a predetermined operation is performed via the input device to each of the plurality of moving body objects displayed on the display, a predetermined payout is added, and when the predetermined operation is not performed, the payout is not added, and in a process (1-2), when the last moving body object among the plurality of moving body objects is displayed on the display, in a case where the payout added in the process (1-1) is smaller than a predetermined credit, a shortage is settled.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Akira OSAWA, Kenta KITAMURA, Hidekazu SUZUKI
  • Publication number: 20160093145
    Abstract: To provide a gaming machine that can achieve higher entertainment properties. When the game transfers from the normal game to the free game, a roulette type selection process is carried out for determining a reference payout value that serves as a basis for the payout awarded when FEATURE symbols are arranged in a display window. In this roulette type selection process, it is determined that any of the fixed payout regions associated with the predetermined payout value or the non-fixed payout regions are stopped. When the fixed payout region is determined to be stopped, the payout value associated with the fixed payout region is awarded. When the non-fixed payout region is determined to be stopped, the mystery payout drawing process in which the awarded payout value is determined at random is additionally performed, and thus the payout value determined through the payout drawing is awarded. Then, the payout value awarded as described above is set as the reference payout value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Susumu MIO, Kouhei HASHIMOTO
  • Publication number: 20160093172
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes: a display device; a storage device configured to store payout data indicative of relation between symbols and payouts; a controller configured to modify a setting of the group of reel strips, at a time of the second game so that the symbol arrays used in the second game leads to a higher expectation value for a payout determined based on a single set of the payout data, as compared with the symbol arrays used in the base game; and an input device for entering a selection of selectable targets displayed on the display device, the selectable targets including a selectable target corresponding to success and a selectable target corresponding to fail. When a payout is determined in the second game and the selectable target corresponding to success is selected through the input device, the controller executes a process of upgrading the payout through a predetermined calculation.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2015
    Publication date: March 31, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI, Susumu MIO
  • Publication number: 20160086430
    Abstract: Gaming machines execute processes of: determining the symbols to be rearranged by symbol random determination in which random determination probabilities of the symbols are different between the gaming machines; based on the symbols rearranged by the symbol random determination, awarding the special payout; and awarding the special payout by second random determination in which random determination is executed at a predetermined probability, which is different from the symbol random determination.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 22, 2015
    Publication date: March 24, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Susumu MIO, Yuji MIYAGAWA
  • Patent number: 9286748
    Abstract: A gaming machine that is capable of imparting diversified variations to the play of a bonus game is provided. A main CPU displays a selection screen in a case where a feature game trigger is established, and causes a player to select one of a free game and a roulette game. In a case where the free game is selected, a total of values of BONUS symbols that correspond to the feature game trigger is determined as the number of free games. On the other hand, in a case where the roulette game is selected, a game is completed by carrying out roulette game processing once, and the amount of payouts is determined based on the number of free games. The free game and the roulette game are respectively set so that expectation values of the number of payouts are equal to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 15, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Susumu Mio
  • 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
  • Patent number: 9279920
    Abstract: Provided is a reel unit for a gaming machine which suppresses decrease in visibility of a reel belt due to the formation of image of light source on a reel even if light emission intensity for illuminating the reel is high. It is provided a first light diffusion sheet with translucency having a light refraction surface including a surface formed thereon for refracting light passing therethrough in various directions, the first light diffusion sheet stacked on a base sheet; and a second light diffusion sheet having the light refraction surface, the second light diffusion sheet stacked on the first light diffusion sheet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 22, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 8, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Motomichi Sato, Tatsuya Teranishi, Kenta Kitamura, Jun Hirato, Takuto Nakayama
  • Publication number: 20160055704
    Abstract: The gaming machine includes a display device for displaying a game result by rearranging a plurality of symbols and a memory holding a color determination table for determining colors for symbol areas and a winning pattern identification table for identifying a winning pattern based on the colors of the symbol areas, and performs the processing of (1-1) determining colors for symbol areas of a specific kind of symbols in the plurality of symbols by lottery processing with reference to the color determination table held in the memory; (1-2) setting the colors determined in the processing of (1-1) for the symbol areas of the specific kind of symbols; and (1-3) identifying a winning pattern with reference to the winning pattern identification table based on the specific kind of symbols in the colors set in the processing of (1-2).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 19, 2015
    Publication date: February 25, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Hiroki SAITO, Kazunori OTSUKA
  • Publication number: 20160042610
    Abstract: There are provided highly entertaining games. A gaming machine 300 includes reels 151 to 155 each of which is configured to allow a predetermined type of symbols 502 to be stacked thereon. In a free game, a payout for establishment of a prize is multiplied by a multiplying factor depending on the number of rearranged wild symbols 503b.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 6, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Yuuki TERADA, Takeshi NARITA, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI
  • Publication number: 20160042592
    Abstract: A slot machine 1 executes the following processes of: (D1) receiving an input of betting of a game medium, (D2) reading, from a RAM 73, coin reels corresponding to the number of game media having been received in the process (D1) and setting the coin reels to be rearrangeable on the lower image display panel 141, (D3) as a game, randomly determining symbols and a coin 161 which are to be rearranged on the lower image display panel 141, (D4) executing an effect of scrolling the video reels 3 and the coin reels and visually changing the coin 161 during the scroll, and (D5) rearranging the symbols and the coin 161 determined in the process (D3) on the lower image display panel 141 and awarding a benefit or a special bonus based on a combination of the rearranged symbols and coin 161.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Takeshi Narita, Bungo Matsumura, Shinichi Kawashima
  • Publication number: 20160042609
    Abstract: A gaming machine in which an overall payout rate can be adjusted to be consistent even if a fixed jackpot value which is awarded when a predetermined condition is established is changed is provided. In a slot machine 1, a fixed jackpot value—feature random determination probability setting table is used. This table includes fixed jackpot values and feature random determination probabilities each of which defines a probability of shifting from a normal game to a feature game The feature random determination probabilities are associated with the respective fixed jackpot values so that the feature random determination probability decreases as the associated fixed jackpot value increases.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 7, 2015
    Publication date: February 11, 2016
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Shinichi KAWASHIMA, Hiromoto YAMAUCHI, Bungo MATSUMURA
  • Patent number: 9257002
    Abstract: A plurality of gaming terminals 10, a terminal image display panel 16 and an upper display 700 which display effect images in accordance with the gaming state of a game on the gaming terminals 10 and display at least one of the effect images in three dimensions, a terminal controller 630, which switches at least one of the effect images on the terminal image display panel 16 and the upper display 700 from two dimensional display to three dimensional display when the gaming state satisfies a predetermined condition, and a center controller 200.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Hiroki Munakata
  • Patent number: 9257011
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of realizing an attractive payout rate for a player. The gaming machine is adapted to suggest that a state advantageous to a player be established, by shielding a symbol that is scrolled and then displaying a shade of a specific character. In this manner, the player can play a game with a sense of expectation. After the shading has been released, a specific symbol is displayed, thereby establishing the state advantageous to the player. Therefore, the player can realize that the routine migrates to the state advantageous to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Patent number: 9230396
    Abstract: A gaming machine according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a display panel configured to display images of a game, the display panel including a screen facing downward; a partial mirror disposed under the display panel and inclined with respect to the screen to partially reflect the images from the display panel into a forward direction; and a controller configured to execute the game and to control the display panel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 17, 2013
    Date of Patent: January 5, 2016
    Assignees: UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION, ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC.
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Jun Hirato, Takashi Izawa, Keita Shimura
  • Patent number: 9218708
    Abstract: On a lower image display panel 141, a game result of rearranged of symbols 501 is randomly determined. When the result is winning of a bonus game, individual indication data and common indication data associated with the type of the bonus game are specified. After an indication effect starts based on the common indication data, an indication effect is executed based on the individual indication data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 3, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 22, 2015
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Susumu Mio, Makoto Miyawaki