Patents by Inventor Masumi Fujisawa

Masumi Fujisawa 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: 8382577
    Abstract: A gaming machine according to the present invention variably displays a plurality of symbols wherein a speed of the variable display of the plurality of symbols while executing a free game is different from a speed of variable display of the plurality of symbols while executing a basic game. In this manner, it is possible to impart a sense of expectation for free game to a player without separately preparing any effect video image such as a video image showing a process of adding WILD symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 26, 2013
    Assignees: Universal Entertainment Corporation, Aruze Gaming America, Inc.
    Inventors: Tatsuya Teranishi, Masumi Fujisawa, Masahiro Yoshida, Masahiko Konishi, Yuka Hotta
  • Publication number: 20130040719
    Abstract: Game qualification time may be set to allow participation in a common game from a basic game. This game qualification time is awarded in accordance with a bet amount stored in a RAM 243, after receiving a bet which is input by means of a 1-bet button 26 and a maximum bet button 27. A winning probability in a quick catch bonus game that occurs when a game result of the basic game is a predetermined game result is increased in accordance with the length of the game qualification time stored in a game qualification time management table in the RAM 243 (i.e., a basic quick catch bonus payout table is replaced with a special quick catch bonus payout table).
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 8, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Takehisa ITAGAKI, Kensaku YOSHIKAWA, Daisyun OKAMOTO, Hiroki MUNAKATA
  • Publication number: 20130040723
    Abstract: A gaming terminal includes: a terminal image display panel; a lever-type operation device configured to receive an operation of a player; a support mechanism which rotatably supports the operation device at one end portion of the operation device and includes a restriction member configured to restrict inclination of the operation device, the restriction member being positioned so that the operation device abuts the restriction member when the operation device is inclined at a first angle; an inclination detecting mechanism which detects an angle of inclination of the operation device; and a controller which causes the terminal image display panel to output a predetermined sound and/or to give a visual indication to give a warning to the player when the angle of inclination of the operation device detected by the inclination detecting mechanism is greater than a second angle which is equal to or greater than the first angle.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 10, 2012
    Publication date: February 14, 2013
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Takehisa Itagaki, Kensaku Yoshikawa, Daisyun Okamoto, Hiroki Munakata, Gou Miyamoto
  • Publication number: 20120322538
    Abstract: In a gaming machine of the present invention, when a base game run in a main control process shifts to a pickup bonus game, a player is able to select any of a plurality of lotus images 210 displayed in a selection screen 209 on a lower image display panel 141. In the pickup bonus game, a plurality of lotus images 210 and a plurality of objects (white orb 231, blue orb 232, red orb 233, green orb 234, END 235, or the like) are randomly associated with one another. After making a selection a plurality of number of times through the control panel 30 or the touch panel 114, a pickup bonus game payout table 192 storing a payout for each type and the number of objects is read out from the RAM 73, and a payout is determined according to the table. The payout thus determined is then awarded.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2011
    Publication date: December 20, 2012
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Kenta Kitamura, Shintarou Okazawa, Kenji Enokido
  • Publication number: 20120252547
    Abstract: A gaming machine, at the time of the result of the base game associated with the payout, determines whether at least a competing game condition associated with the payout is satisfied or not. In the case where it is determined that the competing game condition is satisfied, the gaming machine sets the neighboring gaming terminals as opponents. When the opponent participates in the competing game for winning a payout by competing against the opponent, the gaming machine repeatedly runs an auxiliary unit game as a trigger of running a competing game. In the auxiliary unit game, pieces move on a plurality of chained frames scroll-displayed on the common display. In the case where the frame on which the piece is stopped corresponds to the trigger of the competing game, the competing game is run.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Masumi FUJISAWA, Hiroki NAKAMURA
  • Publication number: 20120252561
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine including gaming terminals having high payout rate without increasing loss on the management side. When a result of a base game associated with a payout is obtained, the gaming machine determines whether at least a competing game condition associated with the payout is satisfied or not and, when it is determined that the competing game condition is satisfied, sets neighboring gaming terminals as opponents. When the opponent participates in a competing game, a competing game for winning a payout by competing against the opponent is run. According to a result of the competing game, at least a part of the payout is given to the winner of the competing game, and no payout is given to the loser of the competing game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 21, 2012
    Publication date: October 4, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta KITAMURA, Masumi Fujisawa, Hiroki Nakamura
  • Publication number: 20120184369
    Abstract: A gaming machine is provided which is capable of providing a rendering in such a manner that a story gradually extends together with a bonus game in a case where rendering processing is executed in parallel with the bonus game. The routine transfers to a free game, as triggered by establishment of a condition for rearranging a specific symbol in a base game. Next, the routine transfers to a bonus game, as triggered by establishment of a first transfer condition in the free game. Then, the routine transfers to another free game, as triggered by establishment of a second transfer condition in the bonus game. In this manner, an extended game loop in which the free game and the bonus game enter extended games is formed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 17, 2012
    Publication date: July 19, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Takehisa ITAGAKI, Hiroki Munakata, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20120115611
    Abstract: A plurality of gaming terminals provided in a parallel manner, a plurality of upper displays which are provided in a parallel manner independently from the gaming terminals and form a single common effect display screen, a plurality of display controllers controlling image display on the respective upper displays, and a center controller controlling the display controllers are provided. The center controller controls the display controllers so that the upper displays perform image display as one common effect display screen.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki Munakata, Kenta Sugano, Daisyun Okamoto, Masumi Fujisawa, Takehisa Itagaki
  • Publication number: 20120115566
    Abstract: The controller of the gaming machine executing processing operations of: (a) determining a magnification of a respective one of plural kinds of colors which are produced in a color displayable manner by means of the multiple color light emitting backlight and then displaying on the display; (b) determining a light emitting color by means of the multiple color light emitting backlight and then controlling light emission in the determined color; and (c) executing a payout of a number which is obtained by multiplying the magnification that corresponds to the color determined in the processing (b), from among the magnifications of the respective colors, the magnifications being determined in the processing (a), for a payment that corresponds to the pattern of the specific symbols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 25, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Kenta KITAMURA, Takehisa ITAGAKI, Masafumi UCHIDA, Makoto MIYAWAKI
  • Publication number: 20120115569
    Abstract: A gaming machine capable of prompting a player to pay his or her attention to a unit game that is attractive to the player, by performing a rendering caused by WILD symbol display or symbol movement mode. Symbols that are associated with a first scroll line are moved in a first direction, and symbols that are associated with a second scroll line are moved in a direction that is different from the first direction. After a predetermined period of time has elapsed, a WILD symbol that is included in the symbols that are associated with the second scroll line is displayed in a stopped state, and as triggered by the fact that the WILD symbol has been displayed in the stopped state, the symbols that are associated with the first scroll line are displayed so that a movement speed is gradually slowed down.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Kenta KITAMURA, Takehisa ITAGAKI
  • Publication number: 20120115614
    Abstract: A plurality of gaming terminals each having a terminal display on which a plurality of symbols are lined up, a plurality of upper displays forming a single common effect image display screen constituted by gaming terminal areas corresponding to the respective gaming terminals, and a center controller are included. The center controller determines whether a common game is being run when an independent special game is started, and produces an effect in the gaming terminal area corresponding to the gaming terminal, only when the common game is not being run.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki MUNAKATA, Kenta SUGANO, Daisyun OKAMOTO, Masumi FUJISAWA, Takehisa ITAGAKI
  • Publication number: 20120115572
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of causing a player to be realistically informed of a payout rate and that is capable of having a variety of entertaining options by making a variety of games playable. In the gaming machine, a prize according to a rendering time after the routine has migrated to a bonus game is awarded to a player, whereby the player can realize that the amount of the prize increases as the rendering time elapses. In this manner, the player can keep track of whether the amount of prize is large or small by means of an easily recognizable element that is referred to as the rendering time.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20120115575
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of realistically informing a player of a possibility that a payout rate becomes high, by means of an effective rendering. The gaming machine is capable of increasing a probability of migration to a bonus game and then increasing an opportunity of increasing a prize to a player by performing re-scroll while leaving a bonus symbol. In addition, the gaming machine is capable of increasing a probability of migration to a bonus game by means of an effective rendering called re-scroll to be thereby able to realistically inform a player of a possibility that a payout rate becomes high.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20120115573
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of realistically informing a player of a payout rate, and that is capable of having a variety of entertainment properties by means of a variety of games. The gaming machine is adapted to display a specific symbol that can be employed in place of another symbol, so as to be substituted for any of symbols to be scrolled, by means of random determination, in a bonus game, to thereby able to cause a possibility that a prize to be awarded to a player increases every time a specific symbol is entered and then visually display a state that is indicative of such possible increase.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20120115612
    Abstract: A plurality of gaming terminals each having a terminal display on which a plurality of symbols are provided, a plurality of upper displays forming a single common effect display screen which is constituted by gaming terminal areas corresponding to the respective gaming terminals, and a center controller are provided. When the common game starts, the center controller displays a common game start effect image on a common effect display screen and transmits a common game start effect image display command to the gaming terminals so that the common game start effect image divided for respective gaming terminal areas is displayed on the terminal display of each of the gaming terminals corresponding to the gaming terminal areas.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Hiroki MUNAKATA, Kenta SUGANO, Daisyun OKAMOTO, Masumi FUJISAWA, Takehisa ITAGAKI
  • Publication number: 20120115607
    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: Application
    Filed: November 10, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Masumi Fujisawa, Kenta Kitamura, Hiroki Munakata
  • Publication number: 20120115568
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of prompting a player to concentrate his or her consciousness to a unit game that attracts the player's interest by performing rendering when a li-zhi has been established, the gaming machine beings capable of visually recognizing by the player an outcome of symbols without keeping off his or her eye from moving symbols. The gaming machine is configured to display symbols associated with at least one scroll line in a second mode that is different from a first mode from among scroll lines corresponding to the moving symbols as triggered by the fact that a li-zhi has been established by means of symbols displayed in a stopped state.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 17, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: ARUZE GAMING AMERICA, INC., UNIVERSAL ENTERTAINMENT CORPORATION
    Inventors: Masumi FUJISAWA, Kenta KITAMURA, Takehisa ITAGAKI
  • Publication number: 20120115571
    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: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20120115574
    Abstract: The present invention provides a gaming machine that is capable of realistically informing a player of a payout rate, via an effective rendering of such a type in which the player is permitted to participate. In this gaming machine, when the routine migrates to a bonus game, a player makes an input operation via a first display panel to thereby advance a game in a second display panel that is provided upward of the first display panel. In this manner, as the bonus game, a game of such a kind in which the player is permitted to participate can be executed at a position that is easily seen from an upward periphery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 4, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation
    Inventors: Kenta Kitamura, Masumi Fujisawa
  • Publication number: 20120115613
    Abstract: When a common game condition is established, at least one of the following games is run: a first common game in which a participating gaming terminal is able to win a bonus type more than once and a payout based on a unit payout amount corresponding to the bonus type that the gaming terminal wins is awarded to the gaming terminal; a second common game in which a participating gaming terminal is able to win a bonus type more than once and a payout based on the number of winnings is awarded to the gaming terminal; and a third common game in which one of the participating gaming terminals is able to win one of the predetermined bonus types and a payout is awarded to the gaming terminal which wins said one of the bonus types.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 8, 2011
    Publication date: May 10, 2012
    Applicants: Aruze Gaming America, Inc., Universal Entertainment Corporation, Ariake Frontier Building
    Inventors: Hiroki MUNAKATA, Kenta SUGANO, Daisyun OKAMOTO, Masumi FUJISAWA, Takehisa ITAGAKI