Patents by Inventor Michael R. Bytnar

Michael R. Bytnar 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: 8496523
    Abstract: Techniques for handling wager residuals are described herein. Embodiments include a method that detects a residual from one or more wagers remaining in a first memory location for an electronic wagering game machine. The residual of the one or more wagers are transferred from the first memory location to a second memory location. Information about the residual is stored. The residual from the first memory location is cleared.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 30, 2013
    Assignee: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Jeremy M. Hornik, Marija Kuzmanovic, Craig J. Sylla
  • Patent number: 8475264
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide for the selective backup and rollback of software, firmware and data components of a wagering game machine.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 2, 2013
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Ranjan Dasgupta, Craig J. Sylla
  • Publication number: 20120295693
    Abstract: Apparatus, systems, and methods may operate to determine at least one signature associated with a static image stored in a storage medium housed within a wagering game machine operable to present a wagering game. Additional activity may include repetitively generating a signature image comprising a sorted list of signatures, some of the signatures in the sorted list being hardware signatures associated with a corresponding plurality of hardware components physically attached to the wagering game machine. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods are disclosed.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 16, 2012
    Publication date: November 22, 2012
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Ranjan Dasgupta, Craig J. Sylla
  • Patent number: 8303403
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for managing multi-game contexts. An apparatus comprises a wagering game unit operable to present a wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered; and a game context management unit operable to determine a list of installed wagering games on a wagering game machine and to determine one or more relevant rules, wherein a relevant rule is a one that is related to at least one of the installed wagering games, the game context management unit further operable to process each relevant rule to calculate a group of available games; and to present the available games on a primary display.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Peter R. Anderson, Michael R. Bytnar, Kevin Kahley
  • Patent number: 8303418
    Abstract: An illustrative method controls changes to be made in electronic gaming machines (EGMs) that permit wagering on games. A schedule of conditions to be implemented by one or more EGMs is stored in memory. The schedule includes records containing the identity of an EGM, conditions to be implemented by the identified EGM, dates on which the conditions are to be implemented, and start and end times during which the implementation is to occur. Each record stores a priority parameter. It is determined that at least two records are to be implemented on the same date such that a time overlap in servicing the implementation of first and second conditions associated with the first and second records would result. A time sequence of execution of the first and second records is determined based on the respective priority parameters of each of the first and second records.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 6, 2012
    Assignee: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Mary M. Burke, Michael R. Bytnar
  • Publication number: 20120220363
    Abstract: A gaming terminal for playing a wagering game includes an input device configured to receive a wager to play the wagering game, a support cabinet, a rocker base connected to the support cabinet, and a primary display device coupled to the rocker base. The primary display device includes an electronic graphical display screen operable to display the wagering game. The primary display device and the rocker base are configured to be movable to a plurality of different display positions relative to the support cabinet. The plurality of different display positions are along a common arc defined by the rocker base.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 24, 2012
    Publication date: August 30, 2012
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Frank E. Rodriguez
  • Publication number: 20110183763
    Abstract: This description describes wagering game systems that process metadata. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a wagering game presentation unit configured to present wagering games and create extended metadata and wager gaming content. The apparatus can also include operating system modules configured to store the wager gaming content as a file in a file system and to store the extended metadata at locations associated with the file.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 5, 2007
    Publication date: July 28, 2011
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Craig J. Sylla
  • Publication number: 20110130197
    Abstract: A mesh communications wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include tracking any number of wireless mesh network devices in relation to a wagering boundary so that the system can manage wagering games. In some embodiments, the operation can include incentivizing players to encourage other players to participate in a mesh network, thus increasing the efficiency of the mesh network. In some embodiments, the operations can include coordinating the presentation of wagering game content between mesh enabled devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 16, 2009
    Publication date: June 2, 2011
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Steven J. Lee, Nevin J. Liber, Jason A. Smith
  • Publication number: 20110021267
    Abstract: Techniques for handling wager residuals are described herein. Embodiments include a method that detects a residual from one or more wagers remaining in a first memory location for an electronic wagering game machine. The residual of the one or more wagers are transferred from the first memory location to a second memory location. Information about the residual is stored. The residual from the first memory location is cleared.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 20, 2009
    Publication date: January 27, 2011
    Applicant: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Jeremy M. Hornik, Marija Kuzmanovic, Craig J. Sylla
  • Publication number: 20100331079
    Abstract: In some embodiments a wagering game system comprises a personal area network device configured to render media content including results of a wagering game. The system can include a wagering game machine configured to determine and provide the wagering game results to the personal area network device. The wagering game machine can include a personal area network device transceiver configured to exchange data with the personal area network device, the data including the wagering game results, and a personal area network controller configured to detect the personal area network device, to procure an identification code for the personal area network device without player input, and to authenticate the personal area network device by use of the identification code. The system can also include a repository configured to store the identification code in association with a player identifier and to provide the identification code to the wagering game machine upon request.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2009
    Publication date: December 30, 2010
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Mark B. Gagner, Timothy C. Loose, Larry J. Pacey, Scott H. Schulhof
  • Publication number: 20100298043
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide for the selective backup and rollback of software, firmware and data components of a wagering game machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 27, 2009
    Publication date: November 25, 2010
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Ranjan Dasgupta, Craig J. Sylla
  • Publication number: 20090275406
    Abstract: A dynamically re-configurable input panel for a gaming machine, in one implementation, comprises a plurality of electrical contact regions disposed on the input panel and a plurality of display elements associated with the electrical contact regions, wherein information displayed on the display elements is dynamically re-configurable under game machine software control. In one implementation, the plurality of electrical contact regions comprises a plurality of electrical switches. Each of these switches may have a self-contained, re-configurable display element.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 5, 2006
    Publication date: November 5, 2009
    Inventors: Michael R. Bytnar, Stephen A. Canterbury, Benjamin T> Gomez, James M. Rasmussen, Matthew J. Ward
  • Publication number: 20090156299
    Abstract: This document discusses, among other things, systems and methods for managing multi-game contexts. An apparatus comprises a wagering game unit operable to present a wagering game upon which monetary value can be wagered; and a game context management unit operable to determine a list of installed wagering games on a wagering game machine and to determine one or more relevant rules, wherein a relevant rule is a one that is related to at least one of the installed wagering games, the game context management unit further operable to process each relevant rule to calculate a group of available games; and to present the available games on a primary display.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 8, 2007
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventors: Peter R. Anderson, Michael R. Bytnar, Kevin Kahley
  • Publication number: 20090042640
    Abstract: Method and apparatus are provided wherein, in one example embodiment, a gaming machine includes a computing platform and a software program executing on the computing platform to provide a gaming experience to a user of the gaming machine, and there are provided one or more hardware or software components operative on the computing platform to detect faults occurring on the platform. At least one fault recovery software component is also operative on the gaming platform, and the fault recovery software component is adapted to operate in response to the detection of a fault.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 7, 2006
    Publication date: February 12, 2009
    Inventors: Mark B. Gagner, Robertus A. Kloes, Michael R. Bytnar, Matthew Huy-Gia Phan, Jorge Luis Shimabukuro