Patents by Inventor Nathan Ajhar

Nathan Ajhar 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: 20230386298
    Abstract: Gaming systems and method that provide a banked bonus player selection feature including a symbol display such as a displayed wheel having a plurality of displayed player selectable sections for a play of a multi-player game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 26, 2022
    Publication date: November 30, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230377420
    Abstract: Systems and methods that employ one or more triggering events that occur to select a symbol display position and modify one or more instances of a symbol displayed in association with that selected symbol display position into a designated symbol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 18, 2022
    Publication date: November 23, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Ajhar, Nick Hillstrom, Chris Peterson
  • Publication number: 20230368614
    Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that provide randomly triggered payline specific symbol replacement features for plays of a slot game, wherein when the system or method randomly determines to provide the payline specific symbol replacement for that payline for a play of the slot game, the system or method can replace a non-winning symbol displayed along that payline adjacent to a winning symbol combination with a replacement symbol such as a wild symbol.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 12, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Yu Chong, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230368618
    Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that provides a blocking symbol set bypass feature for a play of a game, wherein the player to elect whether or not to employ the blocking symbol set bypass for the symbol evaluation for that play of the game. When a blocking symbol set bypass is employed for a symbol evaluation for a play of the game, for at least part of the symbol evaluation, the gaming system can skip one or more symbols of a blocking symbol set in evaluating the displayed symbols of the displayed outcome of the play of the game to determine any displayed winning symbol combinations and any awards associated with the displayed symbols.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 11, 2022
    Publication date: November 16, 2023
    Inventors: Yu Chong, Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230351847
    Abstract: In certain embodiments, the present disclosure relates to or gaming system providing a game enhancement feature. The electronic game can be conducted on a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns of a grid and a variable plurality of symbols can be presented in the plurality of rows and the plurality of columns of the grid. When the game enhancement feature of the electronic game is activated, an indication of the game enhancement feature can be provided to a player of the electronic game. A determination of an outcome of the electronic game can be made based on the variable plurality of symbols presented in the plurality of rows and the plurality of columns of the grid upon termination of the electronic game and the determined outcome of the electronic game can be modified based on the game enhancement feature.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 27, 2022
    Publication date: November 2, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230316850
    Abstract: Gaming systems and method that provide a player wheel set selection feature including a displayed wheel having a plurality of displayed player selectable sections for a play of a game, and wherein the quantity of sections selectable by the player is at least one and less than all of the sections of the wheel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 4, 2022
    Publication date: October 5, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Shawn Hupp, Arthur Levesque, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230222874
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for providing sliding symbol operations in grid-base games. The sliding symbol operations allow a player of the gaming device to move, by sliding or dragging, a particular symbol from one cell to another in an array of cells between plays of the grid-based game. Movement of the particular symbol from one cell to another allows a player to control their chances of winning and alter the proposed payouts for winning sequences of symbols for at least one subsequent play of the grid-based game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 17, 2023
    Publication date: July 13, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong, Nathan Ajhar
  • Patent number: 11688244
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to computational devices and, in particular, toward a computational device, system, and method of operating a computational device. The method may include determining that a mirror symbol has landed within a predetermined symbol area and then implementing a bonus spin and mirror operation in response thereto.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Date of Patent: June 27, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230142692
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for providing sliding symbol operations in grid-base games. The sliding symbol operations allow a player of the gaming device to move, by sliding or dragging, a particular symbol from one cell to another in an array of cells between plays of the grid-based game. Movement of the particular symbol from one cell to another allows a player to control their chances of winning and alter the proposed payouts for winning sequences of symbols for at least one subsequent play of the grid-based game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 13, 2023
    Publication date: May 11, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230117337
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to computational devices and, in particular, toward a computational device, system, and method of operating a computational device. The method may include determining that a mirror symbol has landed within a predetermined symbol area and then implementing a bonus spin and mirror operation in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20230119213
    Abstract: A method comprises initiating a gaming session for a grid-based game, tracking a number of consecutive losing plays of the grid-based game during the gaming session, and providing a player of the grid-based game with an option to reuse a wild symbol that appears in one play of the number of consecutive losing plays in a next play when the number of consecutive losing plays exceeds a threshold. The method further comprises receiving first input from the player to reuse the wild symbol in the next play, generating, in response to the first input, a sequence of symbols comprising the wild symbol, and causing a display to display the sequence of symbols populated in the array of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2022
    Publication date: April 20, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Ajhar, Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong
  • Publication number: 20230108649
    Abstract: A method comprises initiating a gaming session for a grid-based game, tracking a number of consecutive losing plays of the grid-based game during the gaming session, and providing a player of the grid-based game with an option to reuse a wild symbol that appears in one play of the number of consecutive losing plays in a next play when the number of consecutive losing plays exceeds a threshold. The method further comprises receiving first input from the player to reuse the wild symbol in the next play, generating, in response to the first input, a sequence of symbols comprising the wild symbol, and causing a display to display the sequence of symbols populated in the array of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 8, 2022
    Publication date: April 6, 2023
    Inventors: Nathan Ajhar, Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong
  • Patent number: 11615668
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for providing sliding symbol operations in grid-base games. The sliding symbol operations allow a player of the gaming device to move, by sliding or dragging, a particular symbol from one cell to another in an array of cells between plays of the grid-based game. Movement of the particular symbol from one cell to another allows a player to control their chances of winning and alter the proposed payouts for winning sequences of symbols for at least one subsequent play of the grid-based game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 28, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong, Nathan Ajhar
  • Patent number: 11605267
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to computational devices and, in particular, toward a computational device, system, and method of operating a computational device. The method may include determining that a predetermined mirror symbol has landed within a predetermined symbol area and then repositioning symbols within an array of symbols according to a mirror operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2021
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar
  • Patent number: 11562618
    Abstract: A method comprises initiating a gaming session for a grid-based game, tracking a number of consecutive losing plays of the grid-based game during the gaming session, and providing a player of the grid-based game with an option to reuse a wild symbol that appears in one play of the number of consecutive losing plays in a next play when the number of consecutive losing plays exceeds a threshold. The method further comprises receiving first input from the player to reuse the wild symbol in the next play, generating, in response to the first input, a sequence of symbols comprising the wild symbol, and causing a display to display the sequence of symbols populated in the array of cells.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Nathan Ajhar, Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong
  • Publication number: 20220392309
    Abstract: Gaming systems and methods that replicate a symbol driven event obtained at one gaming device at one or more other gaming devices.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 2, 2021
    Publication date: December 8, 2022
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar, Yu Chong
  • Publication number: 20220309868
    Abstract: An electronic gaming machine (EGM) is provided. The EGM includes a processor circuit and a memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the processor circuit, cause the processor circuit to perform operations. Operations include causing a display device to display multiple game symbols arranged in a symbol selection zone of the display, causing the display device to display multiple value symbols that are assignable to a game symbol based on an input from a user that moves one of the value symbols to be on a selected game symbol. Operations include causing the display device to display multiple symbol display positions with less than all of the game symbols and, responsive to one of the symbol display positions including the selected game symbol, cause the display device to display an award value to be credited to the user.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 26, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Chris PETERSON, Nathan AJHAR, Nick HILLSTROM, Yu CHONG
  • Publication number: 20220309865
    Abstract: A method comprises initiating a gaming session for a grid-based game, tracking a number of consecutive losing plays of the grid-based game during the gaming session, and providing a player of the grid-based game with an option to reuse a wild symbol that appears in one play of the number of consecutive losing plays in a next play when the number of consecutive losing plays exceeds a threshold. The method further comprises receiving first input from the player to reuse the wild symbol in the next play, generating, in response to the first input, a sequence of symbols comprising the wild symbol, and causing a display to display the sequence of symbols populated in the array of cells.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Nathan Ajhar, Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong
  • Publication number: 20220309866
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to systems and methods for providing sliding symbol operations in grid-base games. The sliding symbol operations allow a player of the gaming device to move, by sliding or dragging, a particular symbol from one cell to another in an array of cells between plays of the grid-based game. Movement of the particular symbol from one cell to another allows a player to control their chances of winning and alter the proposed payouts for winning sequences of symbols for at least one subsequent play of the grid-based game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 24, 2021
    Publication date: September 29, 2022
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Yu Chong, Nathan Ajhar
  • Publication number: 20210335100
    Abstract: The present disclosure relates generally to computational devices and, in particular, toward a computational device, system, and method of operating a computational device. The method may include determining that a mirror symbol has landed within a predetermined symbol area and then implementing a bonus spin and mirror operation in response thereto.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 8, 2021
    Publication date: October 28, 2021
    Inventors: Chris Peterson, Nick Hillstrom, Nathan Ajhar