Patents by Inventor Nicholas Luke Bennett

Nicholas Luke Bennett 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: 8784184
    Abstract: A gaming machine (10) has a display (14) and a game controller arranged to control images displayed on the display (14). The game controller is arranged to play a game (16) wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display (14). If a predefined winning event occurs, the machine (10) awards a prize. When a special symbol is carried by a symbol-carrying element into a display position on the display (14), the special symbol does at least one of altering the prize awarded for a winning result and altering a defined set of winning combinations.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, Natalie Bryant
  • Patent number: 8747215
    Abstract: An electronic gaming console is illustrated having a console cabinet 10 including a prize display 12, a coin entry slot 13, a payout tray 14 and internally mounted game control processor circuits. A video game is provided for play on the console in which images of spinning reels spin and objects (balls) are dropped through a series of obstacles (pins) and eventually land in one or more of a set of containers. Prizes are paid according to either the state of the reels after spinning or the number of balls which are in each container at the end of the ball drop and/or the manner in which the pins are hit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, David Villa, Christopher Stevens
  • Patent number: 8740685
    Abstract: Certain examples provide gaming systems and methods. An example gaming system includes a display and a game controller arranged to: cause the display to display a plurality of game displays in which a plurality of games will be carried out; receive a player selection of a game of the plurality of games; carry out the plurality of games in their respective game displays; and make an award upon a comparison of an outcome of the player selected game with an outcome of a non-selected game or games satisfying an award criteria.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 14, 2010
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Christopher Michael Stevens, Nicholas Luke Bennett, Philippa Alice Graham
  • Publication number: 20140135097
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes a controller for controlling operation of the machine, a primary display is provided on which a game to be played is displayed. A secondary display is also provided on which a scorecard, indicating prizes to be paid upon a winning game being achieved, is displayed. The game and the scorecard are controlled by the controller and the scorecard is a dynamic scorecard with the relationship between combinations of symbols constituting a winning game and the prizes awarded by the scorecard for that particular game changing from game to game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, Phillipa Graham, Natalie Bryant
  • Publication number: 20140135098
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: determining at least one game outcome; determining a total award from the at least one game outcome; modifying the total award based on a size of the total award to obtain a modified total award; and awarding the modified total award.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 21, 2014
    Publication date: May 15, 2014
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Patent number: 8715052
    Abstract: A gaming system (50) has a controller (52) in communication with a plurality of gaming machines (10) that are operable by a player to play at least one base game (16). Each of the plurality of gaming machines (10) can participate in a secondary game that is common to the plurality of gaming machines (1) and which has an outcome resulting in the allocation of an award to a player of at least one of the gaming machine (10). A plurality of common events having a randomly determined component that dictates whether the outcome is achieved in the secondary game are displayed to players of the plurality of gaming machines (10). The outcome is capable of being achieved for any one gaming machine (10) without any other gaming machine (10) also achieving the outcome.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 11, 2005
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, Paul Thornley
  • Patent number: 8715054
    Abstract: A gaming system with a free play mode. The gaming system has a game controller configured to process game play instructions in accordance with game rules to produce game outcomes. A credit meter is under the control of the game controller, the credit meter incremented or decremented in accordance with the game outcomes during normal play. A player interface is in data communication with the game controller. The player interface comprising a display that displays game outcomes to the player and operable to cause a free mode instruction to be communicated to the game controller. The game controller is configured to deactivate the credit meter in response to receipt of a free mode instruction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 2, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 6, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140106863
    Abstract: A method of gaming with multiple players comprising: determining a set of eligible multi-player game players; assigning each eligible multi-player game player a number of multi-player game turns depending on a wager amount; and conducting the multi-player game turns with the eligible multi-player game players and determining multi-player game turn outcomes until a multi-player game end condition occurs.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 18, 2013
    Publication date: April 17, 2014
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140094282
    Abstract: A gaming machine including a display, a game controller, and a selector. A player operates the selector to enable the player to place one of a plurality of possible wagers on a play of the game comprising at least a first wager consisting of a base wager, and second and third wagers each consisting of a base wager portion and an additional wager portion. There is no guarantee that the at least one added feature will eventuate in a specific play of the game as a result of the player having staked the additional wager portion.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Ltd.
    Inventors: Natalie Bryant, Nicholas Luke Bennett, Peter Leslie Walker
  • Publication number: 20140094294
    Abstract: There is disclosed a game feature forming part of a gaming machine apparatus (10). The game feature (42) is configured to award a bonus outcome that is determined on the basis of a dynamic bonus modifier (44). The game feature (42) additionally includes a motion indicator (65) associated with the dynamic bonus modifier (44), and during play a value of said dynamic award modifier is adjusted in relation to at least one parameter of a movement of the motion indicator (65). The bonus modifier (44) may be adjusted in concert with, or in response to, the parameter.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140094262
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes a gaming console. A display is mounted in the gaming console for displaying a wagering game and its result. A controller controls operation of the game, the controller displaying the result of a first game on the display, making payment of a prize if the first game has a prize winning result and, thereafter, irrespective of the result of the first game, varying a result displayed on the display without requiring any additional wager by a player whether before or after completion of the first game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 5, 2013
    Publication date: April 3, 2014
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Patent number: 8662999
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: determining at least one game outcome; determining a total award from the at least one game outcome; modifying the total award based on a size of the total award to obtain a modified total award; and awarding the modified total award.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 14, 2012
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Patent number: 8662987
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a gaming system and to a method of gaming that includes a wheel game. A base game, implemented as a reel game, is arranged to generate as one of its outcomes a feature game in the form of a wheel game. The wheel game has a plurality of outcome indicating parts for indicating outcomes of the wheel game. A plurality of outcomes of the wheel game each resulting in play of a different further feature game. This provides a further level of gaming, in order to maintain player interest.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 9, 2009
    Date of Patent: March 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, David Villa
  • Publication number: 20140038691
    Abstract: An electronic gaming console is illustrated having a console cabinet 10 including a prize display 12, a coin entry slot 13, a payout tray 14 and internally mounted game control processor circuits. A video game is provided for play on the console in which images of spinning reels spin and objects (balls) are dropped through a series of obstacles (pins) and eventually land in one or more of a set of containers. Prizes are paid according to either the state of the reels after spinning or the number of balls which are in each container at the end of the ball drop and/or the manner in which the pins are hit.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 31, 2013
    Publication date: February 6, 2014
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, David Villa, Christopher Stevens
  • Patent number: 8641504
    Abstract: A gaming machine includes a controller for controlling operation of the machine, a primary display is provided on which a game to be played is displayed. A secondary display is also provided on which a scorecard, indicating prizes to be paid upon a winning game being achieved, is displayed. The game and the scorecard are controlled by the controller and the scorecard is a dynamic scorecard with the relationship between combinations of symbols constituting a winning game and the prizes awarded by the scorecard for that particular game changing from game to game.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 13, 2011
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2014
    Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Austrailia Pty Limited
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, Philippa Graham, Natalie Bryant
  • Publication number: 20140031111
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising conducting a play of a game for a player, wherein the game comprises a plurality of different game portions and conducting the play of the game comprises conducting at least one of the game portions, determining independently of play of the game whether to trigger a community game, determining upon triggering of the community game, whether the player has an active eligibility in respect of a conducted game portion; and determining, upon the player having an active eligibility, an award to apply in respect of at least one winning outcome of the community game based on at least the identity of the game portion in relation to which the player has an active eligibility.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 17, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Inventors: Nicholas Luke Bennett, David Villa, Natalie Bryant
  • Publication number: 20140031104
    Abstract: A gaming apparatus and a game controller for a gaming apparatus is provided. A game provided on the gaming apparatus under the control of the game controller is arranged to play a first game in the form of a wheel game having a number of outcome indicating parts. It is also arranged to play a further game, in the form of a symbol game, a function of which is based on an outcome of the wheel game. In one embodiment, a function of one or more symbols in the symbol game is determined by an outcome of the wheel game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 26, 2013
    Publication date: January 30, 2014
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140018151
    Abstract: A gaming machine having a display means and a game control means arranged to control images displayed on the display means, the game control means being arranged to play a game wherein at least one random event is caused to be displayed on the display means and, if a predefined winning event occurs, the machine awards a prize, wherein, when a special symbol is carried by a symbol-carrying element into a display position on the display means, the special symbol substitutes as more than one occurrence of a standard symbol of the game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2013
    Publication date: January 16, 2014
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140011566
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: a) displaying a plurality of display positions to a player, at least one of the display positions corresponding to a hidden object to be sought by the player; b) determining a selection of a display position; c) revealing whether or not the selected display position corresponds to the hidden object; e) determining whether to allow a selection by conducting at least one trial, each trial comprising seeking to complete a symbol combination; and f) repeating steps b) to e) until either the symbol combination is completed or a designated number of hidden objects is located.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 24, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: ARISTOCRAT TECHNOLOGIES AUSTRALIA PTY LIMITED
    Inventors: George Roukis, Nicholas Luke Bennett
  • Publication number: 20140011578
    Abstract: A method of gaming comprising: receiving a bet from a player; awarding to the player an entitlement to a plurality of game outcomes in exchange for the bet; determining that the player has exhausted the entitlement; and determining, subsequent to exhaustion of the entitlement, whether the player is entitled to an award based, at least in part, on at least one of the game outcomes.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 28, 2013
    Publication date: January 9, 2014
    Applicant: Aristocrat Technologies Australia Pty Limited
    Inventor: Nicholas Luke Bennett