Patents by Inventor Scott Caputo

Scott Caputo 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: 20180114404
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming system and method modifying of one or more options provided to a player based on the player's previously chosen options. When a triggering event occurs, the gaming system displays an indication of each of a first plurality of options and enables the player to choose one of the first plurality of options. The gaming system stores player choice data representing the player's chosen one of the first plurality of options. Upon an occurrence of one or more modification events, the gaming system modifies the first plurality of options based at least in part on which of the first plurality of options were previously chosen by the player. Following a subsequent occurrence of the triggering event, the gaming system displays an indication of each of the modified first plurality of options and enables the player to choose one of the modified first plurality of options.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2017
    Publication date: April 26, 2018
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Kevin N. Taylor
  • Publication number: 20180089960
    Abstract: A gaming system offers players the opportunity to play a skill-based challenge. Following the skill-based challenge, the player plays a chance-based prize round in which the player has the opportunity to win a prize. The gaming system receives a wager from a player and determines that the player has purchased a persistent skill enhancement that can be used by the player whenever the player is playing the skill-based challenge. The gaming system initiates the skill-based challenge including the persistent skill enhancement. Upon completion of the skill-based challenge, the gaming system awards the player at least one entry into a chance-based prize round. The probability of winning the chance-based prize round may be enhanced based on the outcome of the skill-based challenge. The gaming system then initiates the chance-based prize round and may award a monetary prize to the player in response to an outcome of the chance-based prize round.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2016
    Publication date: March 29, 2018
    Inventors: Scott Caputo, Cameron Filipour, Bryan S. B. Upton
  • Publication number: 20180082532
    Abstract: Gaming systems, gaming devices and methods that provide games that control volatility. In one embodiment, the gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to select values, or cells associated with values, that are displayed in a particular arrangement. The player selected values are distributed to other values or cells according to one or more predefined rules. In one embodiment, one or more of the player selectable values are progressive award values. At some point during the game, the gaming system randomly picks one of the remaining values that have not been selected and provides an award to the player based at least in part on the selected value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 29, 2017
    Publication date: March 22, 2018
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Ernie M. Lafky, Bryan D. Wolf, Paulina Rodgers, Cameron A. Filipour, Adam M. Meyer, Adam M. Singer
  • Patent number: 9905083
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the gaming system, gaming device, and gaming method disclosed herein provides a community game having a trail or path. The community game enables a plurality of players to each simultaneously pick one or more directions of movement along the trail or path (i.e., pick or designate a destination position which that player wants to move to). If the picked directions of movement for more than one player result in more than one player each designating the same destination position, the gaming system determines which player is moved to the designated destination position (and is provided a displayed award or outcome associated with that position) and which player is moved to an alternative position (and is provided a displayed award or outcome associated with that alternative position).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Ernest M. Lafky, Mark C. Nicely
  • Publication number: 20180033239
    Abstract: A gaming system and method including a plurality of gaming devices that may participate in a shared secondary or bonus game and a controller operable to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices. At least one of the plurality of gaming devices is programmed to generate and accumulate collectors upon an occurrence of a first triggering event. Upon an occurrence of a second triggering event at one of the gaming devices, the controller enables a player of said gaming device to redeem a quantity of accumulated collectors in a bonus event. The controller also enables the player to invite other gaming devices from the plurality of gaming devices to redeem accumulated collectors and participate in said bonus event. The odds of each player earning a higher-valued total award in the bonus event increases with the total number of accumulated collectors redeemed in the bonus event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 20, 2017
    Publication date: February 1, 2018
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Mark C. Nicely, Gregory H. Parrott
  • Patent number: 9881459
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a game including a path of different symbol display positions. The gaming system generates one or more symbols (and/or one or more awards) at one or more of the symbol display positions of a matrix or grid. The gaming system then randomly forms a path including a plurality of the symbol display positions and determines an award for the player based on which symbol display positions are included in the formed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Leandro Basallo, Rachael A. Bristol, Thomas Uster, Jodi Manela, Dacotah Petermann-Turner, Amity Wang, Benjamin J. Zoltewicz, Prashant Arora, David Hernandez-Diaz, Stephen J. Edwards, Matthew Falzone, Sean Mountain, Alexander Present, Todd Wong
  • Patent number: 9875603
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a multiplay game with resultant symbols. The game is associated with a plurality of reel sets each including a plurality of reels. Each reel is associated with one or more symbol display areas. For each reel set, each symbol display area associated with a reel of that reel set is associated with a symbol display area associated with one of the reels of each other reel set. The gaming system independently generates and displays certain of the symbols on the reels of the respective reel sets at the corresponding symbol display areas. If associated symbol display areas display symbols having a designated relationship with one another, the gaming system forms a resultant symbol from those symbols. The gaming system determines any awards based on the resultant symbols and not based on any non-resultant symbols.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 16, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 23, 2018
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Prashant Arora, Leandro Basallo, Scott A. Caputo, Timothy L. Isaacson
  • Publication number: 20180012452
    Abstract: A gaming system which enables a player to selectively participate in a retriggered free game sequence. Following a free game triggering event, the gaming system initiates a free game sequence including a quantity of free games. If a free game retriggering event occurs in association with the initiated free game sequence, the gaming system enables a player to participate in a retriggered free game sequence or forgo the retriggered free game sequence in exchange for a modification of the remaining free games of the initiated free game sequence.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 6, 2016
    Publication date: January 11, 2018
    Inventor: Scott A. Caputo
  • Patent number: 9852579
    Abstract: The present disclosure provides a gaming system and method modifying of one or more options provided to a player based on the player's previously chosen options. When a triggering event occurs, the gaming system displays an indication of each of a first plurality of options and enables the player to choose one of the first plurality of options. The gaming system stores player choice data representing the player's chosen one of the first plurality of options. Upon an occurrence of one or more modification events, the gaming system modifies the first plurality of options based at least in part on which of the first plurality of options were previously chosen by the player. Following a subsequent occurrence of the triggering event, the gaming system displays an indication of each of the modified first plurality of options and enables the player to choose one of the modified first plurality of options.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 26, 2015
    Date of Patent: December 26, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Kevin N. Taylor
  • Patent number: 9842466
    Abstract: Gaming systems, gaming devices and methods that provide games that control volatility. In one embodiment, the gaming system disclosed herein enables a player to select values, or cells associated with values, that are displayed in a particular arrangement. The player selected values are distributed to other values or cells according to one or more predefined rules. In one embodiment, one or more of the player selectable values are progressive award values. At some point during the game, the gaming system randomly picks one of the remaining values that have not been selected and provides an award to the player based at least in part on the selected value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 24, 2014
    Date of Patent: December 12, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Ernie M. Lafky, Bryan D. Wolf, Paulina Rodgers, Cameron A. Filipour, Adam M. Meyer, Adam M. Singer
  • Patent number: 9792759
    Abstract: A gaming system and method including a plurality of gaming devices that may participate in a shared secondary or bonus game and a controller operable to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices. At least one of the plurality of gaming devices is programmed to generate and accumulate collectors upon an occurrence of a first triggering event. Upon an occurrence of a second triggering event at one of the gaming devices, the controller enables a player of said gaming device to redeem a quantity of accumulated collectors in a bonus event. The controller also enables the player to invite other gaming devices from the plurality of gaming devices to redeem accumulated collectors and participate in said bonus event. The odds of each player earning a higher-valued total award in the bonus event increases with the total number of accumulated collectors redeemed in the bonus event.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 13, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 17, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Mark C. Nicely, Gregory H. Parrott
  • Publication number: 20170294079
    Abstract: A gaming system which includes a game sequence, such as a free game sequence, which enables a player to selectively apply modifiers after viewing the results of games. For a game associated with an available modifier, following the display of the results of that game, the gaming system enables the player to either utilize the available modifier for that game or accumulate another modifier to be potentially utilized for another game. If the player selects to utilize the available modifier, the gaming system modifies one or more aspects of the play of the game to result in a modified game outcome and/or a modified game award. If the player selects to not utilize the available modifier, the gaming system accumulates another modifier for the player, wherein the other modifier may or may not be subsequently utilized by the player to modify any designated aspects of a subsequent play of the game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 3, 2017
    Publication date: October 12, 2017
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Ernest M. Lafky, Brian F. Saunders, Jon M. Leupp
  • Patent number: 9786124
    Abstract: In one embodiment, the gaming device and method disclosed herein provides a player one or more modifiers to apply to different components or characteristics of a game. In one such embodiment, the gaming device enables a player to selectively apply or associate a plurality of modifiers to a single game component or apply the plurality of modifiers across the plurality of game components. For each game component with at least one applied modifier, the gaming device disclosed herein modifies said game component based on each applied modifier. The gaming device generates any awards based on any modified game components and any unmodified game components and provides any generated awards to the player.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 10, 2016
    Date of Patent: October 10, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Carl V. Kniesteadt, Alan Weiss
  • Publication number: 20170228982
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a game including a path of different symbol display positions. The gaming system generates one or more symbols (and/or one or more awards) at one or more of the symbol display positions of a matrix or grid. The gaming system then randomly forms a path including a plurality of the symbol display positions and determines an award for the player based on which symbol display positions are included in the formed path.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 24, 2017
    Publication date: August 10, 2017
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Leandro Basallo, Rachael A. Bristol, Thomas Uster, Jodi Manela, Dacotah Petermann-Turner, Amity Wang, Benjamin J. Zoltewicz, Prashant Arora, David Hernandez-Diaz, Stephen J. Edwards, Matthew Falzone, Sean Mountain, Alexander Present, Todd Wong
  • Patent number: 9659430
    Abstract: A gaming system and method which provides multiple individually and independently activated un-weighted award displays, wherein a plurality of designated awards have the same probability of being won regardless of how many of the award displays are activated. In various embodiments, the designated awards are different, and in various embodiments, the designated awards are progressive awards. In various embodiments, the un-weighted award displays include a plurality of award wheels.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 16, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 23, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Mark C. Nicely, Jon Leupp, Timothy L. Isaacson, Leandro Basallo, Scott A. Caputo
  • Patent number: 9633511
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to a game including a path of different symbol display positions. The gaming system generates one or more symbols (and/or one or more awards) at one or more of the symbol display positions of a matrix or grid. The gaming system then randomly forms a path including a plurality of the symbol display positions and determines an award for the player based on which symbol display positions are included in the formed path.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 25, 2017
    Assignee: IGT
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Leandro Basallo, Rachael A. Bristol, Thomas Uster, Jodi Manela, Dacotah Petermann-Turner, Amity Wang, Benjamin J. Zoltewicz, Prashant Arora, David Hernandez-Diaz, Stephen J. Edwards, Matthew Falzone, Sean Mountain, Alexander Present, Todd Wong
  • Publication number: 20170109963
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method providing a slot game including a symbol generator modification event. In various embodiments, the gaming system is configured to provide a slot game, each play of which employs a subset of a plurality of symbol generators. If a symbol generator modification event occurs in association with a first play that employs a first subset of the symbol generators, the gaming system removes one of the symbol generators from the first subset and adds another one of the plurality of symbol generators to the first subset to form a second subset, and employs the second subset for a second play. The gaming system removes and adds the symbol generators to form the second subset such that the average expected payback percentage of the second play is greater than the average expected payback percentage of the first play.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 30, 2016
    Publication date: April 20, 2017
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Leandro Basallo, Jon M. Leupp
  • Publication number: 20170098345
    Abstract: Various embodiments of the present disclosure are directed to a gaming system and method for permanently increasing the average expected payback percentage of a game for a player. The gaming system is configured to operate a game associated with one or more designated point thresholds, each of which is associated with a quantity of points. The gaming system maintains a point balance for the player for the game. Upon an occurrence of a point accumulation event, the gaming system adds a quantity of points to the player's point balance for the game. When the player's point balance for the game reaches one of the designated point thresholds, the gaming system permanently modifies a feature of the game and/or adds a new feature to the game. In various embodiments, the modification to the feature and/or the new feature permanently increases the average expected payback percentage for the game for that player.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 19, 2016
    Publication date: April 6, 2017
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Mark C. Nicely
  • Publication number: 20170084126
    Abstract: In various embodiments, the present disclosure relates generally to gaming systems and methods for providing unlockable features and/or unlockable content. In such embodiments, the gaming system includes a plurality of initially unlocked features or content and a plurality of initially locked features or content, wherein as the player advances or progresses during the play of one or more games, zero, one or more previously locked features or content become unlocked.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2016
    Publication date: March 23, 2017
    Inventors: Scott A. Caputo, Jon M. Leupp
  • Publication number: 20170076538
    Abstract: A gaming system displays a plurality of spaced-apart selections each associated with a masked award. One or more selectors are each associated with one or more players, and are visible to each player. The selectors are moveable amongst the spaced-apart selections based on a plurality of player inputs. For a play of the game, the players provide inputs to move the selectors amongst the spaced-apart selections. During such movement, the gaming system temporarily reveals the award associated with any spaced-apart selection in the vicinity of any selector to at least one player, such as the player whose selector is near the selection. After the play of the game has ended (e.g., based on an amount of elapsed time), the gaming system provides awards to the players based on the ending positions of the one or more selectors with respect to the plurality of spaced-apart selections.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 2, 2016
    Publication date: March 16, 2017
    Inventors: Mark C. Nicely, Scott A. Caputo