Patents by Inventor Scott Winzeler

Scott Winzeler 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: 10016673
    Abstract: A gaming system is configured for dynamic and location-specific sound management in distributed gaming environments. A mobile gaming device executes a gaming application in undefined areas such as airports or restaurants. Various fixed gaming stations are disposed across gaming zones in defined gaming areas such as casino floors. A server communicates with the mobile device and gaming stations and samples ambient sounds with respect to each, and identifies desired sound signatures with respect to one or more of the gaming zones, such as ambient sounds for an associated gaming application, a jackpot or equivalent “hot spot” in the gaming environment, etc. The mobile device is directed to emit the ambient sounds associated with the identified desired sound signatures for the gaming zone in the defined area. The server may further direct sound emitters associated with the mobile device to locally suppress ambient sounds other than identified zone-specific exception sound signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Milligan, Ben Lechlitner, Chris Jarrell, Chris Thacker, Scott Winzeler
  • Patent number: 9737800
    Abstract: A gaming system is configured for dynamic and location-specific management of sound in a gaming environment. Various gaming stations, each including sound receivers and sound emitters, are disposed across multiple gaming zones. A server communicates with the gaming stations and is configured to sample ambient sounds with respect to the plurality of zones, and identify zone-specific exception sound signatures with respect to a dynamic noise threshold for at least a first of the plurality of zones, such as for example a jackpot or equivalent “hot spot” in the gaming environment. One or more gaming machines external to the first zone are directed to locally amplify sounds associated with the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures for the first zone. The server may further direct sound emitters external to the first zone to emit sound waves effective to locally suppress particular ambient sounds other than the identified zone-specific exception sound signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 17, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 22, 2017
    Assignee: VIDEO GAMING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Dan Milligan, Ben Lechlitner, Chris Jarrell, Chris Thacker, Scott Winzeler
  • Patent number: 9569923
    Abstract: A mobile gaming device is configured for dynamic and location-specific noise suppression. The device samples ambient sounds via a sound receiver, and identifies a profile of ambient sounds and exception sound signatures for a current location. Resident sound emitters are directed to emit sound waves which locally suppress ambient sounds, but local suppression may be disabled for sounds associated with the exception sound signatures. The device may further locally amplify sounds associated the gaming application, and in some embodiments may locally amplify sounds associated with the exception sound signatures, such as for example location-specific alerts. In various embodiments, a plurality of mobile gaming devices in a common location may exchange ambient sound information. In various embodiments, the mobile gaming devices are coupled to a central server which generates a baseline profile for each gaming zone and directs local noise suppression.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 7, 2016
    Date of Patent: February 14, 2017
    Assignee: VIDEO GAMING TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
    Inventors: Dan Milligan, Ben Lechlitner, Chris Jarrell, Chris Thacker, Scott Winzeler
  • Patent number: 9370720
    Abstract: A gaming system includes a central server linked to gaming zones each defined by a group of user stations. The server identifies exception sound signatures with respect to each of the plurality of zones, and disables local suppression of ambient sounds associated with the exception sound signatures. The stations each include a gaming terminal, and sound receiving and emitting devices. The stations sample ambient sounds and generate representative audio data. The stations collectively compile audio data representative of zone-specific ambient sounds, and individually emit sound waves effective to locally suppress ambient sounds for which local suppression is not disabled. The stations extract user station-specific sound signatures from a combination of the local audio data and the zone-specific audio data, and locally amplify sounds associated with the extracted user station-specific sound signatures.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: June 21, 2016
    Assignee: Video Gaming Technologies, Inc.
    Inventors: Dan Milligan, Ben Lechlitner, Chris Jarrell, Chris Thacker, Scott Winzeler