Patents by Inventor Tony A. Cranford

Tony A. Cranford 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: 11183031
    Abstract: An auxiliary blackjack game to a conventional game of blackjack is played before the conventional game of blackjack is played at a casino or remotely by secure communication to a remote player terminal. A Lucky High Low auxiliary blackjack game is dependent on a special purpose computer processor for determining a card value of an artificial intelligence determined dealer face-up card value and a two card conventional blackjack card hand played by a player. The auxiliary game may be played with as few as one deck. To win a suited three wager, at least three decks of cards may be utilized for play of blackjack and Lucky High Low game. A special purpose computer determines a winning player hand by summing the dealer face-up card value and the two card conventional blackjack player card hand. If the total card value total is 3, 4, 5, 30, 29, 28 or 27, the player wins currency as physical items which may be free game plays or comprise currency or fractional currency.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: Ten Stix Gaming, Inc.
    Inventors: Tony A. Cranford, Cory A. Cranford
  • Publication number: 20210264738
    Abstract: An auxiliary blackjack game to a conventional game of blackjack is played before the conventional game of blackjack is played at a casino or remotely by secure communication to a remote player terminal. A Lucky High Low auxiliary blackjack game is dependent on a special purpose computer processor for determining a card value of an artificial intelligence determined dealer face-up card value and a two card conventional blackjack card hand played by a player. The auxiliary game may be played with as few as one deck. To win a suited three wager, at least three decks of cards may be utilized for play of blackjack and Lucky High Low game. A special purpose computer determines a winning player hand by summing the dealer face-up card value and the two card conventional blackjack player card hand. If the total card value total is 3, 4, 5, 30, 29, 28 or 27, the player wins currency as physical items which may be free game plays or comprise currency or fractional currency.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 17, 2021
    Publication date: August 26, 2021
    Inventors: Tony A. Cranford, Cory A. Cranford
  • Patent number: 8337285
    Abstract: A casino style card game, played in accordance with the standard rules of Blackjack, also known as “21,” and including an auxiliary component allowing additional wagering on the outcome of the dealer's hand for each participating player. Participating players are able to wager on the dealer having a non-breaking hand (i.e., a hand having a value less than 21 in accordance with the rules of Blackjack) containing two, three, four, five, six, or seven cards. Wagers may also be made on the dealer having an even or odd count, or an all read or all black hand. A return is paid on wagers in the auxiliary game only if the dealer hand does not “bust” (i.e, exceed a value of 21). The game is also playable in electronic or other automated versions using, for example, terminals and networks, or slot machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2012
    Assignee: Ten Stix Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Publication number: 20110001288
    Abstract: A casino style card game, played in accordance with the standard rules of Blackjack, also known as “21,” and including an auxiliary component allowing additional wagering on the outcome of the dealer's hand for each participating player. Participating players are able to wager on the dealer having a non-breaking hand (i.e., a hand having a value less than 21 in accordance with the rules of Blackjack) containing two, three, four, five, six, or seven cards. Wagers may also be made on the dealer having an even or odd count, or an all read or all black hand. A return is paid on wagers in the auxiliary game only if the dealer hand does not “bust” (i.e, exceed a value of 21). The game is also playable in electronic or other automated versions using, for example, terminals and networks, or slot machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 26, 2010
    Publication date: January 6, 2011
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Patent number: 7762879
    Abstract: A casino style card game, played in accordance with the standard rules of Blackjack, also known as “21,” and including an auxiliary component allowing additional wagering on the outcome of the dealer's hand for each participating player. Participating players are able to wager on the dealer having a non-breaking hand (i.e., a hand having a value less than 21 in accordance with the rules of Blackjack) containing two, three, four, five, six, or seven cards. Wagers may also be made on the dealer having an even or odd count, or an all red or all black hand. A return is paid on wagers in the auxiliary game only if the dealer hand does not “bust” (i.e., exceed a value of 21). The game is also playable in electronic or other automated versions using, for example, terminals and networks, or slot machines.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Date of Patent: July 27, 2010
    Assignee: Ten Stix Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Patent number: 6837792
    Abstract: A device, referred to as the “automatic discard rack” for use on casino gaming tables or elsewhere to hold and mix playing cards, such as cards discarded following each hand of a played game. The device includes features for randomly picking up a portion of cards placed in the rack to allow cards inserted into the rack to be randomly inserted into cards already in the rack, and the cards to be repeatedly mixed by the device. Variations of the device include a housing, clamping portion, a moveable lifting portion for moving the clamping portion, a moving engine for causing the movement, including clamping, of the clamping portion, a controller for controlling all movement, sensor for sensing placement of cards in the device and initiating movement, a “kill switch,” and an on/off switch.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Date of Patent: January 4, 2005
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Publication number: 20040259619
    Abstract: A casino style card game, played in accordance with the standard rules of Blackjack, also known as “21,” and including an auxiliary component allowing additional wagering on the outcome of the dealer's hand for each participating player. Participating players are able to wager on the dealer having a non-breaking hand (i.e., a hand having a value less than 21 in accordance with the rules of Blackjack) containing two, three, four, five, six, or seven cards. Wagers may also be made on the dealer having an even or odd count, or an all read or all black hand. A return is paid on wagers in the auxiliary game only if the dealer hand does not “bust” (i.e, exceed a value of 21). The game is also playable in electronic or other automated versions using, for example, terminals and networks, or slot machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 14, 2004
    Publication date: December 23, 2004
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Patent number: 6638167
    Abstract: An apparatus for controlling or displaying the progress of each player playing in an auxiliary incentive game played simultaneously with a primary casino table game. The auxiliary game allows each player to receive bonus points during the course of playing the primary game, and each player eligible to receive a prize only after accumulating a predetermined number of bonus points. A bonus point display displays the number of bonus points received by each player at the gaming table. A controller is connected to the bonus point display and has a first unit for causing the display to display an incremented number of bonus points received by each player and a second unit for causing the display to reset and display a starting number of points in response to the number of bonus points received by the associated player reaching a predetermined number of bonus points.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2000
    Date of Patent: October 28, 2003
    Assignee: B.C.D. Mécanique Ltée
    Inventors: Thomas E. Sawyer, Tony A. Cranford, Réal Bérubé, Marcel Huard
  • Publication number: 20020072419
    Abstract: A device, referred to as the “automatic discard rack” for use on casino gaming tables or elsewhere to hold and mix playing cards, such as cards discarded following each hand of a played game. The device includes features for randomly picking up a portion of cards placed in the rack to allow cards inserted into the rack to be randomly inserted into cards already in the rack, and the cards to be repeatedly mixed by the device. Variations of the device include a housing, clamping portion, a moveable lifting portion for moving the clamping portion, a moving engine for causing the movement, including clamping, of the clamping portion, a controller for controlling all movement, sensor for sensing placement of cards in the device and initiating movement, a “kill switch,” and an on/off switch.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 15, 2001
    Publication date: June 13, 2002
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Publication number: 20020045471
    Abstract: A casino style card game, played in accordance with the standard rules of Blackjack, also known as “21,” and including an auxiliary component allowing additional wagering on the outcome of the dealer's hand for each participating player. Participating players are able to wager on the dealer having a non-breaking hand (i.e., a hand having a value less than 21 in accordance with the rules of Blackjack) containing two, three, four, five, six, or seven cards. Wagers may also be made on the dealer having an even or odd count, or an all read or all black hand. A return is paid on wagers in the auxiliary game only if the dealer hand does not “bust” (i.e, exceed a value of 21). The game is also playable in electronic or other automated versions using, for example, terminals and networks, or slot machines.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 16, 2001
    Publication date: April 18, 2002
    Inventor: Tony A. Cranford
  • Patent number: 6179710
    Abstract: The progress of each player in playing an auxiliary incentive game simultaneously with a primary card game is controlled and displayed at a gaming table. A prize display (34) is attached to the table and the prize display indicates at least one prize available to the player who accumulates a predetermined number of bonus points playing the auxiliary game. A player interface unit (30) is positioned on the table adjacent to each player. The player interface unit displays the number of bonus points received by the associated player. A dealer interface unit (32) is positioned on the table adjacent the dealer. The dealer interface unit includes control elements to allow the dealer to display the bonus points awarded to each player on the associated player interface unit and to activate a prize award control element on the player interface unit. The winning player selects a randomly indexed prize indicated on the prize display by manipulating the prize award control element on their player interface unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 23, 1999
    Date of Patent: January 30, 2001
    Assignee: B.C.D. Mechanique LTEE
    Inventors: Thomas E. Sawyer, Tony A. Cranford, R{acute over (e)}al B{acute over (e)}rub{acute over (e)}, Marcel Huard
  • Patent number: 5718427
    Abstract: Playing cards from two unshuffled card stacks are interleaved or shuffled in random by propelling the cards in two intersecting trajectories and interleaving the cards into a single shuffled card collection at the intersection point of the trajectories. Two card holding bins receive the unshuffled card stacks of playing cards and preferably a random number of cards are removed at a time. The interleaved cards settle downward onto an elevator assembly to form the shuffled card collection.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 1996
    Date of Patent: February 17, 1998
    Assignees: Tony A. Cranford, Thomas E. Sawyer
    Inventors: Tony A. Cranford, Thomas E. Sawyer, Michael G. Humecki, Richard G. Stewart, Gerald A. Dal Ferro