Patents by Inventor WMS Gaming Inc.

WMS Gaming Inc. 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: 20130225281
    Abstract: Systems and methods coordinate requests to display content on one or more windows of a display screen of a wagering game machine. A display control process determines whether or not to honor a request to display content in accordance with an owner status of a window, a lock status of the window, a lock status of the wagering game machine, or a combination thereof.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130225273
    Abstract: A wagering game account management system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations include assigning one or more money values to a graphical user interface control and linking the graphical user interface control to a credit account. The credit account is a third-party financial account from which a player account is authorized to borrow funds up to a credit limit. In some embodiments, the operations further include providing the graphical user interface control for presentation during a wagering game session associated with the player account.
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 8, 2013
    Publication date: August 29, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130217505
    Abstract: A method includes presenting a community game that includes land-based game play and online game play. The method includes selecting either the land-based or online game play as an affected game play, wherein the affected game play is to have at least one result in the community game that is affected by the other game play that was not selected. In response to a determination that a generation of the at least one result is needed for the affected game play for the community game, the method includes receiving, from the other game play, a result from a game. Also in response to the determination, the method includes affecting of the at least one result of the community game for the affected game play based on the result of the game at the other game play.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130217478
    Abstract: A method includes receiving, at a host gaming server, notifications of account logins from a number of wagering game machines from at least one wagering game establishment. The method includes receiving, at the host gaming server, messages from multiple messaging sources that comprise at least one of a social networking website, a microblogging website, and at least some of the number of wagering game machines, wherein the messages comprise messages related to activity at the at least one wagering game establishment that include game play at the number of wagering game machines and messages related to activity external to the at least one wagering game establishment. The method includes aggregating, by the host gaming server, the messages from the multiple messaging sources. The method includes filtering, by the host gaming server, the messages for each of the account logins to create filtered messages.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 15, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130217477
    Abstract: A method includes receiving wagers from a player to play respective plays of a plurality of plays of a wagering game having event eligibility that includes a time value and a multiplier value. The method includes increasing at least one of the time value and the multiplier value as a function of the plurality of plays of the wagering game and decrementing the time value as time elapses. In response to a triggering event while the event eligibility is above an eligibility threshold, the method includes allowing the player to participate in one or more special events. The method includes allowing the player to configure at least one of a desired value of the multiplier value and a maximum value of the time value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130217465
    Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes an input device, a display device, a processor, and a memory device for storing instructions that cause the processor to operate the gaming system. The gaming system receives an input to play the wagering game and randomly determines a plurality of symbols to populate symbol positions in one or more symbol arrays. The gaming system displays dynamic content in the symbol positions concluding with the randomly determined symbols while the one or more symbol arrays are moved with respect to an indicator region. The gaming system displays an indication of an outcome of the wagering game determined based on any of the one or more symbol arrays appearing in the indicator region after the one or more symbol arrays are moved.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2013
    Publication date: August 22, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130210517
    Abstract: In some embodiments a method includes receiving, from a mobile phone, a request to transfer a first fund amount from a player account to a wagering game machine. The method can also include determining that the player account does not include the first fund amount; receiving a second fund amount from a secondary funding source, and augmenting the player account by the second fund amount, wherein the augmenting results in the player account including the first fund amount. The method can also include transferring the first fund amount from the player account to the wagering game machine; debiting the player account by the first fund amount.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Publication date: August 15, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming, Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130203479
    Abstract: A method is provided for enabling a portal game on a wagering game device, the method including the acts of using a processor operatively associated with the wagering game device to conduct a wagering game on the wagering game device in accord with a first math model and using a portal game controller, which may be the processor operatively associated with the wagering game device or a separate controller operatively associated with both the portal game and the wagering game device, to overlay a portal game over the wagering game, the portal game having a second math model that is mathematically independent from the first math model of the wagering game.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 8, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130196743
    Abstract: A gaming system includes one or more controllers and one or more memory devices storing instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more controllers, cause the gaming system to initiate a wagering game to be played via a gaming machine and in response to a pause event, temporarily pause the wagering game-in-progress, prior to revealing a final outcome of the wagering game. While the game-in-progress is paused, the one or more controllers allow the gaming machine to participate in a community event along with a plurality of other gaming machines and in response to an end-pause event associated with the community event, reinstate the paused game-in-progress at the gaming machine.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 13, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING INC.
    Inventor: WMS GAMING INC.
  • Publication number: 20130196750
    Abstract: Club cards and tickets can be eliminated by providing an application that allows a player's mobile phone to process an image of an optical machine-readable representation of data. At the end of a wagering session on a WGM, the WGM can display a barcode representing a player's winnings, an achievement, game status, etc. The player takes a picture of the barcode with his or her mobile phone. The application on the phone processes the barcode image and automatically updates an account of the player in accordance with the data represented or carried by the barcode. For instance, the mobile phone sends a request to a wagering account server to electronically deposit the winnings, as represented by the barcode, in a wagering account associated with the player's club profile.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 14, 2013
    Publication date: August 1, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS GAMING, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130190077
    Abstract: A system for adding funds to a handheld gaming machine. The system includes a portable digital wallet that wirelessly communicates with a handheld gaming machine (“handheld”). The digital wallet stores an amount of funds or funds associated with a remotely stored player account, and is used by the player to add credits to a handheld. The credit meter may be stored remotely, though the player perceives that the funds are actually being transferred via the digital wallet. Other funding techniques include a kiosk that accepts cash or credit/debit cards and dispenses tickets or other media that encodes information representing an amount of funds. The player uses this media to add credits to the handheld. The media may be player-dependent such that the player's identity is somehow linked to the media or it may be player-agnostic such that the player's identity is not linked to the funds associated with the media.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 11, 2013
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130184056
    Abstract: A gaming system for conducting a wagering game includes a wager input device for receiving a wager to play a wagering game, at least one display for displaying the wagering game, and at least one controller. The controller is operative to display a first outcome of the wagering game and award a first award associated with the first outcome, store the first award in a stored awards group, cause the at least one display to display the stored awards group, and re-award one or more awards in the stored awards group upon the occurrence of a triggering event.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 7, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130184062
    Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some examples, the operations include detecting a side wager placed by a social network user accounts connected to a communal wagering game, detecting that a jurisdictional rule prohibits a characteristic of the side wager, and altering the characteristic of the side wager to comport with the jurisdictional rule. In some examples, the operations can further include determining a request by a first of the social network user accounts to transact an exchange of one or more non-cash items associated with the communal wagering game with a second of the social network user accounts, and transacting the exchange.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 29, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130184063
    Abstract: A wagering game developer can provide an online wagering game community, and receive continuous and current feedback about wagering games. The wagering game developer can use the online wagering game community to gauge popularity of wagering games, demonstrate wagering games, test wagering games, estimate wagering game life cycles, etc. Moreover, the wagering game developer can use the creativity of community members to modify and, perhaps, develop wagering games. The wagering game developer can decompose different aspects of a wagering game into executable code units that are platform independent, re-usable, and/or configurable (“wagering game widgets”). Users combine wagering game widgets, whether derived from a wagering game or user generated, to create a wagering game for playing in the online wagering game community.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 6, 2013
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130172075
    Abstract: A wagering game account management system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations include detecting an account rule, wherein the account rule includes an activation event, wherein upon occurrence of the activation event a transfer of funds is initiates between a wagering game session and account and one or more other financial accounts. In some embodiments, the operations also include detecting the occurrence of the activation event. In some embodiments, the operations also include initiating the transfer of funds between the wagering game session account and one or more other financial accounts.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 26, 2013
    Publication date: July 4, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130165206
    Abstract: Systems and methods provide a game of chance based using information stream items such as items in a news ticker. Information stream items are received for display in a series of information stream items such as a news ticker. Game symbols are assigned to the information stream items based on the output of a random number generator. In response to determining that the game symbols assigned to the series of information stream items form a winning combination of game symbols, an account may be credited with cash or points.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130165215
    Abstract: A multi-player gaming system sensing multiple simultaneous contacts on a surface of a gaming table, differentiating contacts by different players. Privacy controls selectively display private information visible to only one of the players on or near the display surface of the gaming table. The gaming system also detects physical objects placed on the surface of the gaming table, causing wagering game functions or peripheral functions to be performed as a result of the placement of the object on the display surface.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 10, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130165205
    Abstract: A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations include detecting a request to present a wagering game object via a display device capable of stereoscopic, three-dimensional visual effects. In some embodiments, the wagering game object is one of a plurality of wagering game objects. In some embodiments, the operations further include determining a virtual three-dimensional depth value based on one a degree of significance assigned to the wagering game object. The operations can further include presenting the wagering game object via the display device with a degree of three-dimensional stereoscopic depth effect that corresponds to the virtual three-dimensional depth value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 20, 2012
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS GAMING, INC.
  • Publication number: 20130165216
    Abstract: This description describes wagering game systems that include docking stations. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a presentation unit configured to present a wagering game and a docking controller configured to detect when the apparatus is docked with a docking station and to detect when the apparatus is undocked from the docking station. The apparatus can also include a docking port, the docking port including at least one of a dock power unit configured to receive power via the docking station and a dock communication unit configured to receive wagering game content associated with the wagering game, the dock communication unit configured to receive the wagering game content when the apparatus is docked with the docking station. The apparatus can also include a wireless communication unit configured to receive the wagering game content when the docking controller when the apparatus is undocked from the docking station.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 18, 2013
    Publication date: June 27, 2013
    Applicant: WMS Gaming Inc.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming Inc.
  • Publication number: 20130157747
    Abstract: Some examples described include a system to perform operations that include detecting a request to present a wagering game via a browser application and providing wagering game content for the wagering game, wherein a wagering game toolbar of the browser application is configured to present the wagering game content. In some examples, the operations further include providing a wagering game result for the wagering game, wherein the wagering game toolbar is configured to present the wagering game result.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 14, 2013
    Publication date: June 20, 2013
    Applicant: WMS GAMING, INC.
    Inventor: WMS Gaming, Inc.