Celebrity Inventors
Glam girl Heddy Lamar may have used her good looks to good effect on the silver screen, but she put her smarts to better use as an inventor. During World War II, she co-patented a frequency-switching system for torpedo guidance that was considered years ahead of its time.
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| Number | Title | Issue Date |
| 7389987 | Reconfigurable air table game assembly A reconfigurable air table hockey game includes at least one air puck and is designed to be set upon a flat, horizontal surface. The game comprises a perforated, bounded playing surface overlying a plenum chamber that is supplied with air under pressure, at least du... | 06/24/2008 |
| 7371178 | Card game system A card game system is disclosed, which enables to execute the card game using a basic function of a video game apparatus. The card game system includes a card acceptance means for accepting a plurality of cards of either a first category or a second category each ha... | 05/13/2008 |
| 7326059 | Child reward center A motivational apparatus contains a supply of tokens. The apparatus includes a release mechanism for releasing one of the tokens, which may be actuated by a child as a reward for good behavior. After being released, the token is collected in a reservoir. The apparat... | 02/05/2008 |
| 7278916 | Gaming machine having multi-ended pointer for quasi-deterministic play (“pick-a-prize”) When a special symbol appears during play of the gaming machine game, the secondary game is initiated. At initiation, a bonus prize is determined by the secondary game microcontroller by consulting a bonus game paytable stored therein where each bonus prize correspo... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7278635 | Game apparatus with rotary indicator and bonus multiplier An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermined task on a... | 10/09/2007 |
| 7275339 | Pan face sign construction and method of making pan face signs A new pan face sign construction comprises an opaque frame of extruded structural plastic and a pan face of clear plastic, such as acrylic or polycarbonate. Corners of the frame are simply mitered with a common miter saw and the frame pieces and pan face assembled w... | 10/02/2007 |
| 7255644 | Jackpot awarding system The object of the present invention is a method of awarding prizes, also known as progressive jackpots, in association with a wagering game such as a Poker game. A particular application of this method is in association with a Poker game on an electronic gaming devi... | 08/14/2007 |
| 7247101 | Billiard target practice device An apparatus for billiards practice, comprising a housing; an emitter connectively disposed to the housing; a pair of detectors equally spaced about the emitter; a controller having logic controlling the emitter; at least one indicator in communication with the logi... | 07/24/2007 |
| 7226358 | Method, apparatus and system for gaming using a rotatable payout indicator Gaming devices comprising a gaming unit configured for play of a primary game and a bonus game. The bonus game portion of the gaming unit includes at least a outcome display element with an associated, cooperative outcome indicator element. The outcome display eleme... | 06/05/2007 |
| 7185437 | Chainsaw bar tensioning apparatus A chain saw bar tensioning apparatus is disclosed comprising a sliding member having a recess formed therein. The sliding member is adjacent to a first tensioning member that biases the sliding member in a direction such that when the apparatus is incorporated into ... | 03/06/2007 |
| 7179169 | Method and apparatus for displaying a symbol on a wheel associated with a gaming apparatus A gaming apparatus that comprises a display unit that is capable of generating video images, a value input device, and a controller operatively coupled to the display unit and the value input device. The controller comprises a processor and a memory that are operati... | 02/20/2007 |
| 7131647 | Casino pinball game A gaming unit having a pinball game and a casino game. Once a predetermined score is reached by playing the pinball game, the casino game is initiated. During the casino game, the player has the opportunity to win a monetary bonus. The pinball game continues, during... | 11/07/2006 |
| 7100916 | Indicator wheel system An electromechanical indicator including a body with an axis of rotation. The rotary body is provided with a number of segments radiating from the axis of rotation which are associated with at least two different indicia. A motor is coupled to the rotary body such t... | 09/05/2006 |
| 7091950 | Force feedback device including non-rigid coupling A method and apparatus for providing force sensations in virtual environments includes a human/computer interface device and method used in conjunction with a host computer and which can provide feel sensations to a user of the device. A user manipulatable object ph... | 08/15/2006 |
| 7070506 | System and method for providing pinball machine tournament play A pinball machine having an inclined playfield supporting a plurality of game features and a rolling game ball. A processor is used to control the function of the pinball machine including permitting game play in a tournament mode wherein game play allows a player t... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7071802 | Magnetic device An improved magnetic device is provided for adhering to an outer magnetic or magnetizable surface in a secure, reliable manner, by ensuring proper orientation of a magnet contained therein at all times. ... | 07/04/2006 |
| 7066816 | Bill stacker and hopper access technique for a gaming device In a gaming machine, unlocking a first lock enables an attendant to open the front door of the gaming machine, allowing access to the internal circuitry of the gaming machine but not allowing access to the money in the gaming machine. Unlocking a second lock enables... | 06/27/2006 |
| 7063622 | Bowling lane system A bowling lane system for enhancing the entertainment when bowling. The bowling lane system includes a lane member having a pair of gutter portions extending a length of the lane member whereby the gutter portion are positioned on opposing sides of the lane member. ... | 06/20/2006 |
| 7007417 | Audio-visual display device for pictorial artwork An audio-visual display device for pictorial artwork is disclosed. The preferred embodiment has a universal backbox which contains a lightboard capable of lighting up any and/or all sections of a pictorial artwork placed above it, a hidden electric eye for detecting... | 03/07/2006 |
| 6932703 | Method and apparatus for a slot machine gaming device simulating a bank robbery A slot machine game that simulates a bank robbery is provided having a vault mechanical assembly that includes a plurality of doors and gates that may be sequentially opened by attaining winning outcomes at successive levels of the game. Upon completion of each leve... | 08/23/2005 |
| 6889977 | Game machine and game parlor A game machine enabled to make various responses by adding the psychosomatic state and emotion of the player as one of conditions for determining the responding manner. The psychosomatic state of the player is grasped to change the responses in accordance with the p... | 05/10/2005 |
| 6641136 | Sports pinball amusement device A sports game pinball amusement device for playing a sports game. The playing field contains a plurality slots with sensors for determining the activity in a game and a multiplicity of slots with sensors representing the final. The game is played by launc... | 11/04/2003 |
| 6581931 | Game board structure for construction toy set A game board structure for a construction toy set. A basic game board is formed of three generally rectangular panel assemblies of hollow construction. The panels have interengaging projections and recesses for mechanically locking the panels together to ... | 06/24/2003 |
| 6499741 | Game machine and game parlor A game machine enabled to make various responses by adding the psychosomatic state and emotion of the player as one of conditions for determining the responding manner. The psychosomatic state of the player is grasped to change the responses in accordance... | 12/31/2002 |
| 6491296 | Arcade game with spinning wheel bonus An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 12/10/2002 |
| 6446964 | Computerized game apparatus with progressive bonus An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 09/10/2002 |
| 6406018 | Game apparatus A game apparatus which comprises an upper surface and a lower surface which together define an intermediate chamber. The upper surface has a plurality of apertures each of which is provided with a closure device such as a pair of shutters, a sliding door,... | 06/18/2002 |
| 6402140 | Automatic ball-starting device of football game table Automatic ball-starting device of football game table, including multiple ball-guiding tubes and a controlling box. Two ball-guiding tubes respectively extend from two goals on two sides of the football game table to the controlling box disposed at the ce... | 06/11/2002 |
| 6390470 | Card game pinball amusement device A card game pinball amusement device for playing a card game. The playing field contains four slots with sensors for determining the suit of the cards and at least 12 slots with sensors representing the value of the cards. The game is played by launching ... | 05/21/2002 |
| 6371853 | Motion pinball game A motion pinball game comprises a player station, a playing field, a motion control interface, and a motion platform. The player station and the playing field are coupled to the motion platform. A motion control interface generates a motion command that i... | 04/16/2002 |
| 6311975 | Combination two player pinball machine and remote control therefor A two-player pinball machine with a remote control unit for a second player. The invention includes a pinball machine having a play field including a plurality of spaced scoring bumpers and pinball striking members mounted on the play field. A pinball pro... | 11/06/2001 |
| 6299164 | Floating/dropping ball game table structure Floating/dropping ball game table structure including a ball game table and a seat compartment. The ball game table includes a serve section, a lane section and a pocket section. A starting point is disposed on the serve section for the floating/dropping ... | 10/09/2001 |
| 6279904 | Pinball machine with sloping playing field The present invention provides a pinball machine having downward and side sloping playing field and a plurality of slots at the bottom of the playing field. The slots have sensor which can be selectively activated to detect the presence of a ball so as to... | 08/28/2001 |
| 6279902 | Game system A game machine enabled to make various responses by adding the psychosomatic state and emotion of the player as one of conditions for determining the responding manner. The psychosomatic state of the player is grasped to change the responses in accordance... | 08/28/2001 |
| 6244595 | Progressive bonus ticket redemption arcade game An arcade game including a progressive bonus apparatus connected to a plurality of individual game units. The progressive bonus apparatus receives score contributions from each game unit to increase a progressive score. When players achieve a predetermine... | 06/12/2001 |
| 6227967 | Prize redemption game apparatus A prize redemption game apparatus includes an elongated runway, an elastic abutment member at the second end of the runway, and a rollable object disposed for rolling travel along the runway between the first end and the second end. The playing is dispose... | 05/08/2001 |
| 6217025 | Game apparatus A game apparatus that has a goal corresponding to the number of a player and is designed to cause the player to move a target to the goal in a playing field. The game apparatus has a plurality of tossing devices disposed on the playing field for tossing a... | 04/17/2001 |
| 6213874 | Collector card/phone card dispensing system with promotional free spin/free draw game feature A system for dispensing collector's series cards to a collector includes a currency acceptor and card dispenser controlled by a computer. As a promotion to encourage the sale of the collector's cards, the system includes a game sub-system that provides th... | 04/10/2001 |
| 6199861 | Method and kit for retrofitting a pinball machine A pinball machine has been designed with several novel mechanical and electrical features such that it is easily updatable, or alternately, retrofittable or convertible between a first pinball game and a second pinball game. The pinball machine includes a... | 03/13/2001 |
| 6189885 | Game of the table soccer type A game, of the table soccer type, comprises a playing surface, pieces imitating players and a ball simulating a football. It has, along the table, on each of two opposite sides, a series of control levers, each lever corresponding to the movement of a pla... | 02/20/2001 |
