Jeffrey Michael Allen

US Patent:

8167713, May 1, 2012

Filed:

Aug 4, 2009

Appl. No.:

13/057294

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Mark B. Gagner - West Chicago IL, US
Damon E. Gura - Chicago IL, US
James S. Halprin - Chicago IL, US
Jeremy M. Hornik - Chicago IL, US
Joel R. Jaffe - Glenview IL, US
John M. Koszarek - Chicago IL, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 9/24

US Classification:

463 29

Abstract:

A wagering game developer can support an online wager gaming community and provide digital representatives to members to enhance real-life wager gaming experience. A digital representative of a wagering game player can be imported from a remote store associated with an online wager gaming community. Data associated with the digital representative can also be imported. Wagering game activity of the wagering game player at one or more electronic wagering game machines in a wagering game establishment is determined. One or more digital representative data updates for the digital representative are determined based, at least in part, on the determined wagering game activity of the wagering game player. The one or more digital representative updates are applied to the data associated with the digital representative. The digital representative and the updated data associated with the digital representative are exported.

US Patent:

8360862, Jan 29, 2013

Filed:

Sep 23, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/678206

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Damon E. Gura - Chicago IL, US
Jeremy M. Hornik - Chicago IL, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 13/00
A63F 9/24
G06F 17/00
G06F 19/00
A63F 13/12

US Classification:

463 25, 463 16, 463 20, 463 23, 463 33, 2731381, 273139, 705 56, 705 67, 709205, 709207, 902 2, 902 4, 902 5, 902 23

Abstract:

Described herein are processes and devices that integrate social contact identifiers into wagering games. One of the devices described is a social contact identifier integrator. The social contact identifier integrator can display one or more elements of a wagering game, such as graphics that are part of, or connected to, the wagering game. A player of the wagering game can have a social network account that has one or more related social network accounts, such as friends or acquaintances. The social contact identifier integrator selects a social contact identifier from one of the related social network accounts and integrates the social contact identifier into the wagering game. The social contact identifier integrator can also determine and assign rewards to the player or to the related social network account whose social contact identifier appeared in the wagering game.

US Patent:

8393948, Mar 12, 2013

Filed:

Jul 20, 2010

Appl. No.:

13/386234

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Brian J. Barclay - Atlanta GA, US
Mark B. Gagner - West Chicago IL, US
Andrew C. Guinn - Chicago IL, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 9/24

US Classification:

463 16, 463 25, 463 29, 463 42

Abstract:

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include determining that an online communal wagering game (communal game) requests additional players. The online communal wagering game can be provided by a wagering game provider. The operations can further include determining one or more social network user accounts (social network accounts) available to play in the online communal wagering game. The social network accounts can from different social network websites, servers, etc. , across the Internet, or other communications networks. The operations can further include aggregating the one or more social network accounts into a communal wagering game session, controlling the communal game with bets from the aggregated social network accounts, and providing social communication content that the social network accounts can use to communicate, receive notifications, view game replays, trade items, etc. The operations can also include using jurisdictional rules to control wagering functionality.

US Patent:

8506405, Aug 13, 2013

Filed:

Nov 5, 2010

Appl. No.:

12/940987

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Mark B. Gagner - West Chicago IL, US
Damon E. Gura - Chicago IL, US
Krishnakumar Meluveettil - Naperville IL, US
Richard B. Robbins - Glenview IL, US
Richard T. Schwartz - Chicago IL, US
Matthew J. Ward - Northbrook IL, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 9/24

US Classification:

463 42, 463 21, 463 16

Abstract:

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In some embodiments, the operations can include transmitting game content from a wagering game server to a gaming machine via a network to present a wagering game at the gaming machine for a player, and generating and storing video of one or more rounds of the wagering game. The operations can also include receiving, at the wagering game server via the network, video of the player playing the one or more rounds of the wagering game. The operations can further include combining the video of the one or more rounds of the wagering game with the video of the player playing the one or more rounds of the wagering game, and storing and providing access to the combined video via the network to a player account associated with the player.

US Patent:

8529338, Sep 10, 2013

Filed:

Sep 30, 2009

Appl. No.:

13/122652

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Larry J. Pacey - Northbrook IL, US
Matthew J. Ward - Northbrook IL, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 9/24

US Classification:

463 25

Abstract:

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include determining an achievement by a player account that occurs during a wagering game session and rewarding the player accounts achievement according to achievement settings or business rules. The operations can also include generating achievement data with marketing metadata and providing the achievement data to a marketing provider to market to the player account based on the achievement data. In some embodiments, the operations can also include presenting the achievement data on a website, such as a personal wagering game web log “gaming blog”.

US Patent:

8550920, Oct 8, 2013

Filed:

May 23, 2011

Appl. No.:

13/113563

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Danijel Stankovic - Evanston IL, US
John R. Werneke - Naperville IL, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

G06F 17/00

US Classification:

463 42, 463 29, 463 25

Abstract:

A wagering game system and its operations are described herein. In embodiments, the operations can include detecting a request to login a player account via a widget embedded in host content. The operations can further include detecting a selection of a wagering game theme, via the widget, for a wagering game that the player account has previously played and presenting a collection of widget content that the player account is authorized to access, via the widget, based on statistics, playing history, achievements, etc. of the wagering game. The operations can further include detecting a selection of a non-wagering game from the collection of widget content and providing a non-wagering game via the widget. The operations can further include providing customized information for a host and/or the player account via the widget based on statistics from the wagering game content or from the widget content.

US Patent:

8622815, Jan 7, 2014

Filed:

May 19, 2008

Appl. No.:

12/937592

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Peter R. Anderson - Glenview IL, US
Christopher R. Barney - Las Vegas NV, US
Larry J. Pacey - Northbrook IL, US
Alfred Thomas - Las Vegas NV, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming, Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 9/24
A63F 13/00
G06F 17/00
G06F 19/00

US Classification:

463 25, 463 16, 463 20, 463 40, 463 42, 273292, 705 35

Abstract:

Described herein are processes and devices that authorize and manage wagering agents and associated accounts. One of the devices described is a wagering game system. The wagering game system can detecting a request from a first player account to utilize a shared wagering fund to wager on a wagering game. The shared wagering fund can be funded by a second player account. The wagering game system can make the shared wagering fund available to the first player account to wager on a wagering game. The wagering game system can determine a game award produced by the wagering game. The system can then allocate a portion of the game award to the second player account.

US Patent:

8628422, Jan 14, 2014

Filed:

Oct 14, 2009

Appl. No.:

13/124247

Inventors:

Jeffrey L. Allen - Naperville IL, US
Peter R. Anderson - Glenview IL, US
Stephen P. Angelo - Chicago IL, US
Mark B. Gagner - West Chicago IL, US
Alfred Thomas - Las Vegas NV, US

Assignee:

WMS Gaming Inc. - Waukegan IL

International Classification:

A63F 9/24

US Classification:

463 42, 463 16, 463 20, 463 25, 2731381, 273139

Abstract:

A gaming system having virtual assets comprises a wager input device, at least one gaming terminal comprising a display for displaying a wagering game, and a virtual asset server in communication with the at least one gaming terminal, the virtual asset server storing and managing one or more types of virtual assets, each type of virtual asset having a different plurality of attributes associated therewith. The system comprises at least one controller operative to cause the first display to display the first wagering game, in response to a first triggering event, award one or more of the virtual assets to a player of the first wagering game, store information regarding the awarded virtual assets in a player account associated with the player and accessible to the virtual asset server, and provide a monetary award to the player for any winning outcomes achieved during play of the first wagering game.