As a reminder, I don’t include card shufflers, sorters, dealers, or trackers, nor lotto or gambling machines, nor electronic-only games unless I find something of particular interest.

System and method for providing online SMS games – Gaming by SMS, including presenting a list of games.

Method for controlling an intensity of an infrared source used to detect objects adjacent to an interactive display surface – By Microsoft, another patent for the Surface.

Gaming apparatus using integrated rollers for game pieces – Checkers, where you can’t lose the pieces:

A similar patent used dials to indicate the pieces; there is a “need” for one with rollers.

Game at cash register – Cantor Fitzgerald again. The abstract describes a simple game to play on your mobile phone when you buy something that might result in the return of your purchase price as a reward.

The patent goes on for 56 pages of incomprehensible text regarding short distance network communication, casinos, and who knows what else.

Board game system utilizing a robot arm – A board game system with a human playing against a robot arm on a touch screen. The touch screen is important, because a) the robot does not need to know how to grasp different sized pieces with interference, and b) it can be reused for any type of game. Assigned to Taiwan Tech.

East-west casino based upon chinese poker deck – Yet another patent by Gamelot for the same item.

Game having an electronic instruction unit with a mechanical die agitator – By Big Monster Toys, a game design shop for the likes of Hasbro and Mattel. An electronically controlled Pop-o-matic, such as included in the game X vs. Y by Techno Source.

Educational restaurant and travel game system – The idea of putting a bunch of small games into a box. Nothing to do with restaurants, etc. It just means some simple games that are handy to play at a restaurant, doctor’s office, etc.

Card game – By Cantor Fitzgerald. A deck of 24 cards, ace to six in four suits, to play dice games. Where do they get these crazy ideas?

Card game – A second patent for the same card fanning gadget. See Feb 09.

Automatic dice shaking system – A second patent for the same dice shaking gadget. See Jun 10.

Game setNew Wave Chess from Paradoxy Products.

Board game with 3D dynamic game play – Looks a heck of a lot like The Game of Life.

But I’m pretty sure that it’s the game Relic Raiders: Haunted Ruins. According to the patent, while there already exist board games with variable paths, and board games with 3D paths, there have never been board games with variable 3D paths. So it’s not obvious.

Proposition wagering card game – A design patent: