Merit Industries, Inc.

Peter Feuer

John W Houriet, Jr

Jeffrey D Karn

John C Nydick

Kevin A Hassan

William A Rollin, Iii

James R Stelzer

A game machine includes a tournament mode for conducting automated tournaments. In the tournament mode, a plurality of tournament games are playable by a plurality of players on the game machine. Each of the plurality of tournament games generates a total player score upon completion of game play. The player scores are used to determine the tournament winners. One or more sequences of tournament games are preprogrammed from the plurality of tournament games, and a tournament period is programmed for each tournament game. The preprogrammed tournament game for each sequence is playable during the programmed tournament period for the respective sequence. A plurality of sequences of tournament games may be preprogrammed to run simultaneously. The tournament sequences may either continuously repeat or may end after the last tournament in the sequence is completed.

Game machine with automated tournament mode

A dart game controller and method of controlling a dart game is provided wherein a dart board has a plurality of target areas, each target area corresponding to a target value. A preset number of target values are stored in a memory. A mark detector identifies at a predetermined stage of game play which of the target values stored in the memory have been marked at least once by a player, but have not been marked more than a preset number of times by any of the plurality of players. Next, a number generator selects a replacement target value for each identified target value. The replacement target value is stored in the memory in place of the respective previous target value. The target value in the memory for each target value not identified by the mark detector remains unchanged. The method and apparatus is suitable for use in playing a variation of Random Cricket.

Method and apparatus for controlling cricket-based dart game

A dart board apparatus including a housing having a spider located therein. The spider is generally circular in shape and has a series of circumferentially and radially extending ribs which define a plurality of target segment openings, and a circumferential center rib which defines a center opening. A plurality of target segments are slidably disposed in the target segment openings. An annular outer bull segment, having a target surface with a center opening, and a generally tubular sidewall with at least two slots therethrough, is also provided. The outer bull is slidably disposed for movement within the center opening in the circumferential center rib. An inner bull segment is slidably disposed within the center opening in the outer bull segment. The inner bull segment includes at least two spokes, in an aligned position with the slots in the outer bull segment sidewall. Each spoke includes a first end connected to the inner bull, and a second end in slidable contact with the circumferential center rib so that the inner bull segment may slide independently of movement of the outer bull segment. At least one sensor is associated with each target segment, the outer bull segment and the inner bull segment.

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Rydal, PA, United States of America

Peter Feuer