In the United States, patents are issued only in the name of the inventor. However, most companies require their employees whose work may be patentable to agree in advance to assign all their patent rights to the company.
The following patents are from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Patent Database which show Atari as the Assignee. Clicking on them will take you to the database and show you the Specification in HTML.
The complete Patent Images (including the drawings) are in TIFF format and require a TIFF viewer.
I recommend the Alternatiff TIFF browser plug-in from Medical Informatics Engineering (It's free.)
Notes about patent numbers:
1. Patent numbers that begin with 'D' are Design Patents and cover only the appearance of the invention.
2. Patent numbers that begin with a number are Utility Patents that cover the functionality of the invention.
3. Patent numbers that begin with 'RE' are Reissued patents, where the inventor decided to revise the claims of an already issued patent or correct significant errors in the specification.
In reading a patent, bear in mind that the Claims are what legally define the invention. The purpose of the Specification is to support and interpret the Claims.
Just because something is in the Specification doesn't mean the Inventor is claiming to have invented it.
It's the Claims that define the invention.
Also, don't think you know what the invention is by reading the Abstract. The purpose of the Abstract is solely to provide search terms.
And, finally, a standard disclaimer.
I am not a Patent Attorney or a Patent Agent. This information is being provided as a public service to those interested in the historical aspects of video games. Nothing here should be construed as legal advice.
If you are interested in learning more about patents, there is a great deal of it on the USPTO Web Site.
Another good source is David Pressman's Patent It Yourself from Nolo Press. The information is useful even if you have a patent attorney.
Jed Margolin 1/8/2001
1 D421,070 Electronic video game console
2 5,681,043 Compression actuated game or simulation apparatus
3 5,660,547 Scenario development system for vehicle simulators
4 5,621,431 Animation system having variable video display rate
5 5,618,179 Driver training system and method with performance data feedback
6 5,618,178 Vehicle simulator with low frequency sound feedback
7 5,616,031 System and method of shadowing an object in motion
8 5,607,356 Interactive game film
9 5,607,308 Vehicle simulator with realistic operating feedback
10 5,577,913 System and method for driver training with multiple driver competition
11 5,573,402 System and method for coloring polygon using dithering
13 5,519,826 Stop motion animation system
14 5,474,453 Scenario development system for vehicle simulators
15 5,435,554 Baseball simulation system
16 5,415,549 Method for coloring a polygon on a video display
17 D355,879 Steering wheel configuration
18 5,368,484 Vehicle simulator with realistic operating feedback
19 5,366,376 Driver training system and method with performance data feedback
20 5,364,271 Bicycle and motorcycle riding simulation system
21 5,363,119 Scaling processor for raster images
22 5,354,202 System and method for driver training with multiple driver competition
23 5,299,810 Vehicle simulator including cross-network feedback
24 5,286,024 System for sensing the position of a joystick
25 5,275,565 Modular display simulator and method
26 5,269,687 System and method for recursive driver training
28 5,240,417 System and method for bicycle riding simulation
29 5,235,677 Raster graphics color palette architecture for multiple display objects
30 5,203,563 Shaker control device
31 5,197,003 Gearshift for a vehicle simulator having a solenoid for imposing a resistance force
32 5,154,313 Modular ticket storage tray
33 5,116,051 Strain gauge pressure-sensitive video game control
35 D320,624 Hand-held electronic game apparatus housing
37 D318,273 Video game cartridge
38 D318,073 Driving video game cabinet
39 5,005,148 Driving simulator with moving painted dashboard
40 4,992,631 Multi-directional switch assembly
41 4,988,892 Method and circuit for generating dependent clock signals
42 4,970,690 Memory cell arrangement supporting bit-serial arithmetic
43 4,969,647 Invertible hand-held electronic game apparatus
44 4,960,117 Rear entry booth and seat for a sit-down video game
45 4,949,119 Gearshift for a vehicle simulator using computer controlled realistic real world forces
46 4,930,074 Multiple stamp motion objects in a video game system
47 4,905,168 Object processing for video system using slips and linked list
48 4,875,459 Gattling-like gun
49 4,862,156 Video computer system including multiple graphics controllers and associated method
50 4,807,886 Amusement game with dispensed targets
52 4,496,936 Digital-analog conversion for shaft encoders
53 D277,155 Display unit for a video game system or the like
54 4,471,465 Video display system with multicolor graphics selection
55 4,471,464 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
56 4,471,463 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
57 4,469,330 Controller unit for video game
58 4,467,412 Slave processor with clock controlled by internal ROM & master processor
59 4,459,578 Finger control joystick utilizing Hall effect
60 4,451,900 Method and apparatus for text editing display
61 4,445,114 Apparatus for scrolling a video display
62 4,435,779 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
63 4,435,746 Inductive reactive voltage regulator
64 D272,835 Lower housing for a control unit for a video game
65 4,432,067 Memory cartridge for video game system
66 D272,342 Cartridge for video game unit
68 4,423,870 Video game collision detection system
69 4,421,317 Electronic game apparatus using a three-dimensional image
70 D271,891 Video game console
71 D271,313 Video game controller
72 D271,312 Video game controller
73 D271,311 Video game console
74 4,404,629 Data processing system with latch for sharing instruction fields
75 4,388,620 Method and apparatus for generating elliptical images on a raster-type video display
76 D269,087 Image game cartridge
77 D268,689 Remote control unit for electronic game
78 4,375,585 Deformable switch keyboard
79 4,372,007 Releaseable hinge mechanism
80 4,368,515 Bank switchable memory system
82 4,339,778 Dual floppy disc machine
84 4,337,444 Radio frequency oscillator-modulator circuit
85 4,324,401 Method and system for generating moving objects on a video display screen
86 D263,472 Floppy disk housing
87 4,319,099 Dome switch having contacts offering extended wear
89 4,314,236 Apparatus for producing a plurality of audio sound effects
91 4,301,473 Method and apparatus for video signal resolution enhancement
92 4,299,446 Compound anamorphic mirror and frame for off-axis reflected image modification
93 D261,644 Memory module housing
94 4,296,476 Data processing system with programmable graphics generator
95 D260,881 Memory module housing
96 4,275,611 Joystick controller
97 4,253,090 Contactless ball shooter apparatus for pinball game
98 4,244,574 Pinball machine with conical playfield
99 4,235,438 Pinball game spinning target
100 D257,560 Hand held communication aid for the mute and hearing impaired
101 4,214,360 Method of making a radio frequency oscillator-modulator with ground metallization
102 D255,565 Video game control unit
103 4,200,780 Control assembly with rotating disc cover for sliding control
104 D254,544 Video game control unit
105 4,193,108 Apparatus for securely fastening a circuit board to a circuit board edge connector
106 4,192,507 Light actuated shooting arcade game
107 4,190,252 Multiple drop target assembly for amusement game
109 4,189,145 Apparatus for continuous rotation simulation of video images
110 4,180,267 Ball rollover switch assembly
111 4,174,836 Game for simulating submarine conning station
113 D253,061 Submarine amusement game cabinet
116 D252,926 Game control console
117 4,167,019 Video image generator
118 D252,753 Video game cartridge assembly
119 4,165,072 Method of operating a video game
120 4,164,759 Voltage controlled oscillator
122 4,152,671 Oscillator-modulator apparatus and method therefor
123 4,149,027 TV game cartridge and method
124 4,148,485 Driving games method for automatically controlled cars
125 D251,452 Electronic game control cabinet
126 4,142,722 Seat mounted simulated weapon and target shooting game
127 4,139,968 Puppet-like apparatus
128 D251,143 Game control console
129 4,139,863 Chroma generation system
130 4,133,530 Game table for booth installation
136 4,130,830 Method and apparatus for homogeneous exposure of video display screen
137 D250,608 Game control console
138 D250,607 Game control console
139 D250,606 Game control console
141 D250,264 Electronic control cabinet
143 4,116,444 Method for generating a plurality of moving objects on a video display screen
144 4,112,422 Method and apparatus for generating moving objects on a video display screen
145 4,107,665 Apparatus for continuous variation of object size on a raster type video screen
146 4,107,642 Potentiometer joystick
148 4,104,625 Apparatus for providing facial image animation
150 4,099,719 System and method for automatic alignment of gun with video display
151 4,099,092 Television display alignment system and method
154 4,091,234 Joystick with attached circuit elements
155 D247,746 Hand held control unit
157 4,081,829 Audio activated video display
158 4,075,621 Hand held communication aid for the dumb
160 4,071,697 Interactive video/telephone transmission system
164 4,054,919 Video image positioning control system
165 4,045,789 Animated video image display system and method
166 4,016,362 Multiple image positioning control system and method
171
3,793,483 Video image positioning control system
for amusement device
(This appears to be Nolan Bushnell's first video game patent)
172
3,728,480 Television gaming and training apparatus
(not Atari, This is the Sanders Associates Baer patent)