Author: claimsbot

1. A system for providing an award to a plurality of players, comprising:
a plurality of gaming devices, each of the gaming devices including a display device; and
a system controller coupled to each of the gaming devices, the system controller configured to:
initiate a bonus game and display the bonus game on a set of gaming devices, each gaming device included in the set of gaming devices being associated with a qualified player, the bonus game including a predefined set of bonus game symbols;
select a bonus game symbol for each qualified player from the predefined set of bonus game symbols and associate each selected bonus game symbol with the corresponding qualified player;
randomly select a winning bonus game symbol from the predefined set of bonus game symbols;
determine a number of winning qualified players associated with the winning bonus game symbol; and
provide a bonus award to each of the winning qualified players.
2. A system in accordance with claim 1, the system controller configured to:
allow each of the qualified players to select the associated bonus game symbol from the predefined set of bonus game symbols.
3. A system in accordance with claim 1, the system controller configured to:
conduct an elimination round associated with bonus game including randomly selecting a group of remaining bonus game symbols from the predefined set of bonus game symbols, the group of remaining bonus game symbols including a fewer number of symbols than a number of symbols included in the predefined set of bonus game symbols; and
conduct a final round including randomly selecting the winning bonus game symbol from the group of remaining bonus game symbols.
4. A system in accordance with claim 3, the system controller configured to:
adjust a selection probability associated with each bonus game symbol included in the group of remaining bonus game symbols; and
randomly select the winning bonus game symbol as a function of adjusted selection probabilities.
5. A system in accordance with claim 3, the system controller configured to conduct a plurality of elimination rounds and, for each elimination round, select a current group of remaining bonus game symbols from a previous group of remaining bonus game symbols associated with a previous elimination round, the current group having fewer symbols than the previous group.
6. A system in accordance with claim 5, the system controller configured to randomly select a number of elimination rounds being conducted with the bonus game.
7. A system in accordance with claim 5, the system controller configured to allow a system user to select a number of elimination rounds included in the bonus game and the number of bonus symbols included in the predefined set of bonus symbols.
8. A system in accordance with claim 1, further comprising:
a database including a plurality of player accounts, each player account being associated with a corresponding player and including a plurality of associated player criteria, the system controller configured to:
generate the bonus game including a set of qualification criteria indicative of the qualified player;
receive a request from a player to participate in the bonus game, the request being received via a corresponding gaming device and including a unique player identification;
determine a player account associated with the player as a function of the received unique identification; and
determine the player to be the qualified player if the player criteria included in the associated player account matches the qualification criteria, and responsively display the bonus feature game on the corresponding gaming device.
9. A method of providing an award to a plurality of players, including the steps of:
initiating, by a system controller, a bonus game being displayed on a plurality of gaming devices, each of the plurality of gaming devices being associated with a qualified player, the bonus game including a predefined set of bonus game symbols;
selecting a bonus game symbol for each qualified player from the predefined set of bonus game symbols and associating each selected bonus game symbol with the corresponding qualified player;
randomly selecting a winning bonus game symbol from the predefined set of bonus game symbols;
determining a number of winning qualified players associated with the winning bonus game symbol; and
providing a bonus award to each of the winning qualified players.
10. A method in accordance with claim 9, including the step of allowing each of the qualified players to select the associated bonus game symbol from the predefined set of bonus game symbols.
11. A method in accordance with claim 9, including the steps of:
conducting an elimination round associated with bonus game including randomly selecting a group of remaining bonus game symbols from the predefined set of bonus game symbols, the group of remaining bonus game symbols including a fewer number of symbols than a number of symbols included in the predefined set of bonus game symbols; and
conducting a final round including randomly selecting the winning bonus game symbol from the group of remaining bonus game symbols.
12. A method in accordance with claim 11, including the steps of:
adjusting a selection probability associated with each bonus game symbol included in the group of remaining bonus game symbols; and
randomly selecting the winning bonus game symbol as a function of adjusted selection probabilities.
13. A method in accordance with claim 11, including the step of conducting a plurality of elimination rounds and, for each elimination round, selecting a current group of remaining bonus game symbols from a previous group of remaining bonus game symbols associated with a previous elimination round, the current group having fewer symbols than the previous group.
14. A method in accordance with claim 13, including the step of randomly select a number of elimination rounds being conducted with the bonus game.
15. A method in accordance with claim 13, including the steps of allowing a system user to select a number of elimination rounds included in the bonus game and the number of bonus symbols included in the predefined set of bonus symbols.
16. A system in accordance with claim 9, including the steps of:
generating the bonus game including a set of qualification criteria indicative of the qualified player;
receiving a request from a player to participate in the bonus game, the request being received via a corresponding gaming device and including a unique player identification;
determining a player account associated with the player as a function of the received unique identification; and
determining the player to be the qualified player if the player criteria included in the associated player account matches the qualification criteria.
17. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media, having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
initiate a bonus game and display the bonus game on a set of gaming devices, each gaming device included in the set of gaming devices being associated with a qualified player, the bonus game including a predefined set of bonus game symbols;
select a bonus game symbol for each qualified player from the predefined set of bonus game symbols and associate each selected bonus game symbol with the corresponding qualified player;
randomly select a winning bonus game symbol from the predefined set of bonus game symbols;
determine a number of winning qualified players associated with the winning bonus game symbol; and
provide a bonus award to each of the winning qualified players.
18. The one or more computer-readable storage media according to claim 17, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
conduct an elimination round associated with bonus game including randomly selecting a group of remaining bonus game symbols from the predefined set of bonus game symbols, the group of remaining bonus game symbols including a fewer number of symbols than a number of symbols included in the predefined set of bonus game symbols; and
conduct a final round including randomly selecting the winning bonus game symbol from the group of remaining bonus game symbols.
19. The one or more computer-readable storage media according to claim 18, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to conduct a plurality of elimination rounds and, for each elimination round, select a current group of remaining bonus game symbols from a previous group of remaining bonus game symbols associated with a previous elimination round, the current group having fewer symbols than the previous group.
20. The one or more computer-readable storage media according to claim 17, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:
generate the bonus game including a set of qualification criteria indicative of the qualified player;
receive a request from a player to participate in the bonus game, the request being received via a corresponding gaming device and including a unique player identification;
determine a player account associated with the player as a function of the received unique identification; and
determine the player to be the qualified player if the player criteria included in the associated player account matches the qualification criteria.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1-41. (canceled)
42. A method of heat treating a 718-type nickel-base alloy comprising:
selecting a 718-type nickel-base alloy comprising, in weight percent, up to 0.1% carbon, from 12% to 20% chromium, up to 4% molybdenum, up to 6% tungsten, from 5% to 12% cobalt, up to 14% iron, from 4% to 8% niobium, from 0.6% to 2.6% aluminum, from 0.4% to 1.4% titanium, from 0.003% to 0.03% phosphorus, from 0.003% to 0.015% boron, and balance nickel;
wherein a sum of the weight percent of molybdenum and the weight percent of tungsten is at least 2% and not more than 8%;
wherein a sum of atomic percent aluminum and atomic percent titanium is from 2% to 6%;
wherein a ratio of atomic percent aluminum to atomic percent titanium is at least 1.5; and
wherein the sum of atomic percent aluminum and atomic percent titanium, that sum divided by atomic percent niobium is from 0.8 to 1.3

solution treating the 718-type nickel-base alloy for no greater than 4 hours at a solution temperature ranging from 1725\xb0 F. to 1850\xb0 F.;
cooling the nickel-base alloy at a first cooling rate after solution treating the nickel-base alloy;
aging the solution treated nickel-base alloy in a first aging treatment for no greater than 8 hours at a temperature ranging from 1365\xb0 F. to 1450\xb0 F.; and
aging the nickel-base alloy in a second aging treatment for at least 8 hours at a second aging temperature, the second aging temperature ranging from 1150\xb0 F. to 1300\xb0 F.;
wherein the heat treatment produces microstructure comprising:
\u03b3\u2032-phase precipitates and \u03b3\u2033-phase precipitates, wherein the \u03b3\u2032-phase precipitates are predominatnt strengthening precipitates in the nickel-base alloy; and
an amount of grain boundary precipitates sufficient to pin the majority of the grain boundaries in the matrix, the grain boundary precipitates being selected form the group consisting of \u03b4-phase, \u03b7-phase, and mixtures thereof, and having short, generally rod-shaped morphologies; and

wherein the heat treatments produce a 718-type nickel-base alloy with thermally stable mechanical properties.
43. The method of claim 26 wherein solution treating the 718-type nickel-base alloy comprises heating the nickel-base alloy for no greater than 2 hours at a solution temperature ranging from 1750\xb0 F. to 1800\xb0 F.
44. The method of claim 26 wherein the first cooling rate is at least 800\xb0 F. per hour.
45. The method of claim 26 wherein aging the nickel-base alloy in a second aging treatment comprises heating the nickel-base alloy at a second aging temperature ranging from 1150\xb0 F. to 1200\xb0 F.
46. The method of claim 26 wherein after heat treating, the nickel-base alloy has a yield strength at 1300\xb0 F. of at least 120 ksi, a percent elongation at 1300\xb0 F. of at least 12 percent, a notched stress-rupture life of at least 300 hours as measured at 1300\xb0 F. and 80 ksi, and a low notch-sensitivity.

1. A compound of formula (1A-IV), or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof:
wherein ring A represents a benzene ring which is substituted with R5 and (R6)n, or an imidazole ring which is substituted with R5 and (R6)n;
B represents formula (ix):
wherein B is attached para to the NR1R2 substituent on the phenyl ring, and each of R12, R13, R14, and R15 represents a hydrogen atom, an unsubstituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms, an unsubstituted phenyl group or a cyclic alkyl group with 3 to 12 carbon atoms, or R12 and R13 may join together to make a five- or six-membered) ring;
D represents a nitro group, or an amino group substituted with R3 and R4;
each of R1, R2, R3, and R4 represents a) a hydrogen atom, b) an unsubstituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms, c) a substituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms which is substituted with 1) a phenyl group which may have further one or more substituents, 2) a naphthyl group, 3) a cyclic alkyl aroup with 3 to 6 carbon atoms, 4) a thienyl group, 5) a furyl group, 6) a thiazolyl group, 7) an isothiazolyl group, 8) an imidazolyl group, 9) a pyridyl group, or 10) a benzyloxy group, d) an unsubstituted alkenyl group with 2 to 12 carbon atoms, e) a substituted alkenyl group with 2 to 12 carbon atom which is substituted with phenyl group, f) an unsubstituted alkynyl group with 2 to 12 carbon atoms, g) a substituted alkynyl group with 2 to 12 carbon atom which is substituted with phenyl group, h) a phenyl group which may have further one or more substituents, i) an unsubstituted naphthyl group, j) an substituted acyl group with 1 to 18 carbon atoms, k) an unsubstituted pyridyl group, furyl group, or thienyl group, l) a cyclic alkyl group with 3 to 6 carbon atoms, or m) a tetrahydrothiapyrane-4-yl group; with R1, R2, R3, and R4 being the same or different,
proviso that neither R1 and R2 nor R3 and R4 are joined together to form a five-, six-, or seven-membered ring which may comprise nitrogen atoms, oxygen atoms, or sulfur atoms;
wherein each of said one or more substituents on said phenyl group in c) and h) is halogen atom, alkyl group with 1 to 20 carbon atom, alkoxy group with 1 to 20 carbon atom, thiol group, nitro group, alkylamino group with 1 to 20 carbon atom, amino group, cyano group, hydroxyl group, alkylthio group with 1 to 20 carbon atom, carboxyl group, alkoxycarbonyl group with 1 to 20 carbon atom, acetamide group, or dimethylaminopropoxy group;
R5 represents an unsubstituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms, a hydrogen atom, or a carboxyl group;
R6 in (R6)n (wherein n is the number of substitutions of R6 and represents 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) represents a hydrogen atom; and
each of R7, R8, and R9 represents a hydrogen atom.
2. A pharmaceutical composition comprising i) a compound according to claim 1, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and ii) a phannaceutical acceptable carrier.
3. The compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1,
wherein each of R1 and R2 represents a) a hydrogen atom, b) an unsubstituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms, or l) a cyclic alkyl group with 3 to 6 carbon atoms, and
each of R3 and R4 represents a) a hydrogen atom, b) an unsubstituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms, c) a substituted alkyl group with 1 to 12 carbon atoms which is substituted with 1) a phenyl group which may have further substituents, 3) a cyclic alkyl group with 3 to 6 carbon atoms, 4) a thienyl group, 5) a furyl group, 6) a thiazolyl group, or 10) a benzyloxy group, e) a substituted alkenyl group with 2 to 12 carbon atom which is substituted with phenyl group, h) a phenyl group which may have further substituents, l) a cyclic alkyl group with 3 to 6 carbon atoms, or m) a tetrahydrothiapyrane-4-yl group.
4. The compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 3,
wherein each of said one or more substituents on said phenyl group in c) and h) is nitro group, hydroxyl group, aceramide group, or dimethylaminopropoxy group.
5. The compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1, which has the structure:
6. The compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1, which has the structure:
7. The compound or pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof according to claim 1, which has the structure:

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A office worker activity monitoring device for monitoring the activity of a worker in an office environment, the device comprising a carrier adapted for releasable attachment to a user, a motion sensor mounted on the carrier to detect motion of the user; a processor also mounted on the carrier that receives motion information from the motion sensor and which differentiates motion attributable to the user performing a defined exercise from the overall pattern of motion detected, and an alarm adapted to be triggered should a time period elapse without the motion attributable to the user performing the defined exercise being detected, wherein the defined exercise and time period are such that the alarm is triggered if the user has not correctly exercised sufficiently frequently to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis, and wherein all of the components of the device are self contained on the user such that the device is portable within the office environment.
2. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the processor includes a timer adapted to count the time period, and be reset if the user correctly performs the defined exercise.
3. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the motion sensor comprises a movable contact head mounted on a shaft, and contact plates at right angles to each other and adjacent the contact head to detect movement by contact of the head with the contact plates.
4. A device as claimed in claim 3 wherein the motion sensor includes a calibration actuator that is in contact with the shaft and is able to detect vibrations and adjust the motion of the contact head.
5. A device as claimed in claim 4 wherein the calibration actuator is linked to the processor and dynamically adjusts the motion of the contact head to minimise the effect of background motion.
6. A device as claimed in claim 1 wherein the carrier includes a shell within which the processor, motion sensor and alarm are mounted.
7. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which carrier is adapted for attachment to a user’s clothes.
8. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the defined exercise processor is adapted to detect andor the time period may be adjusted.
9. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the alarm includes at least one of an audible signal generator, a light source, and a vibrator.
10. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which the processor includes a computer memory and software adapted to perform an analysis of data received from the motion sensor to differentiate the motion attributable to the user performing the defined exercise from the background motion.
11. A device as claimed in claim 10, in which the software running in the processor defines several modes of operation including: a learning mode in which specific performance of the defined exercise is detected and used to calibrate the device to minimise background motion; and a normal mode during which the calibrated device monitors the activity of the user on a journey.
12. A device as claimed in claim 1, in which there is further provided a user interface to provide information to the user andor to allow input by the user of information.
13. A device as claimed in claim 12, wherein the user interface allows input of information selected from the group consisting of the type of office environment, the user’s height, the user’s weight, the user’s age and the user’s lifestyle.
14. A device as claimed in claim 1, which also includes means for transmitting data concerning the activity of the user.
15. A device as claimed in claim 1, which also includes means for receiving data, such as data concerning the user.
16. A method of preventing deep vein thrombosis in an office worker working in an office environment, the method comprising:
providing the worker with a self contained activity monitoring device comprising a motion sensor to detect motion of the worker; a processor that receives motion information from the motion sensor, and an alarm, the activity monitoring device being mounted on the working during a work period;
defining, on the basis of characteristics of the worker, an exercise pattern to be performed, including a frequency time period for its repetition, to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis;
processing in the processor the motion detected by the motion sensor during the work period to differentiate motion attributable to the worker performing the defined exercise pattern from the overall pattern of motion detected including the background motion caused in the work environment; and
notifying the worker, by means of the alarm, if insufficient or incorrect exercise is detected in order that the defined exercise pattern may be performed to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis.
17. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of defining the exercise pattern includes the inputting in to the device by the worker of information concerning their lifestyle and body characteristics.
18. A method as claimed in claim 16, wherein after the step of defining the exercise pattern, there is a further steps of placing the device in a calibration mode whilst the worker performs the desired exercise pattern, detecting a particular vibration profile associated with the performance of the exercise by the worker and storing that detected pattern for use during the work period when the device is not in the calibration mode.