Gaming systems, gaming devices and methods for incrementing progressive jackpots

• US 10,204,485 B2
• Filed: 01/29/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Korthauer, Jeffrey S., Nauman, Jeffry L., Patel, Yashpal Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Clarke, Jr., Robert T
• Application Number:
  US15/010,124
• Publication Number:
  US 20160232752A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,110 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine

Abstract

Presented herein are gaming systems, gaming machines, and methods for conducting wagering games. Gaming machines are disclosed which include a gaming cabinet, display device(s) and input device(s) coupled to the cabinet, and game-logic circuitry disposed within the cabinet. Game-logic circuitry is configured to: display on the display device a jackpot value of a progressive jackpot in a progressive jackpot meter; determine a meter speed for the progressive jackpot meter to incrementally display the jackpot value increase to a second jackpot value within a set time; determine a controlled meter position from the meter speed; determine a scroll speed for the controlled meter position; determine a respective scroll speed for each meter position to the right of the controlled meter position; display on the display device the progressive jackpot meter increasing to the second jackpot value as restricted by the first speed of scroll and any respective speeds of scroll.

Claims

1. An electronic gaming machine for conducting a casino wagering game, the casino wagering game being associated with a progressive jackpot, the electronic gaming machine comprising:

a gaming cabinet;

an electronic display device coupled to the gaming cabinet and configured to display outcomes of the casino wagering game;

an electronic input device coupled to the gaming cabinet and configured to receive a physical input from a player and transform the physical input into an electronic data signal; and

game-logic circuitry disposed within the gaming cabinet, the game-logic circuitry including a random element generator configured to generate one or more random elements associated with play of the casino wagering game, the game-logic circuitry being configured to;

receive from the electronic input device the electronic data signal indicating receipt of the physical input from the player;

initiate the casino wagering game in response to the electronic data signal received from the electronic input device;

determine an outcome of the casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements generated by the random element generator;

direct the electronic display device to display the outcome;

direct the electronic display device to display in a progressive jackpot meter a first jackpot value for the progressive jackpot;

determine a meter speed for the progressive jackpot meter to incrementally display the first jackpot value being increased to a second jackpot value within a set amount of time;

determine a controlled meter position from the meter speed;

determine a first speed of scroll for the controlled meter position;

determine a respective speed of scroll for each of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position, if any;

direct the electronic display device to display the progressive jackpot meter incrementally increasing to the second jackpot value as restricted by the first speed of scroll and any respective speeds of scroll; and

transmit an indication of an award in response to the outcome meeting a predetermined award criterion.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to determine the set amount of time during which the progressive jackpot meter must incrementally display the first jackpot value increase to the second jackpot value.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the set amount of time is determined in real-time with each increase of the progressive jackpot meter.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the set amount of time is a default amount of time fixed prior to the initiating the casino wagering game.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the meter speed is equal to a delta money value, comprising the difference between the second jackpot value and the first jackpot value, divided by the set amount of time.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the delta money value is an integer with units corresponding to the lowest denomination displayed in the progressive jackpot meter.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to receive a jackpot-increase signal indicating that the first jackpot value has increased to the second jackpot value, the determining the meter speed being in response to the receipt of the jackpot-increase signal.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the progressive jackpot meter includes a row of juxtaposed meter positions, each of the meter positions displaying integers corresponding to a respective base-ten value of a monetary unit.

9. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein each of the meter positions of the progressive jackpot meter is assigned a respective meter position number, the meter positions being numbered sequentially, starting at zero, from right-to-left, and wherein the controlled meter position is determined to be the meter position assigned meter position number N, where:

N=(number of digit places in meter speed−

1).

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the first speed of scroll for the controlled meter position is calculated as:

11. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the respective speed of scroll for each of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position is calculated as:

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game-logic circuitry is further configured to:

determine whether each of the respective speeds for each of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position is greater than a maximum allowable speed; and

in response to one of the respective speeds of one of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position being greater than a maximum allowable speed, setting the respective speed equal to the maximum allowable speed minus a predetermined offset value.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the increase from the first jackpot value to the second jackpot value is based, at least in part, on another physical input from the player as an indication of a wager to play the casino wagering game.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, further including a value input device disposed on the gaming cabinet and used to fund the casino wagering game.

15. A gaming system for conducting a wagering game, the wagering game being associated with a progressive jackpot, the gaming system comprising:

an electronic gaming machine including a gaming cabinet, an electronic display device, and an electronic input device, the electronic display device and the electronic input device being attached to the gaming cabinet, the electronic input device being configured to receive an input from a player to initiate the wagering game, the electronic display device being configured to display aspects of the wagering game; and

game-logic circuitry comprising one or more processors configured to;

initiate the wagering game in response to an electronic data signal received from the electronic input device responsive to the player input;

determine an outcome of the wagering game based, at least in part, on one or more random elements generated by one or more random element generators;

direct the electronic display device to display the outcome;

direct the electronic display device to display in a progressive jackpot meter a first jackpot value for the progressive jackpot;

determine a meter speed for the progressive jackpot meter to incrementally display the first jackpot value being increased to a second jackpot value within a set amount of time;

determine a controlled meter position from the meter speed;

determine a first speed of scroll for the controlled meter position;

determine a respective speed of scroll for each of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position, if any; and

direct the electronic display device to display the progressive jackpot meter incrementally increasing to the second jackpot value as restricted by the first speed of scroll and any respective speeds of scroll.

16. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the first speed of scroll for the controlled meter position is calculated as:

17. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the respective speed of scroll for each of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position is calculated as:

18. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the random element generator and the game-logic circuitry reside within the gaming cabinet.

19. The gaming system of claim 15, wherein the casino gaming machine includes a value input device disposed on the gaming cabinet and used to fund the casino wagering game.

20. A method of operating a gaming system, the gaming system including game-logic circuitry and an electronic gaming machine, the electronic gaming machine including a gaming cabinet with an electronic display device and an electronic input device coupled to the gaming cabinet, the game-logic circuitry including one or more processors, the method comprising:

receiving, by the electronic input device of the electronic gaming machine, a wager input from a player to initiate a casino wagering game, the casino wagering game being associated with a progressive jackpot;

generating one or more random elements with a electronic random element generator;

determining, via the game-logic circuitry, an outcome of the casino wagering game based, at least in part, on the one or more random elements;

displaying the outcome of the casino wagering game via the electronic display device of the electronic gaming machine;

displaying, via the electronic display device, a first jackpot value of the progressive jackpot in a progressive jackpot meter;

determining, via the game-logic circuitry, a meter speed for the progressive jackpot meter to incrementally display the first jackpot value being increased to a second jackpot value within a set amount of time;

determining, via the game-logic circuitry, a controlled meter position from the meter speed;

determining, via the game-logic circuitry, a first speed of scroll for the controlled meter position;

determining, via the game-logic circuitry, a respective speed of scroll for each of the meter positions to the right of the controlled meter position, if any;

displaying, via the electronic display device, the progressive jackpot meter incrementally increasing to the second jackpot value as restricted by the first speed of scroll and any respective speeds of scroll; and

transmitting, via the game-logic circuitry, an indication of an award to the player in response to the outcome meeting a predetermined award criterion.