Gaming device, system and method for providing cascading progressive awards

• US 10,210,710 B2
• Filed: 07/29/2015
• Issued: 02/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LNW Gaming Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Bally Gaming Incorporated (Scientific Games Corporation)
• Inventors: Lyons, Martin S., Kelly, Bryan M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Torimiro, Adetokunbo O
• Application Number:
  US14/812,020
• Publication Number:
  US 20160055718A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,301 Days
• Field of Search: 463 20, 463 22, 463 25, 463 27, 463 39, 273 85, 273138, 273292
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming device, system and method are set forth which includes a plurality of progressive jackpot pool levels with associated trigger conditions. When pool level jackpot is triggered through satisfaction of criteria, some or all of the current value of the pool is cascaded to another jackpot pool or may be wholly or partially awarded to the player. Where the trigger condition is related to the aggregated amount in the pool the triggering of one pool level may cascade and cause the awards of one or more subsidiary pools. The pools may contain value as well as entitlements to features. A video display displays the jackpot pools for the player to see representations of accumulations, the cascading of values to other pools and the award of all or portions of the pools to a player.

Claims

1. An improved system including one or more gaming devices configured for receiving a wager from a player to play a base game, rendering a winning or losing outcome and issuing an award to the player for said winning outcomes, said system comprising:

a controller configured to allocate value to first and second progressive jackpot pools to progressively increase the values thereof, said first progressive jackpot pool having a first trigger set at a pool value of X and said second progressive jackpot pool having a second trigger set at a pool value of Y where X<

Y, said values based at least in part upon said player wager;

a video display to display graphical representations of each of said first and second pools as a mass whose accumulated mass is displayed to increase as the pool value increases;

said controller configured to determine the current value of said first progressive jackpot pool with each allocated contribution and if the first progressive jackpot pool current value ≥

X to allocate at least a portion of said first progressive jackpot pool to the second progressive jackpot pool and to determine with said allocation the current value of the second progressive pool and if said second progressive pool current value ≥

Y to award a progressive prize of at least a portion of said second progressive pool to said player.

2. The system of claim 1 comprising at least one of said controller and a graphics processor configured to control said video display to display a portion of said mass associated with said first progressive jackpot pool moving to the mass representing said second progressive jackpot pool contemporaneously with said allocation at least a portion of said first progressive jackpot pool to the second progressive jackpot pool.

3. The system of claim 2 comprising at least one of said controller and a graphics processor configured to control said video display to display said mass as coins.

4. The system of claim 1 comprising said controller configured to control said display to display the issuance of said prize as dispensing virtual objects to said player.

5. The system of claim 1 comprising said controller configured to allocate a virtual token representing a prize feature having an expected value EV to at least one of said first and second progressive jackpot pools and at least one of said controller and a graphics processor configured (ii) to control said display to display said token as a distinctive object commingled with said mass, (iii) to control said display to display the issuance of said prize as dispensing at least a portion of the mass to said player and (iv) in the event the virtual token is to be issued as the at least a portion of the mass to provide the player with a play of a secondary game having an expected value equal to said EV.

6. The system of claim 5 comprising said controller configured to allocate said virtual token as a prize feature benefit as the play of one or more of a set for free plays of said base game or a free play of a secondary game.

7. The system of claim 1 comprising said controller is configured to, if said second progressive pool current value ≥

Y, award as said progressive prize of said first and second progressive prize pools.

8. The system of claim 1 comprising at least one of said controller and a graphics processor configured to control said video display to display (i) said first progressive jackpot pool as a mass of coins disposed above said second progressive jackpot pool also depicted as a mass of coins and (ii) coins depicted in relation to said first progressive jackpot pool cascading into the coins depicted in relation to said second progressive jackpot pool contemporaneously with said allocation at least a portion of said first jackpot pool to the second progressive jackpot pool.

9. The system of claim 1 comprising R₁≤

X≤

M₁ and R₂≤

Y≤

M₂ where R₁ and R₂ are selected reset values for the first and second progressive jackpot pools respectively, and M₁ and M₂ are selected maximum values for the first and second progressive jackpot pools, respectively.

10. An improved system including one or more gaming devices configured for receiving a wager from a player to play a base game, rendering a winning or losing outcome and issuing an award to the player for said winning outcomes, said system comprising:

a controller configured to allocate value to defined first and second progressive jackpot pools to progressively increase the value thereof, said first pool having a first trigger of a pool value of X and said second trigger having a second trigger of a pool value of Y where X<

Y;

a video display to display graphical representations of said first and second pools as a mass of objects whose accumulated mass is displayed to increase as the pool value increases;

said controller configured to determine the current value of said first progressive jackpot pool with each allocated contribution and if the first progressive jackpot pool current value ≥

X to associate at least a portion of said first progressive jackpot pool to the second progressive jackpot pool, said associated portion of said at least a portion of said first progressive jackpot pool disregarded with respect to the second progressive pool value Y and if said second progressive jackpot pool current value ≥

Y to award a progressive prize of at least a portion of said second progressive pool and said associated portion of said at least a portion of said first progressive jackpot pool to said player.

11. A system for providing a plurality of progressive jackpot pools available for awarding prizes to players of devices for making wagers to play a base game and obtain an outcome, said devices associated with one or more video displays and adapted to communicate with a network, said system comprising:

a data structure storing data for administering first and second progressive jackpots pools PJ₁ and PJ₂ including data representing trigger values X and Y, respectively, and current pool values;

a controller in communication with said network and said data structure to administer PJ₁ and PJ₂ and to progressively increment the value of each of PJ₁ and PJ₂ related to the play of said devices;

one or more of said controller and graphics processor configured to control said one or more video displays to display graphical representations of PJ₁ and PJ₂ as a mass of objects whose accumulated mass is displayed to change as the pool value increases;

said controller configured to determine the current value of PJ₁ based upon said increments to the value of PJ₁ and if the PJ₁ value ≥

X to allocate at least a portion of PJ₁ to PJ₂ and to determine with said allocation the current value of PJ₂ and if said current value of PJ₂≥

Y to award a progressive prize of at least a portion of PJ₂ to at least one player.

12. The system of claim 11 comprising said controller is configured to allocate portions of said wagers made at said devices to said first and second progressive jackpots pools PJ₁ and PJ₂ and to determine the triggering device associated with the wager which caused PJ₁ value ≥

X and to award a progressive prize of at least a portion of PJ₁ to said triggering device.

13. The system of claim 11 comprising at least one of said controller and a graphics processor configured to control said one or more video displays to display a portion of said mass of objects associated with said first progressive pool moving to the mass of objects representing said second progressive pool contemporaneously with said allocation at least a portion of said first jackpot pool to the second progressive jackpot pool.

14. The system of claim 11 comprising at least one of said controller and a graphics processor configured to control said video display to display said mass of objects as a mass of coins.