Method of operating a progressive gaming device

• US 20030216166A1
• Filed: 06/17/2003
• Published: 11/20/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Glavich, Paulina, Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Granted Patent: US 7,601,060 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A method of operating a gaming device which displays at least a set and preferably a plurality of sets of symbols on a display device. The base game, be it slot, poker, keno or blackjack, includes means, connected to the processor, for generating the symbols. Upon generating one of the symbols, the game provides an award associated with the generated symbol. Upon generating the set of symbols, the game provides a progressive award, wherein the progressive award includes at least one award and preferably each of the awards associated with the symbols of the completed set.

Claims

25-1. The method of claim 25, which includes providing a progressive award provided to a player for the set that is first to have each of its symbols generated.

31. A method of operating a gaming device, the method comprising:

maintaining a set of symbols;

generating symbols of the set via one or a plurality of plays of a base game;

generating values, each value associated with each generation of one of the symbols of the set; and

providing a progressive award to a player upon the generation of all of the symbols of the set, the progressive award including all of the generated values associated with the symbols of said set.

32. The method of claim 31, which includes providing a plurality of the symbol sets, each set having an associated progressive award that includes all of the values associated with each of the symbols of the set generated in the base game.

33. The method of claim 31, which includes providing the progressive award associated with the set that is first to have each of its symbols generated.

34. The method of claim 31, wherein the base game is a game selected from the group consisting of:

slot, poker, blackjack and keno.

35. The method of claim 31, which includes triggering in the base game an event that generates of one of the symbols of the set.

36. The method of claim 35, which includes triggering one of:

a reel symbol and a reel symbol combination occurring along a payline of a slot machine.

37. The method of claim 35, which includes triggering a poker combination selected from the group consisting of:

at least two of the same card denomination, a straight, a flush, a straight-flush, two pair and a full house.

38. The method of claim 35, which includes triggering a blackjack combination selected from the group consisting of:

a blackjack, a total hand number and a bust.

39. The method of claim 31, which includes triggering in the base game an event that generates of a plurality of the symbols.

40. The method of claim 31, which includes triggering in the base game an event that generates each symbol of the set.

41. The method of claim 31, which includes triggering in the base game an event that generates a master symbol, the master symbol completing the set and yielding the progressive award to the player.

42. The method of claim 31, which includes triggering in the base game an event that generates a master symbol, the master symbol completing the set and yielding a predefined award to the player.

44. The method of claim 31, wherein generating symbols of the set includes generating face cards in a poker game.

45. The method of claim 31, wherein generating symbols of the set includes generating face cards in a blackjack game.

46. The method of claim 31, wherein generating symbols of the set includes generating a changeable item that changes into one of the symbols of the set, the changeable item chosen from the group consisting of:

a reel symbol, a face card and a number.

47. The method of claim 31, which includes combining each of the generated values to produce the progressive award.

48. The method of claim 31, which includes combining products resulting from multiplying each value by a base game bet to produce the progressive award.

49. The method of claim 31, which includes providing an additional award for generating the symbols of the set, wherein the additional award is provided with the progressive award upon generating the symbols.

50. The method of claim 31, which is provided via a data network.

51. The method of claim 50, wherein the data network includes an internet.

43. The method of 31, wherein generating symbols of the set includes generating symbols on a set of reels of a slot machine.

52. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

maintaining a plurality of sets of symbols;

generating symbols of the sets via one or a plurality of plays of a base game;

providing a progressive award to a player when each of the symbols of a first one of the sets is generated, said progressive award including at least one generated value associated with at least one of the symbols of said set; and

resetting the first set so that the first set has no generated symbols after providing the progressive award.

53. The method of claim 52, which includes resetting the first set and maintaining symbols generated for any of the other sets upon providing the progressive award.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the same progressive award is provided to the player regardless of which set of symbols is completed.

55. The method of claim 52, which includes providing a different progressive award to the player depending upon which set of symbols is completed, the progressive award based on an amount of symbols included in the completed set.

56. The method of claim 52, which includes providing at least one value associated with the generation of the symbols of the first set, wherein the progressive award includes the value.

57. The method of claim 52, which includes enabling the player to play the base game multiple times before completing the first set.

58. The method of claim 52, which includes outputting via the base game the symbols of the sets.

59. The method of claim 52, which includes outputting via the base game outputs that yield the symbols of the sets.

60. The method of claim 52, which includes forming the progressive award by assigning an award to the set of symbols that is first generated.

61. The method of claim 52, which is provided via a data network.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the data network includes an internet.

63. A method of operating a gaming device comprising:

maintaining a set of symbols;

enabling a first player to generate at least a first one of the symbols of the set;

enabling a second player to generate at least a second one of the symbols of the set;

providing a progressive award to whichever of the first and second players generates a final one of the symbols of the set, said progressive award including at least one generated value associated with one of the symbols of said set; and

resetting the first set so that the first set has no generated symbols after providing the progressive award to said player.

64. The method of claim 63, which includes generating the symbols of the first and second sets via play of a base game selected from the group consisting of:

slot, poker, blackjack and keno.

65. The method of claim 63, which includes providing at least one value associated with the generation of the symbols of the set, wherein the progressive award includes the value.

66. The method of claim 63, which includes enabling the first and second players to each have multiple tries at generating symbols of the set.

67. The method of claim 63, which includes outputting via the base game the symbols of the set.

68. The method of claim 63, which includes outputting via the base game outputs that yield the symbols of the set.

69. The method of claim 63, which includes forming the progressive by assigning an award to the set of symbols.

70. The method of claim 63, which is provided via a data network.

71. The method of claim 70, wherein the data network includes an internet.

72. A method of operating a gaming device comprising:

maintaining a set of symbols;

enabling a player playing a base game to generate an outcome, wherein the outcome transforms visually into one of the symbols of the set; and

providing a progressive award to the player if the player generates each of the symbols of the set, wherein the progressive award includes a value associated with one of the symbols in said set.

73. The method of claim 72, wherein the outcome transforms visually into a symbol representing and fulfilling a plurality of the symbols of the set.

74. The method of claim 72, wherein the outcome transforms visually and sequentially a plurality of times into a plurality of symbols of the set.

75. The method of claim 72, which includes forming the progressive award by assigning an award to the set of symbols.

76. The method of claim 72, which is provided via a data network.

77. The method of claim 76, wherein the data network includes an internet.

78. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

maintaining a set of symbols;

generating symbols of the set as a direct outcome of one or a plurality of play of a base game;

maintaining a display of each symbol after the symbol has been generated; and

providing a progressive award to the player when each of the symbols of the set is generated, wherein the progressive award includes at least one value associated with one of the symbols of the set.

2. The method of claim 1, which includes outputting the symbols directly via the base games.

79. The method of claim 78, which includes forming the progressive award by assigning an award to the set of symbols.

80. The method of claim 78, which is provided via a data network.

81. The method of claim 80, wherein the data network includes an internet.

79-2. The method of claim 78, which includes forming the progressive award based on at least one value generated in association with the generation of one of the symbols.

82. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

maintaining a set of symbols;

generating symbols of the set as an indirect outcome of one or a plurality of plays of a base game, wherein an outcome of the base game in turn generates one of the symbols; and

providing a progressive award to the player when each of the symbols of the set is generated, wherein the progressive award includes a value associated with one of the symbols of the set.

83. The method of claim 82, which includes forming the progressive award by assigning an award to the set of symbols.

84. The method of claim 82, which includes forming the progressive award based on at least one value generated in association with the generation of one of the symbols.

85. The method of claim 82, which is provided via a data network.

86. The method of claim 85, wherein the data network includes an internet.

87. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising:

maintaining a set of symbols;

generating symbols of the set as an outcome of one or more plays of a base game;

maintaining a display of each symbol after the symbol has been generated; and

providing a progressive award to the player when each of the symbols of the set is generated, said award determined based on a combination of the symbols of the set and including a value associated with at least one of the symbols of the set.

88. The method of claim 87, which includes assigning the progressive award based on a paytable for the game of poker, wherein the symbols are playing cards and the set is a hand of cards.

89. The method of claim 87, which is provided via a data network.

90. The method of claim 89, wherein the data network includes an internet.

91. A method of operating a gaming device, said method comprising the steps of:

maintaining first and second sets of symbols;

generating symbols of the sets as an outcome of one or a plurality of plays of a base game;

maintaining a display of each symbol after the symbol has been generated; and

providing a progressive award to the player when each of the symbols of the first or second sets is generated, whichever is generated first, wherein the progressive award includes a value associated with one of the symbols of the first generated set.

92. The method of claim 91, which includes forming the progressive award by assigning an award to the first and second sets of symbols.

93. The method of claim 91, which includes forming the progressive award based on at least one value generated in association with the generation of one of the symbols of the first or second sets, whichever is generated first.

94. The method of claim 91, which is provided via a data network.

95. The method of claim 94, wherein the data network includes an internet.

96. A method of incrementing a progressive fund for at least one gaming device having a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising:

using outcomes in a plurality of plays of the base game to generate values;

adding the values to the progressive fund; and

providing the progressive fund to player upon a triggering event.

97. The method of claim 96, which includes adding a component of a base game wager for said base game to the progressive fund.

98. The method of claim 97, wherein the components are based at least in part on the wager in the base game.

99. The method of claim 96, wherein the values are based at least in part on the wager in the base game.

100. The method of claim 96, which is provided via a data network.

101. The method of claim 100, wherein the data network includes an internet.

102. A method of incrementing a plurality of progressive funds for at least one gaming device having a base game operable upon a wager by a player, said method comprising:

using outcomes in a plurality of plays of the base game to generate values;

adding the values to the one or more of the progressive funds; and

providing each progressive fund to player upon a triggering event associated with that progressive fund.

103. The method of claim 102, which includes adding a component of a base game wager for said base game to at least one of the progressive funds.

104. The method of claim 103, wherein the components are based at least in part on the wager in the base game.

105. The method of claim 102, wherein the values are based at least in part on the wager in the base game.

106. The method of claim 102, which is provided via a data network.

107. The method of claim 106, wherein the data network includes an internet.