Cross-enterprise gaming server

• US 20040152511A1
• Filed: 09/23/2003
• Published: 08/05/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/23/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cheng, Theodore Yuchiang, Flood, Kevin, Montagna, Michael, Graumann, Tom, Nicely, Mark C., Sinha, Ajit Kumar
• Application Number:
  US10/670,153
• Publication Number:
  US 20040152511A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• 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

Methods and apparatus for providing a progressive. A method for providing a progressive jackpot includes receiving progressive payout information of a game system that includes a progressive jackpot. The information specifies a wager amount needed to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot, odds of winning the progressive jackpot, and an amount of a wager that is contributed to the progressive jackpot. The method includes changing one of the wager amount needed to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot, the odds of winning the progressive jackpot, and the amount of a wager that is contributed to the progressive jackpot so that the product of the wager amount needed to be eligible to win the progressive jackpot, the odds of winning the progressive jackpot, and the amount of a wager that is contributed to the progressive jackpot is equal to a number.

Claims

1. A system for managing a progressive game, the system comprising:

a progressive management device including an interface; and

a progressive engine for maintaining a progressive, the progressive management device being coupled by interface to a first gaming system and a second gaming system, the first gaming system including a first set of progressive payout parameters and the second gaming system including a second set of progressive payout parameters that is different from the first set of progressive payout parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a progressive payout parameter analyzer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the progressive management device is coupled to the gaming systems through a network.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the progressive management device includes a currency conversion device for converting data provided from one of the gaming system into a predetermined universal currency.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the currency conversion is performed in real-time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the progressive management device is operable to provide information on a progressive to user gaming interfaces, wherein the information includes the value of the progressive.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the information is provided to the user gaming interfaces in real-time.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the progressive is reset when a user attains a progressive.

9. A method for including systems having different progressive payout parameters into the same progressive, comprising:

initiating a progressive;

receiving a request from a first gaming system to participate in a progressive;

receiving a request from and a second gaming system to participate in a progressive, the first gaming system having a first set of progressive payout parameters and the second gaming system having a second set of progressive payout parameters that is different from the first set of progressive payout parameters; and

calculating a percentage of wager to be applied by each gaming system to the progressive, the calculation being based on the first and second sets of progressive payout parameters.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

analyzing the first and second set of progressive payout parameters.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the percentage of wager to be applied for each gaming system is calculated such that the product of progressive payout parameters odds and wager amount and the percentage of wager applied are equal for each gaming system.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the progressive payout parameters include game odds.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the progressive payout parameters include a currency type.

14. A system for managing a progressive game, the system comprising:

a progressive management device coupled to a gaming server, the gaming server including two or more gaming systems, wherein one gaming system includes a first set of progressive payout parameters and a second gaming system includes a second set of progressive payout parameters that is different from the first progressive payout parameters.

15. A method for including gaming systems having different currency types to a progressive, comprising:

receiving input from one or more gaming servers seeking participation in a progressive jackpot;

analyzing characteristics of each gaming system, wherein the characteristics include the currency type of the gaming system;

converting the currency type of each gaming system into a standard currency; and

including one or more gaming systems in the progressive jackpot by varying the percentage of the gaming system'"'"'s wager applied to the progressive jackpot.

16. A method for validating progressive payout parameters in gaming systems participating in a progressive, comprising:

receiving requests from one or more gaming servers including one or more gaming systems to participate in a progressive, wherein the gaming systems include a first gaming system having a first set of progressive payout parameters and a second gaming system having a second set of progressive payout parameters that is different from the first progressive payout parameters;

analyzing characteristics of each gaming system, the characteristics including the progressive payout parameters;

validating the progressive payout parameters of the gaming systems, including verifying that game odds and a payoff are consistent and within predetermined criteria; and

including validated gaming systems in the progressive.

17. A system for including gaming systems from different enterprises and having a same progressive payout parameters to a progressive, comprising:

a progressive management server coupled through a network to two or more gaming servers, the gaming servers operated by two or more enterprises; and

the gaming servers operating one or more gaming systems having same progressive payout parameters.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the gaming systems have different progressive payout parameters.

19. A method for determining a progressive outcome, comprising:

receiving data at a progressive management device concerning a wager placed by a user of a participating gaming system;

determining a percentage of the wager to be applied to a progressive based on progressive payout parameters analysis, the progressive payout parameters including game odds and wager amount;

incrementing the progressive;

executing a random number generator calculation using the game odds from the gaming system progressive payout parameters; and

transmitting results of the random number generator calculation to a participating gaming system.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein a percentage of a wager to be applied to a progressive is determined through retrieval of previous analysis results from a database.