Gaming device and method having payline progressive awards

• US 20060183535A1
• Filed: 01/05/2006
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Marks, Howard M., Marks, Daniel M., Singer, Anthony M.
• Granted Patent: US 7,578,740 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming device which includes a variety of methods to provide distinct progressive awards for two or more paylines. In one embodiment, each and every payline has its own progressive award that issues upon the appearance of a predetermined symbol combination on that payline.

Claims

1. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a game controlled by the processor;

a plurality of symbols in the game, wherein said symbols form at least one designated symbol combination;

a plurality of symbol positions in the game;

a plurality of progressive awards associated with the game;

a plurality of paylines in the game, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards; and

a display device operable to display said game;

wherein said processor is programmed to operate with the display device to control a play of the game by;

(a) enabling a player to participate in the game by placing at least one payline wager amount on each of one or more of the paylines;

(b) generating a plurality of the symbols at the symbol positions;

(c) determining if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards; and

(d) if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards, providing the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on.

2. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each of said paylines is individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards.

3. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least one of said paylines is associated with a plurality of said progressive awards.

4. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each associated with a plurality of said progressive awards.

5. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to control the play of the game by resetting the provided progressive award to a reset value.

6. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein each progressive award is funded, at least in part, by the payline wager amount placed on the payline associated with said progressive award.

7. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to control the play of the game by providing the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on, if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards and a maximum wager was placed on said payline.

8. The gaming device of claim 1, wherein at least two of the progressive awards are independent of one another.

9. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

a plurality of symbols generated at a plurality of symbol positions upon at least one wager placed on at least one of a plurality of paylines;

a first progressive award associated with a first of said paylines, wherein said first progressive award is provided to a player if a designated symbol combination is generated on said first payline and the player placed a wager on said first payline;

a distinct second progressive award associated with a second of said paylines, wherein said second progressive award is provided to the player if the designated symbol combination is generated on said second payline and the player placed a wager on said second payline; and

a display device operable with said processor to display said symbols, said first progressive award and said second progressive award.

10. The gaming device of claim 9, wherein the first progressive award is independent of the second progressive award.

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

(a) enabling a player to participate in a game by placing at least one payline wager amount on each of a plurality of paylines, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each individually associated with at least one of a plurality of progressive awards;

(b) generating a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions;

(c) determining if a designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards; and

(d) if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards, providing the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein each of said paylines is individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of said paylines is associated with a plurality of said progressive awards.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each associated with a plurality of said progressive awards.

15. The method of claim 11, which includes resetting the provided progressive award to a reset value.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein each progressive award is funded, at least in part, by the payline wager amount placed on the payline associated with said progressive award.

17. The method of claim 11, which includes providing the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on, if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards and a maximum wager was placed on said payline.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein at least of the progressive awards are independent of one another.

19. The method of claim 11, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.

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

(a) enabling a player to place at least one payline wager amount on each of a plurality of paylines;

(b) generating a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions;

(c) if a designated symbol combination is generated on a first of said paylines and the player placed a wager on said first payline, providing to the player a first progressive award associated with the first of said paylines; and

(d) if the designated symbol combination is generated on a second of said paylines and the player placed a wager on said second payline, providing to the player a distinct second progressive award associated with the second of said paylines.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first progressive award is independent of the second progressive award.

23. The method of claim 21, which is provided through a data network.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the data network is an internet.

25. A memory device which includes a plurality of instructions, that when executed by at least one processor, cause a gaming machine to:

(a) enable a player to participate in a game by placing at least one payline wager amount on each of a plurality of paylines, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each individually associated with at least one of a plurality of progressive awards;

(b) generate a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions;

(c) determine if a designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards; and

(d) if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards, provide the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on.

26. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to individually associate each of said paylines with at least one of said progressive awards.

27. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to associate at least one of said paylines with a plurality of said progressive awards.

28. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to associate each of a plurality of said paylines with a plurality of said progressive awards.

29. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to reset the provided progressive award to a reset value.

30. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to fund each progressive award, at least in part, by the payline wager amount placed on the payline associated with said progressive award.

31. The memory device of claim 25, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the gaming machine to provide the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on, if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards and a maximum wager was placed on said payline.

32. The memory device of claim 25, which is selected from the group consisting of a detachable cartridge, a disk, a random access memory, non-volatile random access memory, magnet random access memory, ferroelectric random access memory, a read only memory, flash memory, electrically erasable programmable read only memory, optical memory, semiconductor memory and an application-specific integrated circuit.

33. A gaming system comprising

a controller, said controller programmed to maintain a plurality of progressive awards;

and

at least one gaming device including;

a display device; and

a gaming device processor programmed to operate with said central controller and said display device to;

(a) enable a player to participate in a game by placing at least one payline wager amount on each of a plurality of paylines, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each individually associated with at least one of the plurality of progressive awards;

(b) generate a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions;

(c) determine if a designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards; and

(d) if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards, provide the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on.

34. The gaming system of claim 33, which includes a plurality of gaming devices.

35. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller in communication with at least one gaming device, said method comprising:

(a) causing the controller to maintain a plurality of progressive awards;

(b) causing a first one of the gaming devices to;

(i) enable a player to participate in a game at the first one of the gaming devices by placing at least one payline wager amount on each of a plurality of paylines, wherein a plurality of said paylines are each individually associated with at least one of said plurality of progressive awards,

(ii) generate a plurality of symbols at a plurality of symbol positions, and

(iii) determine if a designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards; and

(c) if the designated symbol combination was generated on one of said paylines individually associated with at least one of said progressive awards, causing the controller to provide the player the progressive award individually associated with the payline which the designated symbol combination was generated on.

36. The method of claim 35, which is provided through a data network.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the data network is an internet.