Flexible determination of progressive awards

• US 20060183538A1
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Published: 08/17/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Thome, Connie Louise, Reddicks, Christopher Deacon, Michaelson, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 7,980,947 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present invention provides novel method and devices for implementing progressive systems on networked gaming machines and associated network devices. Some preferred implementations of the invention allow a target progressive pool size to be selected and apply payouts such that the actual progressive pool size is not likely to exceed greatly the target progressive pool size. Some such implementations control the actual progressive pool size by applying a function to control percentages of the current progressive pool size payable to players of a wagering game on the networked gaming machines. The function may be a function of a current progressive pool size, target progressive pool size and bet size. The function may cause relatively higher percentages of the current progressive pool size to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool size and relatively lower percentages of the current progressive pool size to be payable to players when the current progressive pool size is less than or equal to a target progressive pool size.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the method comprising:

selecting a target progressive pool size;

applying a function to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game, wherein the function causes relatively higher percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool amount and relatively lower percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is less than or equal to a target progressive pool amount; and

paying out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the function is a power function of bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of changing the function according to a reserve size.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the function is a function of the current progressive pool amount, the target progressive pool amount and bet size.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein p is proportional to the current progressive pool amount divided by the target progressive pool amount.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein B is based in part on a winning bet size divided by a maximum bet size.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein p is greater than 1.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein p is less than 1.

10. A method of controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the method comprising:

selecting a target progressive pool size;

applying a function of a current progressive pool amount, target progressive pool amount and bet size to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game; and

paying out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein a proportionally higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the function is a power function of bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of changing the function according to a reserve size.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein the function is a function of the current progressive pool amount, the target progressive pool amount and bet size.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein p is proportional to the current progressive pool amount divided by the target progressive pool amount.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein B is based in part on a winning bet size divided by a maximum bet size.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein p is greater than 1.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein p is less than 1.

20. A computer program for controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the computer program embodied in a machine-readable medium and including instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

receive a target progressive pool size;

apply a function to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game, wherein the function causes relatively higher percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool amount and relatively lower percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is less than or equal to a target progressive pool amount ; and

pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

21. A computer program for controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the computer program embodied in a machine-readable medium and including instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

receive a target progressive pool size;

apply a function of a current progressive pool amount, target progressive pool amount and bet size to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game; and

pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

22. The computer program of claim 21, wherein a proportionally higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount.

23. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the function is a power function of bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount.

24. The computer program of claim 21, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes.

25. A progressive server configured to control a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the progressive server comprising:

means for receiving a target progressive pool size;

means for applying a function to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game, wherein the function causes relatively higher percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool amount and relatively lower percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is less than or equal to a target progressive pool amount; and

means for instructing the plurality of gaming machines to pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

26. The progressive server of claim 25, wherein a proportionally higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount.

27. The progressive server of claim 25, wherein the function is a power function of bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount.

28. The progressive server of claim 25, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes.

29. A progressive server for controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the progressive server comprising:

at least one logic device for determining a function of a current progressive pool amount, target progressive pool amount and bet size to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game; and

a network interface for instructing gaming machines on a gaming network to pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

30. The progressive server of claim 29, further comprising an input device for receiving the target progressive pool amount.

31. A method of apportioning contributions between a main progressive pool and a reserve progressive pool in a gaming network, the method comprising:

apportioning a higher percentage of contributions to the reserve progressive pool when the reserve progressive pool is below a threshold level; and

apportioning a lower percentage of contributions to the reserve progressive pool when the reserve progressive pool attains the threshold level.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the threshold level comprises a reserve progressive pool amount.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the threshold level is attained when the reserve progressive pool amount is greater than zero.

34. A method of apportioning contributions between a main progressive pool and a reserve progressive pool in a gaming network, the method comprising:

apportioning a higher percentage of contributions to the main progressive pool before a threshold level is attained; and

apportioning a lower percentage of contributions to the main progressive pool after the threshold level is attained.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the threshold level comprises a predetermined ratio of the main progressive pool to the reserve progressive pool.