Slot machine game and system with improved jackpot feature

• US 20060223614A1
• Filed: 06/05/2006
• Published: 10/05/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Leisure Industries Pty Ltd
• Inventors: Olive, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 7,575,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/16
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3244 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
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

Certain embodiments provide a method and system for awarding a progressive prize. The system includes a bank of gaming machines accepting different bets per play as selected by a player. A random number is selected from a predetermined fixed range of numbers that does not change during play of a gaming machine. The player is allotted one or more numbers for each credit bet. The allotted numbers represent a subset of the predetermined fixed range of numbers. A feature game is triggered for the progressive prize based on a numerical comparison between the selected random number and the number(s) allotted to the player. Certain embodiments provide a trigger condition for a feature outcome based on an event having a probability related to credits bet per game at a gaming machine. A probability of success in the feature game may be higher than a probability of success in the base game.

Claims

1-80. -80. (canceled)

81. In a network of gaming machines, each of said gaming machines being capable of accepting different wager amounts made by a player, a method of randomly awarding one progressive prize from a plurality of progressive prizes using a second game to select said one progressive prize, a display of said second game being triggered upon an occurrence of a random trigger condition having a probability of occurrence related to an amount of the wager, comprising:

making a wager at a particular gaming machine in the network of gaming machines;

initiating a first main game at said particular gaming machine;

causing a second game trigger condition to occur as a result of said first main game being initiated, said second game trigger condition occurring randomly and having a probability of occurrence dependent on the amount of the wager made at said particular gaming machine;

triggering a second game to appear at said particular gaming machine in response to said occurrence of said second game trigger condition, said second game appearing after completion of said first main game;

randomly selecting said one progressive prize from said plurality of progressive prizes that has been won;

displaying said second game to the player at said particular gaming machine in response to said triggering;

identifying to the player said one progressive prize from said plurality of progressive prizes that has been won; and

awarding said one progressive prize from said plurality of progressive prizes that has been won.

82. The method of claim 81, wherein said step of causing a second game trigger condition to occur includes:

(1) selecting a random number from a predetermined range of numbers;

(2) allotting a plurality of numbers from the predetermined range of numbers in proportion to the amount of the wager made at said particular gaming machine; and

(3) indicating the occurrence of the trigger condition if one of the allotted numbers matches the selected random number.

83. The method of claim 82, wherein the amount of the wager is an amount in credits.

84. The method of claim 82, wherein said step of making a wager includes betting a plurality of credits, and wherein said step of allotting includes allotting one number for each credit bet.

85. The method of claim 82, wherein said step of allotting includes allotting one number for each unit of currency of the amount wagered.

86. The method of claim 81, wherein each of said gaming machines includes a random number generator, and further including initializing said random number generator of each of said gaming machines to generate a random number from a predetermined fixed range of numbers, said step of initializing occurring at commencement of said first main game;

and

for every said first main game that is initiated, selecting a random number from said predetermined fixed range of numbers.

87. The method of claim 82, wherein said step of selecting a random number includes generating a random number from a random number generator.

88. The method of claim 81, wherein said second game appears at the completion of said main game.

89. The method of claim 81, wherein said step of identifying occurs at the completion of said second game.

90. The method of claim 81, wherein said step of displaying said second game includes displaying spinning reel strips;

and farther including stopping said spinning reel strips.

91. The method according to claim 81, wherein said step of triggering a second game includes triggering a plurality of second games.

92. The method according to claim 81, wherein a currency denomination of each gaming machine is one cent.

93. The method according to claim 81, wherein said plurality of progressive prizes are of unequal values.

94. The method of claim 81, wherein each of said plurality of progressive prizes being a fraction of an incrementing pool.

95. The method of claim 81 wherein said first main game has a first probability of winning and said second game has a higher probability of winning than said first main game.

96. The method of claim 81, and further including alerting the player that said step of triggering has occurred, said step of alerting occurring prior to said step of displaying said second game.

97. The method of claim 81 wherein said step of randomly selecting said one progressive prize is performed after said step of triggering a second game to appear.