SERVER BASED GAMING SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE PROGRESSIVE AWARDS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gaming system comprising:
- a controller;
an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values and a progressive award hit value;
a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and
a plurality of sub-controllers, each configured to communicate with the controller, wherein each sub-controller is associated with a different plurality of said gaming machines and programmed to track the wagers placed at said plurality of said gaming machines, classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk and communicate data representing the coin-in chunk to the controller;
wherein for at least one of the communicated coin-in chunks, the controller is programmed to;
(a) add the wagers of the communicated coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award;
(b) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and
(c) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value;
(i) for each gaming machine associated with the sub-controller which communicated the data representing the coin-in chunk;
determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award to associate with said gaming machine, wherein said determined probability is based on the wagers placed at said gaming machine;
(ii) randomly select one of the gaming machines, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and
(iii) instruct the selected gaming machine to provide the accumulated value progressive award.
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Abstract
A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The central server includes a plurality of progressive modules. Each progressive module maintains one or more progressive awards and is associated with zero, one or more of the gaming machines in the gaming system. Upon a determination that a designated one of the progressive awards will be provided, one of the gaming machines associated with the progressive module which maintains the designated progressive award provides the designated progressive award to the player of such gaming machine.
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Citations
54 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising:
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a controller; an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values and a progressive award hit value; a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and a plurality of sub-controllers, each configured to communicate with the controller, wherein each sub-controller is associated with a different plurality of said gaming machines and programmed to track the wagers placed at said plurality of said gaming machines, classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk and communicate data representing the coin-in chunk to the controller; wherein for at least one of the communicated coin-in chunks, the controller is programmed to; (a) add the wagers of the communicated coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award; (b) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and (c) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; (i) for each gaming machine associated with the sub-controller which communicated the data representing the coin-in chunk;
determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award to associate with said gaming machine, wherein said determined probability is based on the wagers placed at said gaming machine;(ii) randomly select one of the gaming machines, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and (iii) instruct the selected gaming machine to provide the accumulated value progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A gaming system comprising:
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a controller; an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values, and a progressive award hit value; and a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; wherein the controller is programmed to; (a) track the wagers placed by the players at said gaming machines; (b) classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk; (c) add the wagers of the classified coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award; (d) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; (e) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; (i) for each player that contributed at least one of said tracked wagers of said coin-in chunk, determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award, wherein said determined probability is based on that player'"'"'s wagers placed; (ii) randomly select one of the players, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and (iii) instruct the selected player'"'"'s gaming machine to provide the selected player the accumulated value progressive award; and (f) if the accumulated value progressive award does not reach the progressive award hit value, repeat (a) to (e) at least once. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A gaming system comprising:
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a controller; an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values, and a progressive award hit value; a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and a plurality of sub-controllers each configured to communicate with the controller, wherein each sub-controller is associated with a different plurality of said gaming machines, and programmed to; (a) track the wagers placed at said plurality of said gaming machines; (b) classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk; (c) communicate data representing the coin-in chunk to the controller; (d) upon being caused to perform (i) to (iii); (i) determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award for each associated gaming machine, wherein said determined probability is based on the wagers placed at said gaming machine; (ii) randomly select one of the associated gaming machines, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and (iii) cause the selected gaming machine to provide the accumulated value progressive award; and wherein the controller is programmed to; (A) add the wagers of the communicated coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award; (B) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and (C) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value, cause the sub-controller which communicated data representing the coin-in chunk to perform (i) to (iii). - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22)
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23. A gaming system comprising:
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a controller; an accumulated value progressive award; a range of values associated with the accumulated value progressive award, wherein the range of values includes a plurality of different value ranges which are associated with a plurality of different probabilities; and a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; wherein the controller is programmed to; (a) select one of the value ranges, wherein said selection is based on the probabilities associated with said value ranges; (b) select one of the values of the selected value range; (c) classify the selected value as a progressive award hit value; (d) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and (e) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value, provide one of the players the accumulated value progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (24)
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25. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller configured to communicate with a plurality of sub-controllers and a plurality of gaming machines, wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player and each sub-controller is associated with a different plurality of said gaming machines, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values and a progressive award hit value; (b) causing each sub-controller to; (i) track the wagers placed at said plurality of said associated gaming machines; (ii) classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk; and (iii) communicate data representing the coin-in chunk to the controller; and (c) for at least one of the communicated coin-in chunks, causing the controller to; (1) add the wagers of the communicated coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award; (2) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and (3) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; (A) for each gaming machine associated with the sub-controller which communicated the data representing the coin-in chunk;
determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award to associate with said gaming machine, wherein said determined probability is based on the wagers placed at said gaming machine;(B) randomly select one of the gaming machines, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and (C) cause the selected gaming machine to provide the accumulated value progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35)
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36. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller configured to communicate with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values, and a progressive award hit value; and (b) causing the controller to; (i) track the wagers placed by the players at said gaming machines; (ii) classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk; (iii) add the wagers of the classified coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award; (iv) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; (v) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; (1) for each player that contributed at least one of said tracked wagers of said coin-in chunk, determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award, wherein said determined probability is based on that player'"'"'s wagers placed; (2) randomly select one of the players, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and (3) instruct the selected player'"'"'s gaming machine to provide the selected player the accumulated value progressive award; and (vi) if the accumulated value progressive award does not reach the progressive award hit value, repeat (i) to (v) at least once. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44)
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45. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller configured to communicate with a plurality of sub-controllers and a plurality of gaming machines, wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player and each sub-controller is associated with a different plurality of said gaming machines, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining an accumulated value progressive award associated with a range of values and a progressive award hit value; (b) causing each sub-controller to; (i) track the wagers placed at said plurality of said gaming machines; (ii) classify the tracked wagers placed into a coin-in chunk; and (iii) communicate data representing the coin-in chunk to the controller; (c) causing the controller to; (i) add the wagers of the communicated coin-in chunk to the accumulated value progressive award; and (ii) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and (d) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value, causing the sub-controller which communicated data representing the coin-in chunk to; (i) determine a probability of winning the accumulated value progressive award for each associated gaming machine, wherein said determined probability is based on the wagers placed at said gaming machine; (ii) randomly select one of the associated gaming machines, wherein said selection is based on the determined probabilities; and (iii) cause the selected gaming machine to provide the accumulated value progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (46, 47, 48, 49, 50)
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51. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller configured to communicate with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining an accumulated value progressive award, wherein a range of values are associated with the accumulated value progressive award, the range of values including a plurality of different value ranges which are associated with a plurality of different probabilities; and (b) causing the controller to; (i) select one of the value ranges, wherein said selection is based on the probabilities associated with said value ranges; (ii) select one of the values of the selected value range; (iii) classify the selected value as a progressive award hit value; (iv) determine if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value; and (v) if the accumulated value progressive award reaches the progressive award hit value, cause one of the gaming machines to provide one of the players the accumulated value progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (52, 53, 54)
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Specification