Slot machine game-progressive jackpot with decrementing jackpot

• US 6,224,482 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Bennett, Nicholas Luke
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): White, Carmen D.
• Application Number:
  US09/150,532
• Time in Patent Office: 964 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/26, 463/27, 463/16-19, 463/8, 273/143 R
• US Class Current: 463/20
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A random prize awarding system associated with a gaming console is provided in which the gaming console is arranged to play a first game or a second game, the first game being a standard game normally offered on the console and the second game being a jackpot game offered for play when the player has achieved a trigger condition where the trigger means is arranged to test for the trigger condition and to initiate an instance of the second game when the trigger condition occurs. The second game is divided into a plurality of sub-games, each having an incremental prize such that a sum of the un-won incremental prizes equals the total currently available jackpot prize value of the second game. The player is awarded each sub-game after the first, only if the incremental prize was won in the previous sub-game. The jackpot prize value being decremented by the incremental prize value awarded with the occurrence of each winning sub-game.

Claims

1. A random prize awarding system comprising:

a gaming console the gaming console being arranged to play a first game and a second game, the first game being a standard game normally offered on the console and the second game being a jackpot game offered for play when a player has achieved a trigger condition, and trigger means arranged to test for the trigger condition and to initiate an instance of the second game when the trigger condition occurs, the second game being divided into a plurality of sub-games, each sub-game when played, producing a sub-game outcome selected from a plurality of possible sub-game outcomes and at least one possible sub-game outcome of each sub-game having an incremental prize such that a sum of un-won incremental prizes of the second game associated with it, equals a total currently available jackpot prize value of the second game, the player being awarded each sub-game after the first, only if the incremental prize was won in a previous sub-game and the jackpot prize value being decremented by the incremental prize value awarded with an occurrence of each prize winning sub-game.

2. The prize awarding system of claim 1, wherein the second game is a simplified game having a higher probability of success than the first game.

3. The prize awarding system of claim 2, wherein the second game is of the spinning reel type in which a plurality of reels or pseudo reels is provided with 2-8 different symbols on each reel and an incremental jackpot is awarded if after spinning the reels a predetermined symbol appears anywhere on a win line.

4. The prize awarding system of claim 3, wherein the second game provides five reels with four different symbols on each reel and an incremental jackpot is awarded if after spinning the reels a predetermined symbol appears anywhere on the win line.

5. The prize awarding system of claim 3, wherein at least one instance of the predetermined symbol is available on each reel or pseudo reel of the gaming console.

6. The prize awarding system of claim 3, wherein the predetermined symbol is not available on at least one reel or pseudo reel of the gaming console.

7. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 3, wherein multiple instances of the predetermined symbol occur on one reel of the gaming machine.

8. The prize awarding system of claim 1, wherein an incremental jackpot of a predetermined value is paid every time a predetermined symbol appears on a win line.

9. The prize awarding system of claim 8, wherein after the trigger condition occurs a series of jackpot sub-games is provided, the jackpot sub-games being provided until a non-winning jackpot game occurs or until a predetermined maximum number of jackpot sub-games have been played.

10. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the jackpot game does not employ spinning reels or pseudo spinning reels.

11. The prize awarding system as described in claim 10, wherein jackpot sub-games each have a 2-state outcome.

12. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 11, wherein the jackpot sub-games each display an animated boxing tournament in which the player is offered a choice between two competing boxers and the prize is awarded if the player correctly predicts a winning outcome.

13. The prize awarding system of claim 11, wherein the jackpot sub-game relies on a prediction of a colour of a card dealt to the player.

14. The prize awarding system of claim 11, wherein the jackpot sub-game relies on the spin of a pseudo coin.

15. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the console includes output means arranged to output a signal to a central controller for each paid game played or each token bet, a central register being updated by each such event to represent an incrementing prize value.

16. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the system operates over a plurality of inter-connected gaming machines and the total jackpot prize available to be awarded in the jackpot game provided on any machine in the system is a monetary amount having a value which is incremented with each paid game played or token bet on each gaming console in the system of inter-connected machines in response to respective output signals.

17. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 16, wherein a current total jackpot prize value is displayed.

18. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a current total jackpot value is displayed on a display area of the console on a prominent display located in a gaming area.

19. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 17, wherein decrementing of the prize display is accompanied by a sound effect.

20. The prize awarding system as claimed in claim 19, wherein the decrementing is displayed by counting down from an original value to a decremented value.

21. A method of awarding a random prize comprising one or more gaming consoles, each of the one or more gaming consoles being arranged to play a first game and second game, the first game being a standard game normally offered on the gaming console and the second game being a jackpot game offered for play when a player has achieved a trigger condition, the method including testing for a trigger condition and initiating an instance of the second game when the trigger condition occurs, the second game being divided into a plurality of sub-games, each sub-game when played, producing a sub-game outcome selected from a plurality of possible sub-game outcomes and at least one possible sub-game outcome of each sub-game having an incremental prize of the second game associated with it, such that a sum of un-won incremental prizes equals a total currently available jackpot prize value of the second game, the player being awarded each sub-game after a first sub-game, only if the incremental prize was won in a previous sub-game and the jackpot prize value being decremented by the incremental prize value awarded with an occurrence of each prize winning sub-game.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the second game is a simplified game having a higher probability of success than the first game.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the second game is of a spinning reel type with in which a plurality of reels or pseudo reels is provided with 2-8 different symbols on each reel and an incremental jackpot is awarded if after spinning the reels a predetermined symbol appears anywhere on a win line.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the second game provides five reels with four different symbols on each reel and an incremental jackpot is awarded if after spinning the reels a predetermined symbol appears anywhere on the win line.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein at least one instance of a trigger symbol is available on each reel or pseudo reel of the gaming console.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein the predetermined symbol is not available on at least one reel or pseudo reel of the gaming console.

27. The method as claimed in claim 23, wherein multiple instances of the predetermined symbol occur on one reel of the gaming console.

28. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein an incremental jackpot of a predetermined value is paid every time a predetermined symbol appears on a win line.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein after the trigger condition occurs a series of jackpot sub-games is provided, the jackpot sub-games being provided until a non-winning jackpot game occurs or until a predetermined maximum number of jackpot sub-games have been played.

30. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the jackpot game does not employ spinning reels or pseudo spinning reels.

31. The method as described in claim 30, wherein jackpot sub-games each have a 2 state outcome.

32. The method as claimed in claim 31, wherein the jackpot sub-games each display an animated boxing tournament in which the player is offered a choice between two competing boxers and the prize is awarded if the player correctly predicts the winning outcome.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the jackpot sub-game relies on the prediction of a colour of a card dealt to the player.

34. The method of claim 33, where the jackpot sub-game relies on the spin of a pseudo coin.

35. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein the console includes output means arranged to output a signal to a central controller for each paid game played or each token bet, a central register being updated by each such event to represent an incrementing prize value.

36. The method as claimed in claim 35, wherein the system operates over a plurality of inter-connected gaming machines and a total jackpot prize available to be awarded in a jackpot game provided on any machine in the system is a monetary amount having a value which is incremented with each paid game played or token bet on each gaming console in the system of inter-connected machines in response to respective output signals.

37. The method as claimed in claim 36, wherein a current total jackpot prize value is displayed.

38. The method as claimed in claim 21, wherein a current total jackpot value is displayed on a display area of the console on a prominent display located in a gaming area.

39. The method as claimed in claim 38, wherein decrementing of the prize value on the display is accompanied by a sound effect.

40. The method as claimed in claim 39, wherein the decrementing is displayed by counting down from an original value to a decremented value.