Progressive gaming system

• US 6,224,484 B1
• Filed: 05/26/1998
• Issued: 05/01/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Konami Gaming Incorporated (Konami Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Konami Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Yoshida, Keiichi, Ozaki, Koichi, Okuda, Yoichi, Sasa, Junichi, Yamaguchi, Takashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin-Wallace, Valencia
• Assistant Examiner(s): PARADISO, JOHN ROGER
• Application Number:
  US09/085,089
• Time in Patent Office: 1,071 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27, 463/17, 463/25, 463/26, 463/12, 463/16, 463/13, 463/42, 463/20, 273/292, 273/138.1, 273/143 R, 273/274, 273/122 R, 273/138.2, 273/85 CP
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means

Abstract

A progressive gaming system comprises a plurality of gaming machines, each of which is constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and gives a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game. Each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game. The progressive unit comprises a controller for performing the lottery game in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery game, and displaying information regarding to a process of the lottery game.

Claims

1. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaining machines being constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and to give a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game,

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game, the progressive unit comprising a controller for performing the lottery game in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, for instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery game, and for displaying information regarding a process of the lottery game, the controller performing a game as the lottery game for forming at least one bonus winning combination and displaying a process as to whether or not the at least one bonus winning combination is formed.

2. A progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the progressive unit comprises a display device extending on the plurality of the gaming machines, and the information regarding the process of the lottery game is displayed through the display device.

3. A progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the progressive unit comprises a display device equipped with at least one video monitor for displaying the information regarding the process of the lottery game.

4. A progressive gaming system according to claim 3, wherein the controller performs a game as the lottery game in which predetermined number of characters are randomly combined or associated with each other, and controls the display device in such a manner that images representing a process of associating the characters are displayed on the at least one video monitor.

5. A progressive gaming system according to claim 3, wherein the controller randomly determines a combination of characters provided on a plurality of reels in the lottery game, and controls the display device in such a manner that images representing a process that each of the reels starts rotating and stops at a position corresponding to the determined combination of the characters are displayed on the at least one video monitor.

6. A progressive gaming system according to claim 5, wherein the controller performs a judgment as to whether or not the determined combination of the characters in the lottery game meets a predetermined bonus winning condition for paying the progressive bonus, and instructs the payment of the progressive bonus when it is judged that the determined combination of the characters meets the bonus winning condition.

7. A progressive gaming system according to claim 6, wherein a plurality of bonus winning combinations are set as the bonus winning condition, and the controller judges whether or not the determined combination meets at least one of the bonus winning combinations.

8. A progressive gaming system according to claim 7, wherein the controller determines a value to be paid to the player as the progressive bonus in such a manner that the value is changed in accordance with types of the bonus winning combinations, and instructs the one of the gaming machines to pay the determined value as the progressive bonus.

9. A progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein at least one bonus chance combination is set as the bonus chance condition for proceeding to the lottery game, and the judging device judges whether or not the at least one bonus chance combination is formed in the main game played in each of the gaming machines.

10. A progressive gaming system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one bonus chance combination includes a combination different from the winning combination.

11. A progressive gaming system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one bonus chance combination is limited to a combination different from the winning combination of the main game.

13. A progressive gaming system according to claim 1, wherein the bonus chance condition is set in such a manner that a plurality of bonus chances can be occurred in one of the main game in anyone of the gaming machines, and the controller repeats the lottery game a number of times corresponding to a number of the bonus chances when the plurality of the bonus chances are occurred.

12. A progressive gaming system according to claim, wherein a part of the gaming machines can perform one type of a game, as the main game, different from another type of a game performed in a remnant part of the gaming machines as the main game, and wherein the controller performs a game for forming at least one bonus winning combination as the lottery game, instructs the payment of the progressive bonus when the at least one bonus winning combination is formed in the lottery game and changes a probability of forming the at least one bonus winning combination in accordance with a type of the main game.

14. A progressive gaming system comprising:

plurality of gaming machines, each of which is constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and gives a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with ajudging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game;

and wherein the progressive unit comprises a controller for performing a game as the lottery game for forming at least one of bonus winning combinations in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus varied in accordance with types of the bonus winning combinations when one of the bonus winning combinations is formed in the lottery game.

15. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of which is constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and gives a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not at lease one bonus chance combination including a combination different from the winning combination is formed in the main game played in each of the gaming machines;

and wherein the progressive unit comprises a controller for performing a lottery in response to a judgment that the at least one bonus chance combination is formed, instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the at least one bonus chance combination is formed, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery.

16. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of which is constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and gives a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines;

wherein a part of the gaming machines can perform one type of a game as the main game different from another type of a game performed in a remnant part of the gaming machines as the main game;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with ajudging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition varied in accordance with a type of the main game;

and wherein the progressive unit comprises a controller for performing a lottery game for forming at least one bonus winning combination in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus when the at least one bonus winning combination is formed in the lottery game, and changing a probability of forming the at least one bonus winning combination in accordance with a type of the main game.

17. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines being constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and to give a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game, the progressive unit comprising a controller for performing the lottery game in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, for instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery game, and for displaying information regarding to a process of the lottery game;

the progressive unit comprising a display device equipped with at least one video monitor for displaying the information regarding the process of the lottery game, the controller performing the lottery game in which a predetermined number of characters are randomly combined or associated with each other and controlling the display device in such a manner that images representing a process of associating the characters are displayed on the at least one video monitor.

18. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines being constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and to give a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game, the progressive unit comprising a controller for performing the lottery game in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, for instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery game, and for displaying information regarding to a process of the lottery game;

the progressive unit comprising a display device equipped with at least one video monitor for displaying the information regarding the process of the lottery game, the controller randomly determining a combination of characters provided on a plurality of reels in the lottery game and controlling the display device in such a manner that images representing a process that each of the reels starts rotating and stops at a position corresponding to the determined combination of the characters are displayed on the at least one video monitor.

19. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines being constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and to give a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game, the progressive unit comprising a controller for performing the lottery game in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, for instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery game, and for displaying information regarding to a process of the lottery game;

at least one bonus chance combination being set as the bonus chance condition for proceeding to the lottery game and the judging device judges whether or not the at least one bonus chance combination is formed in the main game played in each of the gaming machines.

20. A progressive gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming machines, each of the gaming machines being constructed to perform a predetermined main game in response to an operation of a player and to give a prize to the player when a winning combination is formed in the main game; and

a progressive unit for counting an amount of a progressive bonus based on an amount of a bet in the main game played in each of the gaming machines and controlling a payment of the progressive bonus in association with a result of the main game;

wherein each of the gaming machines or the progressive unit is provided with a judging device for judging whether or not the result of the main game played in each of the gaming machines meets a predetermined bonus chance condition for proceeding to a lottery game, the progressive unit comprising a controller for performing the lottery game in response to a judgment that the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, for instructing one of the gaming machines, in which the result of the main game meets the bonus chance condition, to pay the progressive bonus corresponding to a result of the lottery game, and for displaying information regarding to a process of the lottery game;

the bonus chance condition being set in such a manner that a plurality of bonus chances can occur in one of the main games in anyone of the gaming machines and the controller repeats the lottery game a number of times corresponding to a number of the bonus chances when the plurality of the bonus chances occur.