Method and apparatus for providing a personal wide area progressive for gaming apparatus
First Claim
1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
- a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a value input device;
a player tracking card reader;
a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a player to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from said group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if said player is a personal wide area progressive member;
said controller being programmed to evaluate an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
said controller being programmed to determine if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
said controller being programmed to increment a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win, wherein said personal wide area progressive jackpot total represents a cash value;
said controller being programmed to reset said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to a cash amount correlating to said player'"'"'s gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
said controller being programmed to increment said personal wide area progressive jackpot total for said player by a cash contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win; and
said controller being programmed to lock said gaming apparatus and perform a jackpot verification if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A gaming apparatus is disclosed having a display unit capable of generating video images; a value input device; a player tracking card reader; and a controller. The controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, to acquire player tracking data from a database, and determine if a player is a personal progressive member. The controller also being programmed to evaluate an outcome of a game to determine if the outcome was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win; to increment a credit account for the player by a personal progressive jackpot total if the outcome was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win; to reset the personal progressive jackpot total if the outcome was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win; and to increment the credit account by a contribution amount if the outcome was not a qualified personal progressive win.
290 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
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a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a value input device;
a player tracking card reader;
a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a player to make a wager, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image representing a game selected from said group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo, said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if said player is a personal wide area progressive member;
said controller being programmed to evaluate an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
said controller being programmed to determine if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
said controller being programmed to increment a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win, wherein said personal wide area progressive jackpot total represents a cash value;
said controller being programmed to reset said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to a cash amount correlating to said player'"'"'s gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
said controller being programmed to increment said personal wide area progressive jackpot total for said player by a cash contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win; and
said controller being programmed to lock said gaming apparatus and perform a jackpot verification if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
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11. A gaming apparatus, comprising:
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a display unit that is capable of generating video images;
a value input device;
a player tracking card reader;
a controller operatively coupled to said display unit, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a wager, said controller being programmed to allow a person to make a payline selection, said controller being programmed to cause a video image to be generated on said display unit, said video image comprising a plurality of simulated slot machine reels of a slots game, each of said slot machine reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols, said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal progressive member;
said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of said slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols;
said controller being programmed to determine if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win;
said controller being programmed to increment a credit account for said player by a personal progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win, wherein said personal progressive jackpot total represents a cash value;
said controller being programmed to reset said personal progressive jackpot total to a cash amount correlating to said player'"'"'s gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win; and
said controller being programmed to add a percentage of a cash amount of said wager to a current cash value of said personal progressive jackpot if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal progressive jackpot win. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A gaming method comprising:
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causing a video image to be generated, said video image representing a game selected from the group of games consisting of video poker, video blackjack, video slots, video keno and video bingo, said video image comprising an image of at least five playing cards if said game comprises video poker, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of simulated slot machine reels if said game comprises video slots, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of playing cards if said game comprises video blackjack, said video image comprising an image of a plurality of keno numbers if said game comprises video keno, and said video image comprising an image of a bingo grid if said game comprises video bingo;
reading a player tracking card;
acquiring player tracking data from a player tracking database;
determining if a player is a personal progressive member that is eligible to win a personal progressive jackpot;
evaluating an outcome of said game represented by said video image;
determining if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win;
incrementing a credit account for said player by a personal progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win, wherein said personal progressive jackpot total represents a cash value;
resetting said personal progressive jackpot total to cash amount correlating to said player'"'"'s gaming history if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal progressive jackpot win; and
incrementing said personal progressive jackpot total by a cash contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal progressive jackpot win. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
determining if a player is a personal wide area progressive member that is eligible to win a personal wide area progressive jackpot;
determining if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
incrementing a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win, wherein said personal wide area progressive jackpot total represents a cash value;
resetting said personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win; and
incrementing said personal wide area progressive jackpot total by a cash contribution amount if said outcome of said game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win.
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26. A slot machine, comprising:
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a housing;
a transparent display portion associated with said housing;
a value input device;
a player tracking card reader;
a plurality of mechanically rotatable reels, said mechanically rotatable reels having a plurality of slot machine symbols formed thereon;
said mechanically rotatable reels being disposed in said housing so that said slot machine symbols are visible to a player through said transparent display portion;
a controller operatively coupled to said mechanically rotatable reels, said value input device, and said player tracking card reader, said controller comprising a processor and a memory operatively coupled to said processor;
said controller being programmed to read a player tracking card, acquire player tracking data from a player tracking database, and determine if a player is a personal wide area progressive member;
said controller being programmed to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of a slots game, said controller being programmed to determine said outcome of said slots game based on a configuration of said slot machine symbols;
said controller being programmed to determine if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win;
said controller being programmed to increment a credit account for said player by a personal wide area progressive jackpot total if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win, wherein said personal wide area progressive jackpot total represents a first cash amount;
said controller being programmed to reset said personal wide area progressive jackpot total to a second cash amount correlating to said player'"'"'s gaming history if said outcome of said slots game was a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot win; and
said controller being programmed to determine increment said personal wide area progressive jackpot total for said player by a cash contribution amount if said outcome of said slots game was not a qualified personal wide area progressive jackpot. - View Dependent Claims (27, 28, 29)
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Specification