Gaming system and method for enabling a player to select progressive awards to try for and chances of winning progressive awards

• US 7,674,179 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 03/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/09/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Cohen, Alexdander Casey Naglestad, Ferry, Tonja Marie, Koby, Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Hotaling, II; John M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US11/830,242
• Publication Number:
  US 20080076552A1
• Time in Patent Office: 953 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player'"'"'s selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller; and

a plurality of gaming machines, each one of the gaming machines including;

at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with the at least one central controller;

at least one in put device;

at least one display device configured to display a play of a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor, cause the at least one gaming machine processor, after an occurrence of a triggering event for a play of a secondary game, to;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display a plurality of progressive awards, a plurality of first progressive awards being available for selection by the player of one of said gaming machines, at least one second progressive award being initially unavailable for selection by the player regardless of any amount of the wager placed,

(ii) enable the player to select one of the plurality of first progressive awards to play for during the play of the secondary game,

(iii) determine whether to provide the selected first progressive award to the player,

(iv) if the determination is not to provide the selected first progressive award to the player,

(a) maintain the second progressive award as unavailable for selection by the player in a subsequent selection during the same play of the secondary game, and

(b) enable the player to subsequently select one of the plurality of first progressive awards to play for during the same play of the secondary game, and

(v) if the determination is to provide the selected first progressive award to the player,

(a) designate the previously unavailable second progressive award as available for selection by the player, and

(b) enable the player to subsequently select the second progressive award to play for during the same play of the secondary game.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event is a random triggering event.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first progressive awards has a first value and the second progressive award has a second value, the second value being greater than the first value.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first progressive awards is at least partially funded by the wager and the second progressive award is at least partially funded by the wager.

5. A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller; and

a plurality of gaming machines, each one of the gaming machines including;

at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with the at least one central controller;

at least one input device;

at least one display device configured to display a play of a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor, cause the at least one gaming machine processor, after an occurrence of a triggering event for a play of a secondary game, to;

(i) cause the at least one display device to display a plurality of progressive awards which are incremented based, at least in part, on the wagers placed on the plays of the primary game, each of the progressive awards associated with a quantity of points, the quantity of points associated with a probability of winning said progressive award that is greater than zero percent and less than one-hundred percent,

(ii) subsequently cause a change of the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards at a designated time during the play of the secondary game, said changed quantity of points associated with a changed probability of winning said progressive award,

(iii) enable the player of one of the gaming machines to directly select a first progressive award from the plurality of progressive awards,

(iv) enable the player to play for the selected first progressive award during the play of the secondary game,

(v) determine whether to provide the selected progressive award to the player, the determination based on the quantity of points associated with the selected progressive award, and

(vi) provide the selected progressive award to the player if the determination is to provide the selected progressive award.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the triggering event is a random triggering event.

7. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein for at least one of the progressive awards, the change is at least partially funded by the wager.

8. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor, for at least one of the gaming machines, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor to change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards at periodic time intervals during the play of the secondary game.

9. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor, for at least one of the gaming machines, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor determining whether to change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards at a randomly determined time during the play of the secondary game.

10. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor, for at least one of the gaming machines, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor periodically determining whether to periodically change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards during the play of the secondary game.

11. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor, for at least one of the gaming machines, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one gaming machine processor to randomly change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards during the play of the secondary game.

12. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display a play of a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

(b) after an occurrence of a triggering event for a play of a secondary game, to;

(i) causing the at least one display device to display a plurality of progressive awards, a plurality of first progressive awards being available for selection by the player of one of said gaming machines, at least one second progressive award being initially unavailable for selection by the player regardless of any amount of the wager placed,

(ii) enabling the player to select one of the plurality of first progressive awards to play for during the play of the secondary game,

(iii) causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to provide the selected first progressive award to the player,

(iv) if the determination is not to provide the selected first progressive award to the player;

(a) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain the second progressive award as unavailable for selection by the player in a subsequent selection during the same play of the secondary game, and

(b) enabling the player to subsequently select one of the plurality of first progressive awards to play for during the same play of the secondary game, and

(v) if the determination is to provide the selected first progressive award to the player;

(a) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to designate the previously unavailable second progressive award as available for selection by the player, and

(b) enabling the player to subsequently select the second progressive award to play for during the same play of the secondary game.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the triggering event is a random triggering event.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first progressive awards has a first value and the second progressive award has a second value, the second value being greater than the first value.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein at least one of the first progressive awards is at least partially funded by the wager and the second progressive award is at least partially funded by the wager.

16. The method of claim 12, which is provided through a data network.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the data network is an internet.

18. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of instructions, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one display device to display a play of a primary game operable upon a wager placed by a player; and

(b) after an occurrence of a triggering event for a play of a secondary game, to;

(i) causing the at least one display device to display a plurality of progressive awards which are incremented based, at least in part, on the wagers placed on the plays of the primary game, each of the progressive awards associated with a quantity of points, the quantity of points associated with a probability of winning said progressive award that is greater than zero percent and less than one-hundred percent,

(ii) causing at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to subsequently cause a change of the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards at a designated time during the play of the secondary game, said changed quantity of points associated with a changed probability of winning said progressive award,

(iii) enabling the player of one of the gaming machines to directly select a first progressive award from the plurality of progressive awards,

(iv) enabling the player to play for the selected first progressive award during the play of the secondary game,

(v) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine whether to provide the selected progressive award to the player, the determination based on the quantity of points associated with the selected progressive award, and

(vi) providing the selected progressive award to the player if the determination is to provide the selected progressive award.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the triggering event is a random triggering event.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein for at least one of the progressive awards, the change is at least partially funded by the wager.

21. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards at periodic time intervals during the play of the secondary game.

22. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards at a randomly determined time during the play of the secondary game.

23. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality Of instructions to periodically change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards during the play of the secondary game.

24. The method of claim 18, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly change the quantity of points associated with one of the progressive awards during the play of the secondary game.

25. The method of claim 18, which is provided through a data network.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the data network is an internet.