Gaming system and method with multiple progressive award levels and a skill based determination of providing one of the progressive award levels

• US 7,963,845 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2006
• Issued: 06/21/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US11/557,727
• Publication Number:
  US 20080108410A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,686 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32
• 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 17/34 depending on the stopping of moving members in a mechanical slot machine, e.g. "fruit" machines

Abstract

A gaming system which includes a plurality of progressive awards in an MLP configuration. In a triggered bonus event, a player begins at the lowest progressive award level of the MLP and attempts to reach a higher progressive award level based on their decisions in the bonus event. If as a result of their play in the bonus event, a player is provided a progressive award other than the lowest level progressive award, one or more of the remaining lower level progressive awards (i.e., a progressive award associated with a lower level of the MLP than the provided progressive award) are shifted to account for the provided progressive award. The lowest level progressive award (which is temporality left vacant by the shifting of the remaining progressive awards) is reset to a set value, thus providing that the progressive award hierarchy is preserved regardless of which progressive award is provided to the player.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

at least one display device,

at least one input device,

at least one processor, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager placed by the player; and

a controller configured to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices, said controller programmed to;

(a) maintain a plurality of progressive award levels, wherein each progressive award level is associated with a progressive award value, said progressive award levels include at least;

(i) a first progressive award level associated with a first progressive award value at a first point in time;

(ii) a second progressive award level associated with a second progressive award value at the first point in time, wherein said second progressive award value is greater than the first progressive award value;

(iii) a third progressive award level associated with a third progressive award value at the first point in time, wherein said third progressive award value is greater than the second progressive award value; and

(b) upon a triggering of a bonus event at a subsequent second point in time;

(i) cause one of the gaming devices to provide one of progressive award values associated with one of the progressive award levels; and

(ii) if the third progressive award value is provided;

(A) reassociate the second progressive award value to the third progressive award level;

(B) reassociate the first progressive award value to the second progressive award level; and

(C) associate the first progressive award level with a set value.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the first progressive award value is provided, the controller is programmed to associate the first progressive award level with the set value.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the second progressive award value is provided, the controller is programmed to reassociate the first progressive award value to the second progressive award level, and associate the first progressive award level with the set value.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein which progressive award is provided is based, at least in part, on at least one aspect of skill.

5. The gaming system of claim 4, wherein at least the first progressive award is provided, regardless of the selected player'"'"'s skill.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is based on at least one displayed event in the play of the primary game of one of the gaming devices.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is independent of any displayed event in any play of any primary game or of any plays of any secondary game of the gaming devices.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the third progressive award value is never lower than the second progressive award value and the second progressive award value is never lower than the first progressive award value.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein an increment rate for the third progressive award level is greater than an increment for the second progressive award level and the increment rate for the second progressive award level is greater than an increment for the first progressive award level.

10. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

at least one display device,

at least one input device,

at least one processor, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager placed by the player; and

a controller configured to communicate with the plurality of gaming devices, said controller programmed to;

(a) maintain a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is associated with a progressive award level at a first point in time and at the first point in time, a first one of the progressive awards associated with a first one of the progressive award levels has a first progressive award value that is lower than a second progressive award value of a second one of the progressive awards associated with a higher, second progressive award level; and

(b) upon a triggering of a bonus event at a subsequent second point in time;

(i) select one of the players of one of the gaming devices;

(ii) enable the selected player to participate in a secondary game;

(iii) provide the selected player one of the progressive awards, wherein which of the progressive awards is provided is based, at least in part, on the selected player'"'"'s skill in the secondary game;

(iv) if at least one progressive award level is lower than the progressive award level associated with the provided progressive award;

(A) reassociate at least one of the progressive awards associated with at least one of the lower progressive award levels to the progressive award level associated with the provided progressive award; and

(B) fund the progressive award associated with the lower progressive award level with a set value; and

(v) if the provided progressive award is the lowest progressive award level, fund the progressive award associated with said lowest progressive award level with the set value.

11. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the secondary game includes at least one base element having at least two characteristics and a plurality of player selections, each player selection having at least two characteristics.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the secondary game includes enabling the player to select at least one of the player selections having at least one characteristic that matches at least one characteristic of the base element, wherein a number of player selections that match base elements determines which progressive award is provided to the selected player.

13. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the selected player is provided at least the first progressive award, regardless of the selected player'"'"'s skill in the secondary game.

14. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is based on at least one displayed event in the play of the primary game of one of the gaming devices.

15. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is independent of any displayed event in any play of any primary game or of any plays of any secondary game of the gaming devices.

16. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein the first progressive award value is never higher than the second progressive award value.

17. The gaming system of claim 10, wherein an increment rate associated with the first progressive award level is greater than an increment rate associated with the second progressive award level.

18. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

at least one display device,

at least one input device,

at least one processor, and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager placed by the player; and

a controller configured to communicate with the plurality of gaming devices, said controller programmed to;

(a) maintain a plurality of progressive award levels including at least a first one of the progressive award levels and a second one of the progressive award levels, wherein each progressive award level is associated with one of a plurality of progressive award values at a first point in time; and

(b) upon a triggering of a bonus event at a subsequent second point in time;

(i) cause one of the gaming devices to provide one of progressive award values associated with one of the progressive award levels;

(ii) if a first one of the progressive award values associated with the first one of the progressive award levels is provided, associate the first one of the progressive award levels with a set value; and

(iii) if a second one of the progressive award values associated with the second one of the progressive award levels is provided, associate the first one of the progressive award levels with the set value.

19. The gaming system of claim 18, wherein which progressive award is provided is based, at least in part, on at least one aspect of skill.

20. The gaming system of claim 18, which includes at least three progressive award levels.

21. The gaming system of claim 18, which includes at least four progressive award levels.

22. The gaming device of claim 18, wherein if the second one of the progressive award values associated with the second one of the progressive award levels is provided, the controller is programmed to reassociate the first one of the progressive award values associated with the first one of the progressive award levels to the second one of the progressive award levels.

23. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device; and

at least one processor;

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager placed by the player;

(b) maintain a plurality of progressive award levels, wherein each progressive award level is associated with a progressive award value, said progressive award levels include at least;

(i) a first progressive award level associated with a first progressive award value at a first point in time; and

(ii) a second progressive award level associated with a second progressive award value at the first point in time, wherein said second progressive award value is greater than the first progressive award value; and

(c) upon a triggering of a bonus event at a subsequent second point in time;

(i) provide one of progressive award values associated with one of the progressive award levels to the player; and

(ii) if the second progressive award value is provided to the player;

(A) reassociate the first progressive award value to the second progressive award level; and

(B) associate the first progressive award level with a set value.

24. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the first progressive award value is provided to the player, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to associate the first progressive award level with the set value.

25. The gaming device of claim 23, which includes a third progressive award level associated with a third progressive award value at the first point in time, wherein said third progressive award value is greater than the second progressive award value.

26. The gaming device of claim 25, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the third progressive award value is provided to the player, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(i) reassociate the second progressive award value to the third progressive award level;

(ii) reassociate the first progressive award value to the second progressive award level; and

(iii) associate the first progressive award level with the set value.

27. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein which progressive award is provided to the player is based, at least in part, on at least one aspect of skill.

28. The gaming device of claim 27, wherein the player is provided at least the first progressive award, regardless of the player'"'"'s skill.

29. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is based on at least one displayed event in the play of the primary game.

30. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is independent of any displayed event in any play of any primary game or of any plays of any secondary game.

31. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein the second progressive award value is never lower than the first progressive award value.

32. The gaming device of claim 23, wherein an increment rate for the second progressive award level is greater than an increment rate for the first progressive award level.

33. A gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager placed by the player;

(b) maintain a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is associated with a progressive award level at a first point in time and at the first point in time, a first one of the progressive awards associated with a first one of the progressive award levels has a first progressive award value that is lower than a second progressive award value of a second one of the progressive awards associated with a higher, second progressive award level; and

(c) upon a triggering of a bonus event at a subsequent second point in time;

(i) enable the player to participate in a secondary game;

(ii) provide the player one of the progressive awards, wherein which of the progressive awards is provided is based, at least in part, on the player'"'"'s skill in the secondary game;

(iii) if at least one progressive award level is lower than the progressive award level associated with the provided progressive award;

(A) reassociate at least one of the progressive awards associated with at least one of the lower progressive award levels to the progressive award level associated with the provided progressive award; and

(B) fund the progressive award associated with the lower progressive award level with a set value; and

(iv) if the provided progressive award is the lowest progressive award level, fund the progressive award associated with said lowest progressive award level with the set value.

34. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein the secondary game includes at least one base element having at least two characteristics and a plurality of player selections, each player selection having at least two characteristics.

35. The gaming device of claim 34, wherein the secondary game includes enabling the player to select at least one of the player selections having at least one characteristic that matches at least one characteristic of the base element, wherein a number of player selections that match base elements determines which progressive award is provided to the selected player.

36. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein the player is provided at least the first progressive award, regardless of the player'"'"'s skill in the secondary game.

37. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is based on at least one displayed event in the play of the primary game.

38. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein the triggering of the bonus event is independent of any displayed event in any play of the primary game or of any plays of any secondary games.

39. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein the first progressive award value is never higher than the second progressive award value.

40. The gaming device of claim 33, wherein an increment rate associated with the first progressive award level is greater than an increment rate associated with the second progressive award level.

41. A gaming device operable under control of a processor, said gaming device comprising:

at least one display device;

at least one input device;

at least one processor; and

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to operate with the at least one display device and the at least one input device to;

(a) enable a player to play a primary game upon a wager placed by the player;

(b) maintain a plurality of progressive award levels including at least a first one of the progressive award levels and a second one of the progressive award levels, wherein each progressive award level is associated with a progressive award value at a first point in time; and

(c) upon a triggering of a bonus event at a subsequent second point in time;

(i) provide one of progressive award values associated with one of the progressive award levels to the player;

(ii) if a first one of the progressive award values associated with the first one of the progressive award levels is provided, associate a first one of the progressive award levels with a set value; and

(iii) if a second one of the progressive award values associated with the second one of the progressive award levels is provided, associate the first one of the progressive award levels with the set value.

42. The gaming device of claim 41, wherein which progressive award is provided is based, at least in part, on at least one aspect of skill.

43. The gaming device of claim 41, which includes at least three progressive award levels.

44. The gaming device of claim 41, which includes at least four progressive award levels.

45. The gaming device of claim 41, wherein when executed by the at least one processor if the second one of the progressive award values associated with the second one of the progressive award levels is provided to the player, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to reassociate the first one of the progressive award values associated with the first one of the progressive award levels to the second one of the progressive award levels.