Flexible determination of progressive awards

• US 7,980,947 B2
• Filed: 02/16/2005
• Issued: 07/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Thome, Connie Louise, Reddicks, Christopher Deacon, Michaelson, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Bumgarner; Melba
• Assistant Examiner(s): Leiva; Frank M
• Application Number:
  US11/059,973
• Publication Number:
  US 20060183538A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,344 Days
• Field of Search: 463 25- 27, 463/16, 463/9, 273/148.R, 273/138.1, 705/37
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The present invention provides novel method and devices for implementing progressive systems on networked gaming machines and associated network devices. Some preferred implementations of the invention allow a target progressive pool size to be selected and apply payouts such that the actual progressive pool size is not likely to exceed greatly the target progressive pool size. Some such implementations control the actual progressive pool size by applying a function to control percentages of the current progressive pool size payable to players of a wagering game on the networked gaming machines. The function may be a function of a current progressive pool size, target progressive pool size and bet size. The function may cause relatively higher percentages of the current progressive pool size to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool size and relatively lower percentages of the current progressive pool size to be payable to players when the current progressive pool size is less than or equal to a target progressive pool size.

Claims

1. A method of controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the method comprising:

controlling percentages of a current progressive pool amount available to players of the wagering game using a computer device programmed with a function, wherein the current progressive pool amount is a value currently in a progressive pool, wherein the function increases the percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool amount and decreases the percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is less than or equal to the target progressive pool amount, and wherein the target progressive pool amount is a specified value; and

paying out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the function is a power function of a bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount, and wherein the bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes, and wherein a bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising changing the function according to a reserve size amount, wherein the reserve size amount is a value in a reserve progressive pool.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the function is a function of the current progressive pool amount, the target progressive pool amount and a bet size, wherein the bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein p is proportional to the current progressive pool amount divided by the target progressive pool amount.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein B is based in part on a winning bet size divided by a maximum bet size.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein p is greater than 1.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein p is less than 1.

10. A method of controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the method comprising:

controlling percentages of a current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game using a computer device programmed with a function of the current progressive pool amount, a target progressive pool amount and a bet size, wherein the current progressive pool amount is a value currently in a progressive pool, wherein the target progressive pool amount is a specified value, and wherein the bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player; and

paying out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function, wherein a higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the function is a power function of the bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising changing the function according to a reserve size amount, wherein the reserve size amount is a value in a reserve progressive pool.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein p is proportional to the current progressive pool amount divided by the target progressive pool amount.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein B is based in part on a winning bet size divided by a maximum bet size.

16. A computer program for controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and including instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

apply a function to control percentages of a current progressive pool amount available to players of the wagering game, wherein the current progressive pool amount is a value currently in a progressive pool, wherein the function increases the percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool amount and decreases the percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is less than or equal to the target progressive pool amount, and wherein the target progressive pool amount is a specified value; and

pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

17. A computer program for controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the computer program embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium and including instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform the following steps:

apply a function of a current progressive pool amount, a target progressive pool amount and a bet size to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game, wherein the current progressive pool amount is a value currently in a progressive pool, wherein the target progressive pool amount is a specified value, and wherein the bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player; and

pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function, wherein a higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount.

18. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the function is a power function of the bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount.

19. The computer program of claim 17, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes.

20. A progressive server configured to control a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the progressive server comprising:

means for applying a function to control percentages of a current progressive pool amount available to players of the wagering game, wherein the current progressive pool amount is a value currently in a progressive pool, wherein the function increases the percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool amount and decreases the percentages of the current progressive pool amount to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is less than or equal to the target progressive pool amount, and wherein the target progressive pool amount is a specified value; and

means for instructing a plurality of gaming machines to pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function.

21. The progressive server of claim 20, wherein a higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount, wherein a bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player.

22. The progressive server of claim 20, wherein the function is a power function of a bet size in the form of B^p, where B is a function of the bet size and p is a function of the current progressive pool amount, wherein the bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player.

23. The progressive server of claim 20, wherein the function comprises a step function, wherein steps of the step function correspond with predetermined bet sizes, wherein a bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player.

24. A progressive server for controlling a progressive pool size for a wagering game, the progressive server comprising:

a network interface; and

at least one logic device configured for determining a function of a current progressive pool amount, a target progressive pool amount and a bet size to control percentages of the current progressive pool amount payable to players of the wagering game, wherein the current progressive pool amount is a value currently in a progressive pool, wherein the target progressive pool amount is a specified value, and wherein the bet size is the size of a bet placed by a player, the at least one logic device further configured for instructing gaming machines on a gaming network via the network interface to pay out percentages of the current progressive pool amount to players of the wagering game according to the function, wherein a higher percentage of the current progressive pool amount is paid out for lower bet sizes when D is positive and increasing, where D is a difference between the current progressive pool amount and the target progressive pool amount.

25. The progressive server of claim 24, further comprising an input device for receiving the target progressive pool amount.