Flexible determination of progressive awards

• US 9,053,602 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/16/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Michaelson, Richard, Thome, Connie Louise, Reddicks, Christopher Deacon
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/085,361
• Publication Number:
  US 20110195773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,519 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 17, 463 25- 27
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 methods and devices for implementing progressive systems on networked gaming machines. Some implementations 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 implementations control the actual progressive pool size by applying a function to control percentages of the progressive pool size payable to players. 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 to be payable to players when the current progressive pool amount is greater than a target progressive pool size and relatively lower percentages 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 progressive server comprising:

a network interface; and

at least one logic device configured to execute a plurality of instructions to operate with the network interface to;

(a) at a first point in time, apportion a higher percentage of any contributions to a maintained reserve progressive pool when a current amount of the reserve progressive pool at the first point in time is below a threshold amount, wherein the higher percentage is a variable percentage that is based, at least in part, on a current amount of a maintained main progressive pool at the first point in time;

(b) at a second point in time, apportion a lower percentage of any contributions to the reserve progressive pool when a current amount of the reserve progressive pool amount at the second point in time at least attains the threshold amount; and

(c) if a progressive award triggering event occurs, causing at least one gaming device to cause at least part of the amount of the main progressive pool to be provided as a progressive award.

2. The progressive server of claim 1, wherein the threshold amount includes a specified reserve progressive pool amount.

3. The progressive server of claim 1, wherein the threshold amount is attained when the reserve progressive pool amount is greater than zero.

4. The progressive server of claim 1, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

establish an initial amount of the reserve progressive pool.

5. The progressive server of claim 1, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

establish an initial amount of the main progressive pool.

6. The progressive server of claim 1, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

qualify a plurality of players of a plurality of wagering games in a gaming network for at least one payouts of an amount of the main progressive pool amount.

7. The progressive server of claim 6, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

payout different percentages of the amount of the main progressive pool to the players of the wagering games in the gaming network.

8. The progressive server of claim 7, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain a

a specified relationship between the amount of the main progressive pool and the amount of the reserve progressive pool.

21. The progressive server of claim 1, wherein an initial amount of the reserve progressive pool is less than zero.

9. A progressive server comprising:

a network interface; and

at least one logic device configured to execute a plurality of instructions to operate with the network interface to;

(a) at a first point in time, apportion a higher percentage of any contributions to a maintained main progressive pool before a threshold amount is attained, wherein the higher percentage is a variable percentage that is based, at least in part, on a current amount of the main progressive pool at the first point in time;

(b) after the threshold amount is at least attained;

(i) apportion a lower percentage of contributions to the main progressive pool, and

(ii) apportion a higher percentage of contributions to a maintained reserve progressive pool; and

(c) if a progressive award triggering event occurs, causing at least one gaming device to cause at least part of the amount of the main progressive pool to be provided as a progressive award.

10. The progressive server of claim 9, wherein the threshold amount includes a specified amount of the main progressive pool.

11. The progressive server of claim 9, wherein the threshold amount includes a specified ratio of the amount of the main progressive pool to an amount of the reserve progressive pool.

12. The progressive server of claim 9, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

establish an initial amount of the reserve progressive pool.

13. The progressive server of claim 9, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

establish an initial amount of the main progressive pool amount.

14. The progressive server of claim 9, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to

payout different percentages of the amount of the main progressive pool to a plurality of players of a plurality of wagering games in a gaming network.

15. The progressive server of claim 14, wherein the at least one logic device is configured to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain a specified relationship between the amount of the main progressive pool and an amount of the reserve progressive pool.

16. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions for controlling at least one device in a gaming network to perform a method comprising:

(a) apportioning a first percentage of any contributions to a maintained main progressive pool before a first threshold amount is attained;

(b) apportioning a second percentage of any contributions to the main progressive pool before a second threshold amount is attained;

(c) apportioning a third percentage of any contributions to the main progressive pool before a third threshold amount is attained; and

(d) if a progressive award triggering event occurs, causing at least one gaming device to cause at least part of the amount of the main progressive pool to be provided as a progressive award.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first percentage is lower than the second percentage, and the second percentage is lower than the third percentage.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first threshold amount includes a first specified amount of the main progressive pool, the second threshold amount includes a second specified amount of the main progressive pool, and the third threshold amount includes a third specified amount of the main progressive pool amount.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the first threshold amount is based on a first specified ratio of an amount of the main progressive pool to an amount of the reserve progressive pool, the second threshold amount is based on a second specified ratio of the amount of the main progressive pool to the amount of the reserve progressive pool, and the third threshold amount is based on a third specified ratio of the amount of the main progressive pool to the amount of the reserve progressive pool.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions control the at least one device to:

payout different percentages of an amount of the main progressive pool to a plurality of players of a plurality of wagering games in the gaming network.