Server based gaming system having multiple progressive awards

• US 9,159,196 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2014
• Issued: 10/13/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Vasquez, James A., Baerlocher, Anthony J., Jones, Aaron T., Bansemer, Mark W.
• Primary Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US14/243,545
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213348A1
• Time in Patent Office: 559 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 20, 463 25- 29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

Abstract

A gaming system including a central server linked to a plurality of gaming machines. The central server includes a plurality of progressive modules. Each progressive module maintains one or more progressive awards and is associated with zero, one or more of the gaming machines in the gaming system. Upon a determination that a designated one of the progressive awards will be provided, one of the gaming machines associated with the progressive module which maintains the designated progressive award provides the designated progressive award to the player of such gaming machine.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including;

a housing;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including;

(i) an acceptor,

(ii) a validator, and

(iii) a cashout 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 plurality of input devices to;

(a) if a physical item is received via the acceptor;

(i) identify, via the validator, the received physical item, and

(ii) establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received and identified physical item,

(b) display a play of a game upon a placement of a wager, and

(c) if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance; and

a controller programmed to operate with said plurality of gaming devices to;

(a) maintain a progressive award,

(b) during a first period of time;

(i) associate the maintained progressive award with a first one of the gaming devices,

(ii) cause the first one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(iii) if a first triggering event occurs, cause the maintained progressive award to be provided to a player of the first one of the gaming devices,

(c) if a transfer event occurs, transfer at least part of the progressive award to a second one of the gaming devices, and

(d) during a second period of time after the occurrence of the transfer event;

(i) associate the maintained progressive award with the second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) cause the second one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(iii) if a second triggering event occurs, cause the maintained progressive award to be provided to a player of the second one of the gaming devices.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if the transfer event occurs, the controller is programmed to operate with said plurality of gaming devices to transfer the entire progressive award to the second one of the gaming devices.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein said transferred at least part of the progressive award includes a progressive award increment value.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the controller is programmed to operate with said plurality of gaming devices to:

(a) during the first period of time;

(i) not associate the maintained progressive award with the second one of the gaming devices, and

(ii) not cause the second one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(b) during the second time period;

(i) not associate the maintained progressive award with the first one of the gaming devices, and

(ii) not cause the first one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the transfer event is selected from the group consisting of:

a deactivation of a progressive module of the controller which maintains the progressive award, a deactivation of the first one of the gaming devices and an elapsed amount of time.

6. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first triggering event and the second triggering event are the same event.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the maintained progressive award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

8. A gaming system server comprising:

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;

(a) cause each of a plurality of gaming devices to display a play of a game upon a placement of a wager, wherein a credit balance is reduced in association with the placed wager and said credit balance is;

(i) increasable via;

(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,

(b) maintain a progressive award,

(c) during a first period of time;

(i) associate the maintained progressive award with a first one of the gaming devices,

(ii) cause the first one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(iii) if a first triggering event occurs, cause the maintained progressive award to be provided to a player of the first one of the gaming devices,

(d) if a transfer event occurs, transfer at least part of the progressive award to a second one of the gaming devices, and

(e) during a second period of time after the occurrence of the transfer event;

(i) associate the maintained progressive award with the second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) cause the second one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(iii) if a second triggering event occurs, cause the maintained progressive award to be provided to a player of the second one of the gaming devices.

9. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to, if the transfer event occurs, transfer the entire progressive award to the second one of the gaming devices.

10. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein said transferred at least part of the progressive award includes a progressive award increment value.

11. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein when executed by the at least one processor, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to:

(a) during the first period of time;

(i) not associate the maintained progressive award with the second one of the gaming devices, and

(ii) not cause the second one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(b) during the second time period;

(i) not associate the maintained progressive award with the first one of the gaming devices, and

(ii) not cause the first one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award.

12. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the transfer event is selected from the group consisting of:

a deactivation of a progressive module which maintains the progressive award, a deactivation of the first one of the gaming devices and an elapsed amount of time.

13. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the first triggering event and the second triggering event are the same event.

14. The gaming system server of claim 8, wherein the maintained progressive award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

15. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:

(a) causing each of a plurality of gaming devices to display a play of a game upon a placement of a wager, wherein a credit balance is reduced in association with the placed wager and said credit balance is;

(i) increasable via;

(A) an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and

(B) a validator configured to identify the physical item, and

(ii) decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,

(b) causing a controller to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a progressive award,

(c) during a first period of time;

(i) causing the controller to execute the plurality of instructions to associate the maintained progressive award with a first one of the gaming devices,

(ii) causing the first one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(iii) if a first triggering event occurs, causing the maintained progressive award to be provided to a player of the first one of the gaming devices,

(d) if a transfer event occurs, causing the controller to execute the plurality of instructions to transfer at least part of the progressive award to a second one of the gaming devices, and

(e) during a second period of time after the occurrence of the transfer event;

(i) causing the controller to execute the plurality of instructions to associate the maintained progressive award with the second one of the gaming devices,

(ii) causing the second one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(iii) if a second triggering event occurs, causing the maintained progressive award to be provided to a player of the second one of the gaming devices.

16. The method of claim 15, which includes, if the transfer event occurs, causing the controller to execute the plurality of instructions to transfer the entire progressive award to the second one of the gaming devices.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said transferred at least part of the progressive award includes a progressive award increment value.

18. The method of claim 15, which includes:

(a) during the first period of time;

(i) causing the controller to execute the plurality of instructions to not associate the maintained progressive award with the second one of the gaming devices, and

(ii) not causing the second one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award, and

(b) during the second time period;

(i) causing the controller to execute the plurality of instructions to not associate the maintained progressive award with the first one of the gaming devices, and

(ii) not causing the first one of the gaming devices to display the maintained progressive award.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the transfer event is selected from the group consisting of:

a deactivation of a progressive module of the controller which maintains the progressive award, a deactivation of the first one of the gaming devices and an elapsed amount of time.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first triggering event and the second triggering event are the same event.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein the maintained progressive award is at least one selected from the group of:

a quantity of monetary credits, a quantity of non-monetary credits, a quantity of promotional credits, and a quantity of player tracking points.

22. The method of claim 15, which is provided through a data network.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the data network is an internet.