Jackpot interfaces and services on a gaming machine

• US 9,311,772 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2013
• Issued: 04/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Nguyen, Binh T., Paulsen, Craig A.
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US14/101,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20140094292A1
• Time in Patent Office: 855 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• 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 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• 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

A disclosed a player tracking unit provides a touch screen display with a touch screen controller integrated into the touch screen sensor assembly. Game service interfaces may be presented on the touch screen display that allow a user to obtain one or more game services. With the touch screen sensor, a user may navigate through the game service interface and supply information required to obtain a game service. Types of interfaces provided with the gaming machine include a jackpot interface for displaying one or more jackpots selected by the player or one or more jackpots that the player is eligible to win.

Claims

1. A gaming machine comprising:

a housing;

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

(i) an acceptor, and

(ii) a cashout device;

at least one display device supported by the housing;

a master gaming controller;

at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the master gaming controller, cause the master gaming controller 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, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,

(b) switch between a first operational mode and a second operational mode based on at least one player input which is independent of an amount of any wager placed on a play of a game of chance, wherein;

(i) in the first operational mode, the game of chance includes a chance to win a wide area progressive jackpot, said wide area progressive jackpot being a maximum award for the game of chance, and wherein a portion of each wager placed while in the first operational mode is contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot, and

(ii) in the second operational mode, the game of chance does not include the chance to win the wide area progressive jackpot and no contribution is made to the wide area progressive jackpot,

(c) display an outcome of the play of the game of chance,

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

a network interface coupled to the master gaming controller and configured to send a message over a network regarding the portion of each wager contributed to the wide area progressive jackpot while in the first operational mode.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to establish a communication session with a remote gaming device that enables a notification to be communicated to the remote gaming device of contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot when in the first operational mode or when switched from the second operational mode to the first operational mode.

3. The gaming machine of claim 2, wherein the remote gaming device polls for contributions to the remote gaming device.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to terminate a communication session with a remote gaming device that determines an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot and that receives information indicating contributions to the wide area progressive jackpot when switched from the first operational mode to the second operational mode.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller after a switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to change at least one of:

a theme of the game of chance, a plurality of graphics of the game of chance, a plurality of sounds of the game of chance, a paytable of the game of chance, and game software of the game of chance.

6. The gaming machine of claim 5, wherein the at least one of the plurality of graphics of the game of chance, the plurality of sounds of the game of chance, the paytable of the game of chance, and the game software of the game of chance is downloaded from a remote gaming device.

7. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein all or a portion of the game of chance displayed on the at least one display device is generated on a remote gaming device.

8. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to:

receive a video stream of a presentation for the game chance from a remote gaming device, and

display the video stream.

9. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to:

display a plurality of different types of games of chance available for play wherein a portion of the plurality of different types of games of chance include the chance to win the wide area progressive jackpot, and

receive an input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, where the input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance triggers a switch between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

11. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein at least one of:

the display of the plurality of different types of games of chance available for play and the input for selecting one of the plurality of different types of games of chance is made via a player tracking unit supported by the housing.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to switch from a first paytable to a second paytable wherein the paytables are not dynamically generated and are pre-approved for use prior to the switch.

13. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the game of chance is selected from the group consisting of:

a bingo game, a centrally determined game, a card game, a slot game, a dice game, a poker game, a pachinko games, a multiple hand poker game, a pai-gow poker game, a blackjack games, a keno game, a roulette game, a craps game, a game of checkers and a board game.

14. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to instantiate and control at least two game play interfaces wherein separate wagers are received for each game of chance played in each game play interface.

15. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein each game of chance played in each game play interface is generated independently and played independently.

16. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein, when at least two game play interfaces are simultaneously instantiated, the at least two games of chance are played concurrently.

17. The gaming machine of claim 14, wherein each of the game play interfaces is operated in the first operational mode or the second operational mode.

18. The gaming machine of claim 17, wherein each of the game play interfaces can be switched between the first operational mode and the second operational mode.

19. The gaming machine of claim 1, which includes another display device configured to display an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot.

20. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot is displayed on the at least one display device.

21. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to:

receive messages indicating an amount of the wide area progressive jackpot, and

display the amount of the wide area progressive jackpot.

22. The gaming machine of claim 1, when executed by the master gaming controller when in the first operational mode, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to switch between a first game of chance including a first wide area progressive jackpot and a second game of chance including a second wide area progressive jackpot.

23. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to:

direct a first contribution to the first wide area progressive jackpot when the wager is made on the first game of chance, and

direct a second contribution to the second wide area progressive jackpot when the wager is made on the second game of chance.

24. The gaming machine of claim 22, wherein when executed by the master gaming controller, the plurality of instructions cause the master gaming controller to:

receive updates of an amount of the first wide area progressive jackpot from a first remote gaming device, and

receive updates of an amount of the second wide area progressive jackpot from a second remote gaming device.