Gaming system, gaming device and method for shifting progressive award contribution rates

• US 9,342,956 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2012
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Hughes, William Keith
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAY, BRANDON RAMON
• Application Number:
  US13/404,229
• Publication Number:
  US 20130225277A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,544 Days
• Field of Search: 463/27, 463/29, 463/30, 463/32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 and method which maintains a plurality of progressive awards. Each progressive award is associated with a progressive award contribution rate wherein at least two of the maintained progressive awards are associated with different progressive award contribution rates. Upon an occurrence of a progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event, the gaming system shifts, modifies or changes which progressive awards are associated with which progressive award contribution rates.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to communicate with at least one gaming device including a housing, a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and a cashout device, a display device supported by the housing, 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 said display device and said 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, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance, said at least one controller programmed to;

(a) maintain a plurality of different progressive awards, each progressive award associated with a progressive award contribution rate;

(b) cause each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed;

(c) for at least one of the progressive awards, increment said progressive award, wherein an amount of said increment is based on;

(i) at least one wager placed on at least one play of a primary game of said at least one gaming device, and (ii) the progressive award contribution rate associated with said progressive award;

(d) determine if a progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs;

(e) if said progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs, modify the progressive award contribution rates associated with at least two of the progressive awards; and

(f) if a progressive award triggering event occurs, provide at least one of the displayed progressive awards to at least one player of said at least one gaming device.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if said progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs, the at least one controller is programmed to automatically modify the progressive award contribution rates associated with at least two of the progressive awards.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein if said progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs, the at least one controller is programmed to modify the progressive award contribution rates associated with each of the progressive awards.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to repeat (c) to (e) at least once.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to cause the progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event to occur after a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

6. A gaming system comprising:

at least one controller configured to communicate with at least one gaming device including a housing, a plurality of input devices supported by the housing, said plurality of input devices including an acceptor, and a cashout device, a display device supported by the housing, 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 said display device and said plurality of input devices to;

La) 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, and if a cashout input is received via the cashout device, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance, said at least one controller programmed to;

(a) during a first period of time;

(i) maintain a plurality of different progressive awards, wherein at least a first one of the progressive awards is associated with a first progressive award contribution rate and a second one of the progressive awards is associated with a second, different progressive award contribution rate,

(ii) cause each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed,

(iii) increment the first one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the first progressive award contribution rate, and

(iv) increment the second one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the second progressive award contribution rate; and

(b) during a second, subsequent period of time after an occurrence of a progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event;

(i) maintain the plurality of different progressive awards, wherein at least the first one of the progressive awards is associated with the second, different progressive award contribution rate and the second one of the progressive awards is associated with the first progressive award contribution rate,

(ii) cause each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed,

(iii) increment the first one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the second progressive award contribution rate, and

(iv) increment the second one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the first progressive award contribution rate.

7. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein a first wager is placed in association with the play of the primary game during the first period of time, the amount of said increment of the first one of the progressive awards is based on an amount of the first wager placed, and an amount of said increment of the second one of the progressive awards is based on the amount of the first wager placed.

8. The gaming system of claim 7, wherein a second wager is placed in association with the play of the primary game during the second period of time, the amount of said increment of the first one of the progressive awards is based on an amount of the second wager placed, and an amount of said increment of the second one of the progressive awards is based on the amount of the second wager placed.

9. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein if the amount of the wagers placed during the first period of time and the second period of time are the same, the at least one controller is programmed to increment the first one of the progressive awards by different amounts during the first period of time and the second period of time.

10. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein if the amount of the wagers placed during the first period of time and the second period of time are different, the at least one controller is programmed to increment the first one of the progressive awards by the same amount during the first period of time and the second period of time.

11. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein at during a third, subsequent period of time after another occurrence of the progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event, the at least one controller is programmed to:

(i) maintain the plurality of different progressive awards, wherein at least the first one of the progressive awards is associated with the first progressive award contribution rate and the second one of the progressive awards is associated with the second, different progressive award contribution rate, and

(ii) for a wager placed in association with a play of the primary game during the third period of time;

(A) increment the first one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on;

(I) an amount of the wager placed, and (II) the first progressive award contribution rate, and

(B) increment the second one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on;

(I) the amount of the wager placed, and (II) the second progressive award contribution rate.

12. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs after a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

13. The gaming system of claim 6, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to provide at least one of the progressive awards to at least one player of said at least one gaming device if a progressive award triggering event occurs during a third, subsequent period of time.

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

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of different progressive awards, each progressive award associated with a progressive award contribution rate;

(b) causing each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed;

(c) for at least one of the progressive awards, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment said progressive award, wherein an amount of said increment is based on;

(i) at least one wager placed on at least one play of a primary game of at least one gaming device, and (ii) the progressive award contribution rate associated with said progressive award;

(d) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if a progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs;

(e) if said progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the progressive award contribution rates associated with at least two of the progressive awards; and

(f) if a progressive award triggering event occurs, providing at least one of the displayed progressive awards to at least one player of said at least one gaming device, wherein a credit balance of said at least one gaming device is increasable based on the provided at least one of the displayed progressive awards, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to automatically modify the progressive award contribution rates associated with at least two of the progressive awards if said progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs.

16. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to modify the progressive award contribution rates associated with each of the progressive awards if said progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event occurs.

17. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to repeat (c) to (e) at least once.

18. The method of claim 14, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event to occur after a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

19. The method of claim 14, which is provided through a data network.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the data network is an internet.

28. The method of claim 17, which includes providing at least one of the progressive awards to at least one player of said at least one gaming device if a progressive award triggering event occurs during a third, subsequent period of time.

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

(a) during a first period of time;

(i) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of different progressive awards, wherein at least a first one of the progressive awards is associated with a first progressive award contribution rate and a second one of the progressive awards is associated with a second, different progressive award contribution rate,

(ii) causing each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed, wherein if at least one of the maintained progressive awards were to be provided, a credit balance is increasable based on the provided at least one of the displayed progressive awards, said credit balance being increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, and said credit balance being decreasable via a cashout device configured to receive an input to cause an initiation of a payout associated with the credit balance,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the first one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the first progressive award contribution rate, and

(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the second one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the second progressive award contribution rate; and

(b) during a second, subsequent period of time after an occurrence of a progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain the plurality of different progressive awards, wherein at least the first one of the progressive awards is associated with the second, different progressive award contribution rate and the second one of the progressive awards is associated with the first progressive award contribution rate,

(ii) causing each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed,

(iii) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the first one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the second progressive award contribution rate, and

(iv) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the second one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on the first progressive award contribution rate.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein a first wager is placed in association with the play of the primary game during the first period of time, the amount of said increment of the first one of the progressive awards is based on an amount of the first wager placed, and an amount of said increment of the second one of the progressive awards is based on the amount of the first wager placed.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein a second wager is placed in association with the play of the primary game during the second period of time, the amount of said increment of the first one of the progressive awards is based on an amount of the second wager placed, and an amount of said increment of the second one of the progressive awards is based on the amount of the second wager placed.

24. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the first one of the progressive awards by different amounts during the first period of time and the second period of time if the amount of the wagers placed during the first period of time and the second period of time are the same.

25. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the first one of the progressive awards by the same amount during the first period of time and the second period of time if the amount of the wagers placed during the first period of time and the second period of time are different.

26. The method of claim 21, which includes, during a third, subsequent period of time after another occurrence of the progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event:

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain the plurality of different progressive awards, wherein at least the first one of the progressive awards is associated with the first progressive award contribution rate and the second one of the progressive awards is associated with the second, different progressive award contribution rate,

(ii) causing each of the maintained progressive awards to be displayed, and

(iii) for a wager placed in association with a play of the primary game during the third period of time;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the first one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on;

(I) an amount of the wager placed, and (II) the first progressive award contribution rate, and

(B) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to increment the second one of the progressive awards, wherein an amount of said increment is based on;

(I) the amount of the wager placed, and (II) the second progressive award contribution rate.

27. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause the progressive award contribution rate reconfiguration event to occur after a designated quantity of plays of the primary game.

29. The method of claim 21, which is provided through a data network.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the data network is an internet.