Slot machine game and system with improved jackpot feature

• US 9,412,241 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2014
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Original Assignee: Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY Limited (Aristocrat Leisure Limited)
• Inventors: Olive, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): D'AGOSTINO, PAUL ANTHONY
• Application Number:
  US14/162,518
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135099A1
• Time in Patent Office: 929 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 17/3213 Details of moving display elements, e.g. spinning reels, tumbling members
• 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 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• 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

Certain embodiments provide a method and system for awarding a progressive prize. The system includes a bank of gaming machines accepting different bets per play as selected by a player. A random number is selected from a predetermined fixed range of numbers that does not change during play of a gaming machine. The player is allotted one or more numbers for each credit bet. The allotted numbers represent a subset of the predetermined fixed range of numbers. A feature game is triggered for the progressive prize based on a numerical comparison between the selected random number and the number(s) allotted to the player. Certain embodiments provide a trigger condition for a feature outcome based on an event having a probability related to credits bet per game at a gaming machine. A probability of success in the feature game may be higher than a probability of success in the base game.

Claims

1. A gaming machine providing a progressive jackpot feature via a second game triggered during play of a first game, in which a wager is made of an amount of credits on the outcome of the first game, comprising:

a game controller configured to provide to a player a first game for play, to receive any one of a plurality of different predetermined wager amounts of credits, to cause the occurrence of a trigger condition during the play of the first game, to initiate play of the second game when the trigger condition occurs, to determine a second game outcome by selecting one second game outcome from a number of possible second game outcomes, wherein at least one of the possible second game outcomes results in an award of a progressive jackpot prize, and wherein said controller is configured to cause said occurrence of the trigger condition based on a predefined turnover value and the amount of credits wagered on the first game, and said predefined turnover value is an expected turnover of the gaming machine between a first occurrence of the trigger condition during play of the first game and a subsequent consecutive second occurrence of the trigger condition during play of a subsequent first game.

2. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the first game is played using a first set of reel strips and the second game is played using a second set of reel strips.

3. The gaming system of claim 2, wherein said first and said second set of reels strips are different.

4. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein the play of the second game can only occur after the play of the first game has been completed.

5. The gaming machine of claim 1, and wherein said game controller is further configured to communicate with a jackpot controller via a communication network.

6. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said game controller is configured to cause the occurrence of the trigger condition based on said game controller selecting at least one number from a predetermined set of numbers, the predetermined set of numbers being based on the predefined turnover value.

7. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein said predetermined set of numbers is a range of numbers, the predetermine range of numbers being based on the predefined turnover value.

8. The gaming machine of claim 6, wherein the said game controller is configured to cause the occurrence of the trigger condition based on said game controller selecting more than one number from the predetermined range of numbers.

9. The gaming machine of claim 7, wherein the quantity of the numbers selected from the predetermined range of numbers is based on the amount of credits wagered on the first game.

10. The gaming machine of claim 9, wherein the predetermined range of numbers is consecutive numbers.

11. The gaming machine of claim 10 wherein the lowest value number of the predetermined range of numbers is the number one.

12. The gaming machine of claim 1, wherein said game controller is configured to cause the occurrence of the trigger condition based on said game controller selecting only one number from the predetermined set of numbers, the predetermined set of numbers being based on the predefined turnover value.

13. The gaming machine of claim 12, wherein said game controller is configured to cause the occurrence of the trigger condition if the selected said one number from the predetermined range of numbers and a second number meet a predefined criterion.

14. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein said second number is based on the amount of credits wagered on the first game.

15. The gaming machine of claim 11, wherein said predefined criterion is that said selected said one number is less than or equal to said second number.

16. The gaming machine of claim 8, wherein said game controller is configured to cause the occurrence of the trigger condition if any one of the selected numbers from the predetermined range of numbers and a second number meet a predefined criterion.

17. The gaming machine of claim 13, wherein said predefined criterion is that any of said selected numbers from the predetermined range of numbers is equal to said second number.