Gaming system and method for providing team progressive awards

• US 9,472,060 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 10/18/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., De Waal, Daniel J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D.
• Application Number:
  US13/796,700
• Publication Number:
  US 20130203487A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,316 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/20, 463/25, 463 26- 29, 463/30, 463/31, 463 40- 42, 463 11- 13, 463 17- 19, 463/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• 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 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

A gaming system and method which forms, tracks and maintains one or more groups or teams. The gaming system and method also maintains at least one team progressive award. At any designated point in time, each group or team includes one or more players, wherein as a player plays one or more games at one or more gaming devices, the player accumulates or builds up equity in their current team or group. Upon a determination to provide a team progressive award to a player of a designated team, each eligible player actively associated with the designated team (i.e., each player actively belonging to the team) is provided a portion of the team progressive award. Each player'"'"'s provided portion of the team progressive award is based on that player'"'"'s relative accumulated equity in the designated team compared to each other eligible player'"'"'s accumulated equity in the designated team.

Claims

1. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices and at least one display device associated with at least one of said gaming devices, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a team award;

(b) causing at least one display device to display the team award;

(c) after an occurrence of an equity accumulation event, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate an amount of equity associated with a team for a player at one of said gaming devices, wherein the accumulated amount of equity is independent from any amounts of any wagers placed on any plays of any displayed games; and

(d) after an occurrence of a team award triggering event;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine if any players at any of said gaming devices are actively associated with the team within a designated time period after the occurrence of the team award triggering event, and

(ii) for each of any players actively associated with the team within the designated time period after the occurrence of the team award triggering event;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a portion of the team award, wherein said determined portion of the team award is based on that player'"'"'s accumulated amount of equity associated with the team relative to a total amount of equity associated with the team accumulated for each of the players actively associated with the team within the designated time period after the occurrence of the team award triggering event and if a first player has a first accumulated amount of equity associated with the team and a second, different player has a second, different accumulated amount of equity associated with the team, a first portion of the team award is determined for the first player and a second, different portion of the team award is determined for the second player, and

(B) causing the at least one display device to display the determined portion of the team award, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined portion of the team award, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the team award is a progressive award.

3. The method of claim 1, which is provided through a data network.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the data network is an internet.

5. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices and at least one display device associated with at least one of said gaming devices, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of teams of a plurality of players of said gaming devices;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of team awards, each team award associated one of the teams, and each team having an associated team award;

(c) receiving signals from the input devices activated by the players to select which teams to be initially actively associated with and which teams to be subsequently actively associated with;

(d) for each player actively associated with one of said teams, if an equity accumulation event occurs, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate a quantity of team equity accumulation units for said player associated with said team, wherein the accumulated quantity of team equity accumulation units is independent from any amounts of any wagers placed on any plays of any displayed games; and

(e) for each team, if a team award triggering event occurs, for each of any players actively associated with said team and with a designated level of accumulated team equity accumulation units;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a portion of the team award for said player associated with said team, wherein said portion is based on said player'"'"'s accumulated quantity of team equity accumulation units relative to the total quantity of team equity accumulation units accumulated for all of the players actively associated with the team and if a first player has a first quantity of accumulated team equity accumulation units and a second, different player has a second, different quantity of accumulated team equity accumulation units, a first portion of the team award is determined for the first player and a second, different portion of the team award is determined for the second player, and

(ii) causing at least one display device to display the determined portion of the team award for said player associated with said team, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined portion of the team award, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device.

6. The method of claim 5, which includes for each team, if a team award triggering event occurs, for each player actively associated with said team and with a designated level of accumulated team equity accumulation units after a first redemption period:

causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a portion of the team award for said player actively associated with said team, wherein said portion is based on said player'"'"'s quantity of accumulated team equity accumulation units relative to the total quantity of team equity accumulation units accumulated for all players actively associated with the team after the first redemption period, and

causing the at least one display device to display the determined portion of the team award for said player actively associated with said team.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said equity accumulation event occurs based on at least one displayed event occurring in at least one play of at least one displayed game of at least one of said gaming devices.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein said equity accumulation event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any displayed games of any of the gaming devices.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein said team award triggering event occurs based on at least one displayed event occurring in at least one play of at least one displayed game of at least one of said gaming devices.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein said team award event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any displayed games of any of the gaming devices.

11. The method of claim 5, wherein the team award is a progressive award.

12. The method of claim 5, which is provided through a data network.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the data network is an internet.

14. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices and at least one display device associated with at least one of said gaming devices, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a team progressive award;

(b) causing at least one display device to display the maintained team progressive award;

(c) enabling a player at one of said gaming devices to make an input to select to be actively associated with one of a first team and a second team, wherein said team progressive award is associated with the first team;

(d) if the player selects to be actively associated with the first team, after an occurrence of a first team equity accumulation event, providing the player a quantity of equity accumulation units associated with the first team, wherein the quantity of provided equity accumulation units associated with the first team is independent from any amounts of any wagers placed on any plays of any displayed games;

(e) enabling the player to make an input to select to switch to being actively associated with the second team; and

(f) after an occurrence of a team progressive award triggering event for the first team, if the player made said input to switch to being actively associated with the second team;

(i) enabling the player to make an input to switch back to being actively associated with the first team, and

(ii) if the player made said input to switch back to being actively associated with the first team;

(A) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a portion of the team progressive award, wherein said determined portion of the team progressive award is based on the player'"'"'s quantity of provided equity accumulation units associated with the first team relative to the total quantity of team equity accumulation units associated with the first team provided to all of the players actively associated with the first team and if a first player has a first quantity of provided equity accumulation units and a second, different player has a second, different quantity of provided equity accumulation units, a first portion of the team progressive award is determined for the first player and a second, different portion of the team progressive award is determined for the second player, and

(B) causing the at least one display device to display the determined portion of the team progressive award, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined portion of the team progressive award, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device.

15. The method of claim 14, which includes, if the player did not make said input to switch back to being actively associated with the first team, causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to cause a forfeiture of the player'"'"'s provided quantity of equity accumulated units associated with the first team.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the team award is a progressive award.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said team progressive award is associated with the second team.

18. The method of claim 14, which includes, if the player switches to being actively associated with the second team, after an occurrence of a second team equity accumulation event, providing the player a quantity of equity accumulation unit associated with the second team.

19. The method of claim 14, which includes, after the occurrence of the team progressive award triggering event, enabling the player to switch back to being actively associated with the first team for a designated redemption period.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein said equity accumulation event occurs based on at least one displayed event occurring in at least one play of at least one displayed game of at least one of said gaming devices.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said equity accumulation event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any displayed games of any of the gaming devices.

22. The method of claim 14, wherein said team progressive award triggering event occurs based on at least one displayed event occurring in at least one play of at least one displayed game of at least one of said gaming devices.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said team progressive award event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any displayed games of any of the gaming devices.

24. A method of operating a gaming system including a plurality of gaming devices, and at least one display device associated with at least one of said gaming devices, said method comprising:

(a) causing at least one processor to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of teams including at least a first team and a second different team;

(b) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to maintain at least a first team progressive award associated with the first team and a second team progressive award associated with the second team;

(c) causing at least one display device to display at least the first team progressive award associated with the first team and the second team progressive award associated with the second team

(d) enabling a player at one of said gaming devices to make an input to select to be actively associated with one of the first team and the second team;

(e) if the player is actively associated with the first team and a first equity accumulation event occurs, providing the player a quantity of first team equity accumulation units, wherein the provided quantity of first team equity accumulation units is independent from any amounts of any wagers placed on any plays of any displayed games;

(f) if the player is actively associated with the second team and a second equity accumulation event occurs, providing the player at a quantity of second team equity accumulation units, wherein the provided quantity of second team equity accumulation units is independent from any amounts of any wagers placed on any plays of any displayed games;

(g) if a team progressive award triggering event occurs for the first team, for each player with at least one provided first team equity accumulation unit that is actively associated with the first team after a first redemption period;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a portion of the first team progressive award, wherein said determined portion of the first team progressive award is based on that player'"'"'s provided quantity of first team equity accumulation units relative to the total quantity of first team equity accumulation units provided to each of the players actively associated with the first team after the first redemption period and if a first player has a first quantity of provided first team equity accumulation units and a second, different player has a second, different quantity of provided first team equity accumulation units, a first portion of the first team progressive award is determined for the first player and a second, different portion of the first team progressive award is determined for the second player, and

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the determined portion of the first team progressive award, wherein a credit balance is increasable based on the determined portion of the first team progressive award, said credit balance being;

(i) increasable via an acceptor of a physical item associated with a monetary value, wherein said physical item is selected from the group consisting of;

a ticket associated with the monetary value and a unit of currency, and (ii) decreasable via a cashout device, and

(h) if a team progressive award triggering event occurs for the second team, for each player with at least one provided second team equity accumulation unit that is actively associated with the second team after a second redemption period;

(i) causing the at least one processor to execute the plurality of instructions to determine a portion of the second team progressive award, wherein said determined portion of the second team progressive award is based on that player'"'"'s provided quantity of second team equity accumulation units relative to the total quantity of second team equity accumulation units provided to the players actively associated with the second team after the second redemption period and if the first player has a first quantity of provided second team equity accumulation units and the second, different player has a second, different quantity of provided second team equity accumulation units, a first portion of the second team progressive award is determined for the first player and a second, different portion of the second team progressive award is determined for the second player, and

(ii) causing the at least one display device to display the determined portion of the second team progressive award, wherein the credit balance is increasable based on the determined portion of the second team progressive award.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein at least one of the team awards is a progressive award.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein said equity accumulation event occurs based on at least one displayed event occurring in at least one play of at least one displayed game of at least one of said gaming devices.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein said equity accumulation event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any displayed games of any of the gaming devices.

28. The method of claim 24, wherein said team progressive award triggering event occurs based on at least one displayed event occurring in at least one play of at least one displayed game of at least one of said gaming devices.

29. The method of claim 24, wherein said team progressive award event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any displayed games of any of the gaming devices.

30. The method of claim 24, which is provided through a data network.

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