SERVER BASED GAMING SYSTEM HAVING MULTIPLE PROGRESSIVE AWARDS
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A gaming system comprising a controller including a plurality of progressive modules;
- a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a game, wherein the game includes a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability; and
a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;
wherein the controller is programmed to;
(a) select one of the progressive awards;
(b) determine if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award; and
(c) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;
(i) select one of said gaming machines which includes at least one of said outcomes with one of the outcome probabilities that is equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (ii) associate the selected gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, (iii) select the outcome associated with the determined outcome probability that is substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (iv) associate the selected outcome with the selected progressive award, and (v) if the selected outcome is generated by the selected gaming machine, cause the selected gaming machine to provide the selected progressive award to a player.
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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.
291 Citations
48 Claims
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1. A gaming system comprising
a controller including a plurality of progressive modules; -
a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a game, wherein the game includes a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability; and
a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;
wherein the controller is programmed to;
(a) select one of the progressive awards;
(b) determine if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award; and
(c) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;
(i) select one of said gaming machines which includes at least one of said outcomes with one of the outcome probabilities that is equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (ii) associate the selected gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, (iii) select the outcome associated with the determined outcome probability that is substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (iv) associate the selected outcome with the selected progressive award, and (v) if the selected outcome is generated by the selected gaming machine, cause the selected gaming machine to provide the selected progressive award to a player. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A gaming system comprising
a controller including a plurality of progressive modules; -
a plurality of gaming machines configured to communicate with the controller, each gaming machine including a game which includes a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability; and
a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;
wherein the controller is programmed to;
(a) enable a gaming establishment operator to select one of the gaming machines and one of the progressive awards;
(b) determine if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game of the selected gaming machine are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;
(c) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game of the selected gaming machine are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;
(i) associate the selected gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, (ii) select one of the determined outcomes, and (iii) associate the selected outcome with the selected progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A gaming system comprising:
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a controller including a plurality of progressive modules;
a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability; and
at least one gaming machine configured to communicate with the controller, the gaming machine including a game which includes a plurality of outcomes, wherein each outcome is associated with an outcome probability;
wherein upon the gaming machine communicating a progressive award request to the controller, the controller is programmed to;
(a) determine if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game are equal or substantially equal to any of the progressive award probabilities of any of the progressive awards;
(b) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game are equal or substantially equal to any of the progressive award probabilities of any of the progressive awards;
(i) select one of the progressive awards which is associated with one of the progressive award probabilities that is equal or substantially equal to one of the outcome probabilities of one of the outcomes of the game, (ii) select one of the outcomes of the game which is associated with the outcome probability equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (iii) associate the gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, and (iv) communicate data representing the selected outcome and the selected progressive award to the gaming machine, such that if the selected outcome is generated, the gaming machine provides the selected outcome to a player. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller which includes a plurality of progressive modules, the controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a game having a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;
(b) selecting one of the progressive awards;
(c) determining if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award; and
(d) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the games of any of the gaming machines are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;
(i) selecting one of said gaming machines which includes at least one of said outcomes with one of the outcome probabilities that is equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (ii) associating the selected gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, (iii) selecting the outcome associated with the determined outcome probability that is substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (iv) associating the selected outcome with the selected progressive award, and (v) causing the selected gaming machine to provide the selected progressive award to a player, if the selected outcome is generated by the selected gaming machine. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31)
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32. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller which includes a plurality of progressive modules, the controller is configured to communicate with a plurality of gaming machines wherein each gaming machine includes a game having a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;
(b) enabling a gaming establishment operator to select one of the gaming machines and one of the progressive awards;
(c) determining if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game of the selected gaming machine are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award; and
(d) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game of the selected gaming machine are equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award;
(i) associating the selected gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, (ii) selecting one of the determined outcomes, and (iii) associating the selected outcome with the selected progressive award. - View Dependent Claims (33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41)
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42. A method of operating a gaming system, said gaming system including a controller which includes a plurality of progressive modules, the controller is configured to communicate with at least one gaming machine which includes a game having a plurality of outcomes that are each associated with an outcome probability, said method comprising:
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(a) maintaining a plurality of progressive awards, wherein each progressive award is maintainable by one of progressive modules, and each of the progressive awards is associated with a progressive award probability;
(b) upon a progressive award request communicated from one of the gaming machines, causing the controller to determine if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game are equal or substantially equal to any of the progressive award probabilities of any of the progressive awards; and
(c) if any of the outcome probabilities of any of the outcomes of the game are equal or substantially equal to any of the progressive award probabilities of any of the progressive awards, causing the controller to;
(i) select one of the progressive awards which is associated with one of the progressive award probabilities that is equal or substantially equal to one of the outcome probabilities of one of the outcomes of the game, (ii) select one of the outcomes of the game which is associated with the outcome probability equal or substantially equal to the progressive award probability of the selected progressive award, (iii) associate the gaming machine with the progressive module which maintains the selected progressive award, and (iv) communicate data representing the selected outcome and the selected progressive award to the gaming machine, such that if the selected outcome is generated, the gaming machine provides the selected outcome to a player. - View Dependent Claims (43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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Specification