Server based gaming system having multiple progressive awards

• US 7,780,523 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2007
• Issued: 08/24/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Baerlocher, Anthony J., Iddings, Cara L., Schneider, Richard J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol; Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DEODHAR, OMKAR A
• Application Number:
  US11/830,034
• Publication Number:
  US 20080020833A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 463/16, 463/25, 463/26, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/26
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots

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.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a first gaming device including at least one display device, at least one input device, at least one gaming device 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 the at least one display device and the at least one input device to maintain a first progressive incremental monetary value;

a second gaming device including at least one display device, at least one input device, at least one gaming device 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 the at least one display device and the at least one input device to maintain a second, different progressive incremental monetary value; and

a controller configured to communicate with said first gaming device and said second gaming device, said controller programmed to;

(a) maintain a personal progressive incremental monetary value for a single player;

(b) if a triggering event occurs and the player is playing the first gaming device;

(i) determine a first progressive award for the player, wherein the first progressive award includes the maintained personal progressive incremental monetary value and the first gaming device maintained first progressive incremental monetary value, and

(ii) cause the determined first progressive award to be displayed and provided to the player; and

(c) if the triggering event occurs and the player is playing the second gaming device;

(i) determine a second progressive award for the player, wherein the second progressive award includes the maintained personal progressive incremental monetary value and the second gaming device maintained second progressive incremental monetary value, and

(ii) cause the determined second progressive award to be displayed and provided to the player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the personal progressive incremental monetary value for the player is based, at least in part, on information communicated from a player tracking system.

3. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein a first increment rate for the first progressive incremental monetary value is different than a second increment rate for the second progressive incremental monetary value.

4. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the first progressive incremental monetary value has a different reset value than the second progressive incremental monetary value.

5. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first progressive incremental monetary value and the second progressive incremental monetary value is associated with a range of values and an incremental monetary value hit value.

6. The gaming system of claim 5, wherein the triggering event occurs if said progressive incremental monetary value reaches the incremental monetary value hit value.

7. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any games.

8. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein the triggering event occurs in addition to any random determinations in any plays of any games.

9. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first progressive incremental monetary value and the second progressive incremental monetary value is associated with a designated outcome and the triggering event occurs if said designated outcome is generated in a play of a game.

10. The gaming system of claim 9, wherein the designated outcome is a designated symbol combination.

11. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, each gaming device including at least one display device, at least one input device, at least one gaming device 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 the at least one display device and the at least one input device to display a game; and

at least one controller configured to communicate with said plurality of gaming devices, wherein the at least one controller is programmed to;

(a) identify a plurality of players of a plurality of said gaming devices, wherein each identified player is ranked at one of a plurality of different player tracking levels;

(b) maintain a first personal progressive incremental monetary value for a first single one of the identified players at a first one of said gaming devices, said first one of the identified players ranked at a first one of the player tracking levels;

(c) increment the first personal progressive incremental monetary value at a first increment rate, said first increment rate based on the player tracking level of the first one of the identified players;

(d) maintain a second personal progressive incremental monetary value for a second, different single one of the identified players at a second, different one of said gaming devices, said second one of the players ranked at a second, different one of the player tracking levels;

(e) increment the second personal progressive incremental monetary value at a different, second increment rate, said second increment rate based on the player tracking level of the second one of the identified players;

(f) maintain a group progressive incremental monetary value;

(g) cause a first progressive award to be displayed and provided to the first one of the identified players if a triggering event occurs, at least in part, in association with the first one of the gaming devices, wherein the first progressive award includes the first personal progressive incremental monetary value and the group progressive incremental monetary value; and

(h) cause a second, different progressive award to be displayed and provided to the second one of the identified players if the triggering event occurs, at least in part, in association with the second one of the gaming devices, wherein the second progressive award includes the second personal progressive incremental monetary value and the group progressive incremental monetary value.

12. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first personal progressive incremental monetary value and the second personal progressive incremental monetary value is based, at least in part, on information communicated from a player tracking system.

13. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the group progressive incremental monetary value is associated with a range of values and an incremental monetary value hit value.

14. The gaming system of claim 13, wherein the triggering event occurs if said group progressive incremental monetary value reaches the incremental monetary value hit value.

15. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the triggering event occurs independent of any displayed events in any plays of any of said games.

16. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the triggering event occurs in addition to any random determinations in any plays of any of said games.

17. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the group progressive incremental monetary value is associated with a designated outcome and the triggering event occurs if said designated outcome is generated in one of the plays of at least one of said games.

18. The gaming system of claim 17, wherein the designated outcome is a designated symbol combination.

19. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein the first personal progressive incremental monetary value has a different reset value than the second personal progressive incremental monetary value.

20. The gaming system of claim 11, wherein a plurality of said gaming devices each display a different game.

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

(a) causing a first gaming to maintain a first progressive incremental monetary value;

(b) causing a second gaming device to maintain a second, different progressive incremental monetary value;

(c) maintaining a personal progressive incremental monetary value for a single player; and

(d) when a triggering event occurs;

(i) if the player is playing the first gaming device;

(A) determining a first progressive award for the player, wherein the first progressive award includes the maintained personal progressive incremental monetary value and the first gaming device maintained first progressive incremental monetary value, and

(B) causing the determined first progressive award to be displayed and provided to the player; and

(ii) if the player is playing the second gaming device;

(A) determining a second progressive award for the player, wherein the second progressive award includes the maintained personal progressive incremental monetary value and the second gaming device maintained second progressive incremental monetary value, and

(B) causing the determined second progressive award to be displayed and provided to the player.

22. The method of claim 21, which includes basing the personal progressive incremental monetary value for the player, at least in part, on information communicated from a player tracking system.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein a first increment rate for the first progressive incremental monetary value is different than a second increment rate for the second progressive incremental monetary value.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the first progressive incremental monetary value has a different reset value than the second progressive incremental monetary value.

25. The method of claim 21, which includes associating at least one of the first progressive incremental monetary value and the second progressive incremental monetary value with a range of values and an incremental monetary value hit value.

26. The method of claim 25, which includes causing the triggering event to occur if said progressive incremental monetary value reaches the incremental monetary value hit value.

27. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the triggering event to occur independent of any displayed events in any plays of any games.

28. The method of claim 21, which includes causing the triggering event to occur in addition to any random determinations in any plays of any games.

29. The method of claim 21, which includes associating at least one of the first progressive incremental monetary value and the second progressive incremental monetary value with a designated outcome and causing the triggering event to occur if said designated outcome is generated in a play of a game.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the designated outcome is a designated symbol combination.

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

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the data network is an Internet.

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

(a) identifying a plurality of players of a plurality of gaming devices, wherein each identified player is ranked at one of a plurality of different player tracking levels;

(b) maintaining a first personal progressive incremental monetary value for a first single one of the identified players at a first one of said gaming devices, said first one of the identified players ranked at a first one of the player tracking levels;

(c) incrementing the first personal progressive incremental monetary value at a first increment rate, said first increment rate based on the player tracking level of the first one of the identified players;

(d) maintaining a second personal progressive incremental monetary value for a second, different single one of the identified players at a second, different one of said gaming devices, said second one of the players ranked at a second, different one of the player tracking levels;

(e) incrementing the second personal progressive incremental monetary value at a different, second increment rate, said second increment rate based on the player tracking level of the second one of the identified players;

(f) maintaining a group progressive incremental monetary value;

(g) causing a first progressive award to be displayed and provided to the first one of the identified players if a triggering event occurs, at least in part, in association with the first one of the gaming devices, wherein the first progressive award includes the first personal progressive incremental monetary value and the group progressive incremental monetary value; and

(h) causing a second, different progressive award to be displayed and provided to the second one of the identified players if the triggering event occurs, at least in part, in association with the second one of the gaming devices, wherein the second progressive award includes the second personal progressive incremental monetary value and the group progressive incremental monetary value.

34. The method of claim 33, which includes basing at least one of the first personal progressive incremental monetary value and the second personal progressive incremental monetary value, at least in part, on information communicated from a player tracking system.

35. The method of claim 33, which includes associating the group progressive incremental monetary value with a range of values and an incremental monetary value hit value.

36. The method of claim 35, which includes causing the triggering event to occur if said group progressive incremental monetary value reaches the incremental monetary value hit value.

37. The method of claim 33, which includes causing the triggering event to occur independent of any displayed events in any plays of any of said games.

38. The method of claim 33, which includes causing the triggering event to occur in addition to any random determinations in any plays of any of said games.

39. The method of claim 33, which includes associating the group progressive incremental monetary value with a designated outcome and causing the triggering event to occur if said designated outcome is generated in one of the plays of at least one of said games.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the designated outcome is a designated symbol combination.

41. The method of claim 33, wherein the first personal progressive incremental monetary value has a different reset value than the second personal progressive incremental monetary value.

42. The method of claim 33, wherein a plurality of said gaming devices each display a different game.

43. The method of claim 33, which is provided through a data network.

44. The method of claim 33, wherein the data network is an internet.