Gaming system, gaming device and method providing tiered progressive bonusing system

• US 8,342,958 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Original Assignee: IGT (International Game Technology)
• Inventors: Cuddy, Ryan W., Saffari, Mohammed A., Wolf, Bryan D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): DUFFY, DAVID W
• Application Number:
  US13/328,902
• Publication Number:
  US 20120088578A1
• Time in Patent Office: 382 Days
• Field of Search: 463 26- 27, 463 40- 42, 463 16- 20
• US Class Current: 463/27
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3209 Input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3258 Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

The gaming system and method disclosed herein provides a plurality of players with an opportunity to win a plurality of progressive awards maintained by the gaming system. The gaming system accumulates a quantity of progressive event points for each player playing at one of the gaming machines in the gaming system. In one embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points for a designated player to determine which one or more of the progressive awards the designated player wins. In another embodiment, the gaming system uses an accumulated quantity of progressive event points to determine the designated player'"'"'s probability of winning one or more of the progressive awards. Accordingly, the gaming system provides a point-based system in which either a progressive award to win or a probability of winning a progressive award is determined based on the quantities of progressive event points accumulated by the players.

Claims

1. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, and

at least one central controller configured to operate with the plurality of the gaming devices to;

(a) maintain a plurality of progressive awards,

(b) for each of a plurality of players, if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for that player, and

(c) after an occurrence of a triggering event;

(i) select one of the players to win one of the progressive awards, the selection being based on a designated wager placed by the selected player,

(ii) assign the selected player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the selected player, each one of the progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier,

(iii) randomly select at least one of the progressive awards in accordance with the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and

(iv) cause the at least one randomly selected progressive award to be provided to the selected player.

2. The gaming system of claim 1, wherein, for at least one of the players, the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for that player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

3. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming devices, and

at least one central controller configured to communicate with the plurality of the gaming devices and programmed to operate with said gaming devices to;

(a) maintain a primary progressive award and a plurality of secondary progressive awards,

(b) for each of a plurality of players, if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for that player,

(c) cause an occurrence of a primary triggering event within a designated period of time, the primary triggering event being associated with the primary progressive award,

(d) after the occurrence of the primary triggering event;

(i) select one of the players to be provided the primary progressive award, the selection based on a designated wager placed by the selected player,

(ii) cause the primary progressive award to be provided to the selected player,

(iii) assign each one of the players to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the accumulated quantity of progressive event points for that player, each one of the progressive event tiers being associated with a different one of the plurality of secondary progressive awards, and

(iv) for each progressive event tier assigned at least one player;

(A) determine which of the players assigned to the progressive event tier will be provided the associated secondary progressive based on the designated wager amount each assigned player placed, and

(B) cause the associated secondary progressive award to be provided to the determined player, and

(e) after an occurrence of a secondary triggering event, the secondary triggering event being associated with a designated one of the secondary progressive awards;

(i) assign each of the players to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the accumulated quantity of progressive event points associated with each player, a designated progressive event tier being associated with the designated one of the secondary progressive awards, and

(ii) for the designated progressive event tier;

(A) determine which of the players assigned to the designated progressive event tier will be provided the designated one of the secondary progressive awards based on the designated wager amount each assigned player placed, and

(B) cause the designated one of the secondary progressive awards to be provided to the determined player.

4. The gaming system of claim 3, wherein, for at least one of the players, the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for that player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

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

(a) causing at least one central controller to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a plurality of progressive awards,

(b) for each of a plurality of players, if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for that player, and

(c) after an occurrence of a triggering event;

(i) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to select one of the players to win one of the progressive awards, the selection being based on a designated wager placed by the selected player,

(ii) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to assign the selected player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the selected player, each one of the progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier,

(iii) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to randomly select at least one of the progressive awards in accordance with the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and

(iv) causing the at least one randomly selected progressive award to be provided to the selected player.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, for at least one of the players, the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for that player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

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

(a) causing at least one central controller to execute a plurality of instructions to maintain a primary progressive award and a plurality of secondary progressive awards,

(b) for each of a plurality of players, if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for that player,

(c) causing an occurrence of a primary triggering event within a designated period of time, the primary triggering event being associated with the primary progressive award,

(d) after the occurrence of the primary triggering event;

(i) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to select one of the players to be provided the primary progressive award, the selection based on a designated wager placed by the selected player,

(ii) causing the primary progressive award to be provided to the selected player,

(iii) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to assign each one of the players to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the accumulated quantity of progressive event points for that player, each one of the progressive event tiers being associated with a different one of the plurality of secondary progressive awards, and

(iv) for each progressive event tier assigned at least one player;

(A) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to determine which of the players assigned to the progressive event tier will be provided the associated secondary progressive based on the designated wager amount each assigned player placed, and

(B) causing the associated secondary progressive award to be provided to the determined player, and

(e) after an occurrence of a secondary triggering event, the secondary triggering event being associated with a designated one of the secondary progressive awards;

(i) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to assign each of the players to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the accumulated quantity of progressive event points associated with each player, a designated progressive event tier being associated with the designated one of the secondary progressive awards, and

(ii) for the designated progressive event tier;

(A) causing the at least one central controller to execute the plurality of instructions to determine which of the players assigned to the designated progressive event tier will be provided the designated one of the secondary progressive awards based on the designated wager amount each assigned player placed, and

(B) causing the designated one of the secondary progressive awards to be provided to the determined player.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein, for at least one of the players, the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for that player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

9. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) maintain a plurality of progressive awards,

(b) for each of a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming devices, if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for that player, and

(c) after an occurrence of a triggering event;

(i) select one of the players to win one of the progressive awards, the selection being based on a designated wager placed by the selected player,

(ii) assign the selected player to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for the selected player, each one of the progressive awards associated with a probability of being provided for the assigned progressive event tier,

(iii) randomly select at least one of the progressive awards in accordance with the probabilities associated with the assigned progressive event tier, and

(iv) cause the at least one randomly selected progressive award to be provided to the selected player.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 9, wherein, for at least one of the players, the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for that player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium including a plurality of instructions, which when executed by at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to:

(a) maintain a primary progressive award and a plurality of secondary progressive awards,

(b) for each of a plurality of players at a plurality of gaming devices, if a progressive event point accumulation event occurs, accumulate a quantity of progressive event points for that player,

(c) cause an occurrence of a primary triggering event within a designated period of time, the primary triggering event being associated with the primary progressive award,

(d) after the occurrence of the primary triggering event;

(i) select one of the players to be provided the primary progressive award, the selection based on a designated wager placed by the selected player,

(ii) cause the primary progressive award to be provided to the selected player,

(v) assign each one of the players to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the accumulated quantity of progressive event points for that player, each one of the progressive event tiers being associated with a different one of the plurality of secondary progressive awards, and

(vi) for each progressive event tier assigned at least one player;

(A) determine which of the players assigned to the progressive event tier will be provided the associated secondary progressive based on the designated wager amount each assigned player placed, and

(B) cause the associated secondary progressive award to be provided to the determined player, and

(e) after an occurrence of a secondary triggering event, the secondary triggering event being associated with a designated one of the secondary progressive awards;

(iii) assign each of the players to one of a plurality of progressive event tiers based on the accumulated quantity of progressive event points associated with each player, a designated progressive event tier being associated with the designated one of the secondary progressive awards, and

(iv) for the designated progressive event tier;

(A) determine which of the players assigned to the designated progressive event tier will be provided the designated one of the secondary progressive awards based on the designated wager amount each assigned player placed, and

(B) cause the designated one of the secondary progressive awards to be provided to the determined player.

12. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 11, wherein, for at least one of the players, the quantity of progressive event points accumulated for that player is based on which one of a plurality of different progressive event point accumulation events occur.