# US 12,762,928 B2 · Funding progressive awards using auction bidding sequences > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,762,928 B2 - Document ID: US12762928B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/222,764 - Filed: 2023-07-17 - Published: 2025-01-23 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2023-07-17 - Assignees: Igt - Applicants: Igt - Inventors: Jeffery McIntosh; Dwayne Nelson; Anthony Baerlocher - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12762928B2 ## CPC - G07F 17/3258: {Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots} - G07F 17/3262: {Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played} - G07F 17/3267: {Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games} - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract Systems and methods that enable one or more bids placed in association with one award, such as a first progressive award, in an auction bidding sequence, to fund another award, such as a second progressive award. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system comprising: a processor, and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device of an electronic gaming machine, of a first progressive award, and responsive to an occurrence of an award auction triggering event: cause a display, by the display device of the electronic gaming machine, of an auction bidding sequence associated with the first progressive award in which a portion of at least one a the plurality of bids placed during the auction bidding sequence funds a second progressive award, responsive to a receipt of data associated with an opening of an access door of the electronic gaming machine being detected via a security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine during the auction bidding sequence: disable the electronic gaming machine from placing any bids on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence, and following a receipt of data associated with at least a closing of the access door of the electronic gaming machine detected via the security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine, enable the electronic gaming machine to bid on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence, and responsive to one of the plurality of bids determined to be a winning bid, take, independent of any occurrence of any progressive award triggering event, the first progressive award prematurely offline by causing the first progressive award to be provided, independent of any probability-based determination, in association with the winning bid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein a portion of each of the plurality of bids fund the second progressive award. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second progressive award comprises the first progressive award after being reset responsive to one of the plurality of bids determined to be the winning bid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the second progressive award is different from the first progressive award. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to one of the plurality of bids determined to be the winning bid, cause the processor to allocate different portions of the plurality of bids to fund the second progressive award. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein a first portion of a first bid is allocated to fund the second progressive award for a first player having a first status and a second, different portion of a second bid is allocated to fund the second progressive award for a second, different player having a second, different status. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to none of the plurality of bids determined to be the winning bid and an occurrence of a progressive award triggering event, cause the processor to cause the first progressive award to be provided independent of the auction bidding sequence. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the award auction triggering event occurs responsive to a request to auction the first progressive award and a determination to approve the request. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the determination to approve the request is based on a status of a player making the request. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the auction bidding sequence is associated with at least one of a minimum quantity of bids, a minimum quantity of players placing bids, a minimum winning bid, and a maximum winning bid below a threshold amount. ### Claim 11 A system comprising: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device of an electronic gaming machine, of a first progressive award, and responsive to an occurrence of an award auction triggering event: cause a display, by the display device of the electronic gaming machine, of an auction bidding sequence associated with a plurality of bids placed on the first progressive award, responsive to a receipt of data associated with an opening of an access door of the electronic gaming machine being detected via a security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine during the auction bidding sequence: disable the electronic gaming machine from placing any bids on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence, and following a receipt of data associated with at least a closing of the access door of the electronic gaming machine detected via the security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine, enable the electronic gaming machine to bid on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence, responsive to one of the plurality of bids determined to be a winning bid: take, independent of any occurrence of any progressive award triggering event, the first progressive award prematurely offline by causing the first progressive award to be provided, independent of any probability-based determination, in association with the winning bid, and cause a first portion of at least a first bid of the plurality of bids not determined to be the winning bid to fund a second progressive award, and responsive to none of the plurality of bids determined to be the winning bid, cause a second portion of at least the first bid to fund the second progressive award. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the second portion comprises no portion. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the second portion comprises an entire portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first portion is different from the second portion. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein different players are associated with different second portions. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the first portion comprises an entire portion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the memory device stores a plurality of further instructions that, when executed by the processor responsive to none of the plurality of bids determined to be the winning bid and an occurrence of a progressive award triggering event, cause the processor to cause the first progressive award to be provided independent of the auction bidding sequence. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the award auction triggering event occurs responsive to a request to auction the maintained first progressive award and a determination to approve the request. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, wherein the auction bidding sequence is associated with at least one of a minimum quantity of bids, a minimum quantity of players placing bids, a minimum winning bid, and a maximum winning bid below a threshold amount. ### Claim 20 A system comprising: a processor; and a memory device that stores a plurality of instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: cause a display, by a display device of an electronic gaming machine, of a first progressive award, responsive to a first occurrence of a progressive award triggering event prior to an occurrence of an award auction triggering event, cause the first progressive award to be provided in association with the first occurrence of the progressive award triggering event, and responsive to an occurrence of the award auction triggering event prior to any occurrence of the progressive award triggering event: responsive to a receipt of data associated with an opening of an access door of the electronic gaming machine being detected via a security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine during an auction bidding sequence in which a plurality of bids are placed on the first progressive award: disable the electronic gaming machine from placing any bids on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence, and following a receipt of data associated with at least a closing of the access door of the electronic gaming machine detected via the security monitoring circuit of the electronic gaming machine, enable the electronic gaming machine to bid on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence, responsive to one of the plurality of bids placed on the first progressive award during the auction bidding sequence determined to be a winning bid: take, independent of any occurrence of any progressive award triggering event, the first progressive award prematurely offline by causing the first progressive award to be provided, independent of any probability-based determination, in association with the winning bid, wherein during the auction bidding sequence, the progressive award triggering event is disabled from occurring in association with the first progressive award, allocate a first portion of at least one of the plurality of bids to a second progressive award, and responsive to a second occurrence of the progressive award triggering event, cause the second progressive award to be provided in association with the second occurrence of the progressive award triggering event. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The system of claim 20, wherein the first portion comprises an entire portion.