US 7,677,972 B2Granted

Gaming system and method for enabling a player to select progressive awards to try for and chances of winning progressive awards

AssigneeIgt

InventorsAnthony J. Baerlocher, Alexdander Casey Naglestad Cohen, Tonja Marie Ferry, Adam Koby

Life of this patent

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Abstract

The present disclosure provides a gaming device, a gaming system and a method for operating a gaming device or gaming system with a plurality of progressive awards. The gaming device enables a player to select one of the progressive awards. The player's selection of which progressive award to play for is based, at least in part, on a relative probability of the player winning the selected progressive award compared to the relative probabilities of the player winning the non-selected progressive awards. After selecting which award to play for, the gaming device either provides the selected progressive award to the player or modifies the relative probability that the player will win the selected progressive award with one or more of any award selections remaining. Such a configuration enables the player to strategically select which award to play for and the order that the player will play for the awards.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller configured to maintain a plurality of progressive awards, each of the progressive awards having an initial value, each of the progressive awards associated with an initial probability of being provided;
and
a plurality of gaming machines, each one of the gaming machines including:
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with the at least one central controller;
and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions which when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor after an occurrence of a random triggering event, cause the at least one gaming machine processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device, for a play of a secondary game, to:
(i) enable a player to make a first input to select and play for one of the plurality of progressive awards during the play of the secondary game,
(ii) determine whether to provide the selected one of the progressive awards to the player,
(iii) if the determination is to provide the selected one of the progressive awards, provide the selected one of the progressive awards to the player,
(iv) if the determination is not to provide the selected one of the progressive awards:
(a) modify the probability associated with the selected one of the progressive awards, wherein the modification is independent of a total value of any wager placed by the player on any play of any primary game, and
(b) for the same play of the secondary game, enable the player to make a second, different input to select and play for another one of the plurality of progressive awards including the selected one of the progressive awards
(v) determine whether an ending condition occurs, and
(vi) if the ending condition does not occur, repeat (ii) to (vi).

13 more elements

A gaming system comprising:

at least one central controller configured to maintain a plurality of progressive awards, each of the progressive awards associated with
(a) a probability of being provided,
(b) an initial value, the initial value based on the probability, and
(c) a reset value, the reset value being independent of the probability;
and
a plurality of gaming machines, each one of the gaming machines including:
at least one display device;
at least one input device;
at least one gaming machine processor configured to communicate with the at least one central controller;
and
at least one memory device which stores a plurality of instructions, which when executed by the at least one gaming machine processor after an occurrence of a random triggering event, cause the at least one gaming machine processor to operate with the at least one input device and the at least one display device, for a play of a secondary game, to:
(i) for each of the plurality of progressive awards, set said progressive award to the initial value for said progressive award,
(ii) enable a player of to make an input to play for one of the plurality of progressive awards during the play of the secondary game,
(iii) determine whether to provide the played for progressive award to the player, the determination based on the probability associated with the played for progressive award,
(iv) if the determination is to provide the played for progressive award:
(a) provide the played for progressive award to the player, and
(b) set the played for progressive award to the reset value associated with the played for progressive award, and
(v) if the determination is not to provide the played for progressive award, enable the player to make a separate input to play for another one of the plurality of progressive awards, including the previously played for progressive award, during the same play of the secondary game,
(vi) determine whether an ending condition Occurs, and
(vii) if the ending condition does not occur, repeat (ii) to (vii).

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 11/830,183Filed 30 Jul 2007 · continuation
Priority: 9 Jun 2006
Published: US 2008/0076514 A127 Mar 2008
Granted: 16 Mar 2010
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

G07F 17/3258
Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes: cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots
G07F 17/32
Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services: for games, toys, sports, or amusements
G07F 17/3209
Player-machine interfaces: input means, e.g. buttons, touch screen
G07F 17/3262
Game play aspects of gaming systems: player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be…

Family

Application60/804,399Us provisional application · filed 9 Jun 2006
Application60/826,872Us provisional application · filed 25 Sep 2006
Application11/759,035Parent of this continuation · filed 6 Jun 2007
US 2008/0076514 A1Pre-grant publication · published 27 Mar 2008
US 2007/0298874 A1Published application
US 7,677,971 B2Related patent
US 7,677,972 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.