Method and apparatus for rewarding multiple game players for a single win

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9704341-B2
Application number	US-201314053316-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 14, 2013
Priority date	Mar 28, 2002
Publication date	Jul 11, 2017
Grant date	Jul 11, 2017

Abstract

A gaming apparatus and method is provided that is capable of rewarding a distributed jackpot to players using gaming units that are electronically linked to one another. The distributed jackpot may be shared among non-winning players when a winning result is achieved by a winning player.

First claim

The invention is claimed as follows:

1. A gaming system server comprising:
at least one processor connected to a network; 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:
determine if a triggering event occurs in association with a play of a game of a first one of a plurality of gaming machines connected to the network,
responsive to the triggering event occurring and a value of an award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event being at least equal to a threshold value greater than zero:
cause a display device of the first one of the gaming machines to display a first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, wherein said first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is less than an entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event,
cause the display device of the first one of the gaming machines to display an increase of a credit balance of the first one of the gaming machines based, at least in part, on the first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, wherein the credit balance is increasable responsive to receipt, via an acceptor, of a physical item associated with a monetary value and the credit balance is decreasable responsive to receipt of a cashout input,
cause a display device of a second one of the gaming machines to display a second part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, wherein said second part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is less than the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and
cause the display device of the second one of the gaming machines to display an increase of a credit balance of the second one of the gaming machines based, at least in part, on the second part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and

responsive to the triggering event occurring and the value of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event being less than the threshold value:
cause the display device of the first one of the gaming machines to display the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and
cause the display device of the first one of the gaming machines to display an increase of the credit balance of the first one of the gaming machines based, at least in part, on the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event.

2. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein said first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is at least one selected from the group consisting of: a predetermined award, an award determined based on time and an award determined based on the value of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event.

3. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein said second part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is at least one selected from the group consisting of: a predetermined award, an award determined based on time and an award determined based on the value of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event.

4. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is a progressive award.

5. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein when executed by the at least one processor responsive to the triggering event occurring and the value of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event being at least equal to the threshold value, the plurality of instructions cause the at least one processor to cause a display device of a third one of the gaming machines to: (i) display a third part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, wherein said third part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is less than the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and (ii) display an increase of a credit balance of the third one of the gaming machines based, at least in part, on the third part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event.

6. The gaming system server of claim 5 , wherein the second part of the award is different from the third part of the award.

7. The gaming system server of claim 1 , wherein a sum of the first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event and the second part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is equal to the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event.

8. A gaming system comprising:
a plurality of input devices including an acceptor;
at least one display device;
at least one 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:
responsive to a physical item being received via the acceptor, establish a credit balance based, at least in part, on a monetary value associated with the received physical item,
for a play of a game:
determine a game outcome,
cause the at least one display device to display the determined game outcome,
determine any award associated with the determined game outcome, and
cause the at least one display device to display any determined award associated with the determined game outcome,

responsive to a triggering event occurring and a value of an award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event being at least equal to a threshold value greater than zero:
cause the at least one display device to display a first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, wherein said first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is less than an entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and
cause the at least one display device to display an increase of the credit balance based, at least in part, on the first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event,

responsive to the triggering event occurring and the value of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event being less than the threshold value:
cause the at least one display device to display the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and
cause the at least one display device to display an increase of the credit balance based, at least in part, on the entire award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event, and

responsive to a cashout input being received, cause an initiation of any payout associated with the credit balance.

9. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein said first part of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is at least one selected from the group consisting of: a predetermined award, an award determined based on time and an award determined based on the value of the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event.

10. The gaming system of claim 8 , wherein the award associated with the occurrence of the triggering event is a progressive award.

11. A method of operating a gaming system, said method comprising:
causing at least one processor connected to a network to execute a plurality of instructions to determine if a triggering event occurs in association with a play of a game of a first one of a plurality of gaming machines connected to thenetwork,
responsive to the triggering event occurring and a value of an award associated with

Assignees

• Igt Reno Nev

Inventors

• Wolf Bryan D
• Schlottman Gregory A
• Brosnan William R

Classifications

• G07F17/32

  for games, toys, sports, or amusements · CPC title

• G07F17/3244

  Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes · CPC title

• G07F17/34

  depending on the stopping of moving members {in a mechanical slot machine}, e.g. "fruit" machines · CPC title

• G07F17/3255

  Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements · CPC title

• G07F17/3258

  Cumulative reward schemes, e.g. jackpots · CPC title