Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a chance application
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-10
2001-05-01
Martin-Wallace, Valencia (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a chance application
C463S016000, C463S017000, C463S026000, C273S14300R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06224482
ABSTRACT:
INTRODUCTION
The present invention relates to apparatus for use with a system of linked poker machines and in particular the apparatus provides an improved mystery jackpot mechanism for use with such a poker machine system.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Many schemes have been devised in the past to induce players to play slot machines including schemes such as specifying periods during which jackpot prizes are increased or bonus jackpots paid. Other schemes involve awarding an additional prize to a first player to achieve a predetermined combination on a poker machine after a given point in time. These methods, while effective, add to club overheads because of the need for additional staff to ensure that the scheme is operated smoothly. More recently, with the advent of poker machines linked through electrical networks it has been possible to automatically generate jackpot prizes on the basis of information received from the machines being played which are connected to the system and one such prior art arrangement, commonly known as “Cashcade”, counts turnover (or games played) on all machines in the network, increments a prize value in accordance with the turnover (or number of games played) and pays a mystery jackpot prize when the count reaches some predetermined and randomly selected number. In a more recent prior art arrangement, each game played on each machine in a gaming system is allocated a randomly selected number and the prize is awarded to a machine when the game number it is allocated matches a preselected random number.
In another recent prior art arrangement, the winning machine is selected by randomly selecting a number at a point in time and decrementing the number as games played on the system are counted until the number is decremented to zero at which time the game (or associated machine) causing the final decrement is awarded the jackpot.
In yet another prior art arrangement, the winning machine is selected using a method weighted towards a particular machine in proportion to its turnover.
Progressive jackpot games have traditionally been popular in Casinos. Their main attraction has undoubtedly been their massive jackpot amounts, which are accessible to players on all gambling budgets. However, in their conventional format these games have obvious limitations:
However, having achieved a trigger condition which awards to a player a bonus game, the player is not assured of winning the jackpot and must first play the associated jackpot game. Many players are discouraged by the relatively small probability of winning a traditional bonus game.
Many of these arrangements have been in use in the State of New South Wales and in other jurisdictions for a considerable period of time, however, as with other aspects of slot machine games, players become bored with such arrangements and new and more innovative schemes become necessary in order to stimulate player interest.
In this specification, the term “combinations” will be used to refer to the mathematical definition of a particular game. That is to say, the combinations of a game are the probabilities of each possible outcome for that game.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
According to a first aspect, the present invention provides a random prize awarding system associated with a gaming console the gaming console being arranged to play a first game or a second game, the first game being a standard game normally offered on the console and the second game being a jackpot game offered for play when the player has achieved a trigger condition, and trigger means arranged to test for the trigger condition and to initiate an instance of the second game when the trigger condition occurs, the second game being divided into a plurality of sub-games, each having an incremental prize such that a sum of the un-won incremental prizes equals a total currently available jackpot prize value of the second game, the player being awarded each sub-game after the first, only if the incremental prize was won in the previous sub-game and the jackpot prize value being decremented by the incremental prize value awarded with the occurrence of each winning sub-game.
According to a second aspect, the present invention provides a method of awarding a random prize associated with one or more gaming consoles, each of the one or more gaming consoles being arranged to play a first game or a second game, the first game being a standard game normally offered on the machine and the second game being a jackpot game offered for play when the player has achieved a trigger condition, the method including testing for a trigger condition and initiating an instance of the second game when the trigger condition occurs, the second game being divided into a plurality of sub-games, each having an incremental prize such that a sum of the un-won incremental prizes equals a total currently available jackpot prize value of the second game, the player being awarded each sub-game after the first, only if the incremental prize was won in the previous sub-game and the jackpot prize value being decremented by the incremental prize value awarded with the occurrence of each winning sub-game.
Preferably, the second game is a simplified game having a higher probability of success than the first game. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the second game provides five reels with four different symbols on each reel and an incremental jackpot is awarded if after spinning the reels a predetermined symbol appears anywhere on the win line. The symbol may or may not be available on each reel or may have multiple instances on particular reels, depending on the size of the incremental prize. In one embodiment, an incremental jackpot of $1000 is paid every time a bird symbol appears on the win line and the player plays until a non-winning game occurs or until he has played ten bonus games whichever is the sooner.
In an alternative embodiment, the jackpot game can be other than a reel game and for example, it could be a turn of the card where the player gambles on colour (red/black) or some other feature. Alternatively, it can be an animated event such as a boxing match where the player gambles on the outcome.
Preferably, the console includes output means arranged to indicate to a central controller each paid game played or each token bet, such that a centrally recorded prize value can be updated by each such event.
Preferably also, the total jackpot prize available to be awarded in a jackpot game by the system of the present invention, is a monetary amount the value of which is incremented with each paid game played or token bet on each gaming machine or console in the system in response to the respective indicative signals. The invention is also applicable to a standalone machine, where all contributions to the jackpot come from the machine on which the jackpot game is played.
The jackpot prize is preferably prominently displayed, in the case of a standalone machine, on the machine display area, and in the case of a system wide jackpot on prominent displays located about the gaming area, as well as optionally on the display of individual machines. As mentioned above, the jackpot prize increments with each game played or token bet on each participating machine, but also decrements with each jackpot sub-game won such that the jackpot value displayed at any one time represents the total amount available to be won at that instant. Decrementing of the prize display will also preferably be accompanied be music or some other sound effect to draw attention to the fact that part of the jackpot has been won and the decrementing should preferably occur by counting down to add drama to the event.
Where used above, the term “console” is used to indicate a gaming machine, a gaming terminal or other device arranged to be connected to a communications system and to provide a user gaming interface. In the following description, examples are give which are applicable to traditional slot machines, however the invention should be taken to include gaming systems which include user interfaces other than tradi
Aristocrat Technologies Australia PTY LTD
Martin-Wallace Valencia
Roseman & Colin LLP
White Carmen D.
LandOfFree
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