Granted Patent B2

US 8,157,641 · App. 12/291,620 · Granted Apr 17, 2012

Abstract

Claims (96)

1. A gaming system comprising:

a wager input device for receiving at least one wager;

one or more displays for displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game, the one or more displays further displaying a trigger time indicator; and

at least one controller operative to:

(i) add a portion of the at least one wager to an actual turnover for a mystery prize;

(ii) randomly select a trigger amount from a range of available trigger amounts;

(iii) calculate a time estimate when the actual turnover will become equal to or greater than the trigger amount based on a current turnover rate;

(iv) update the trigger time indicator based on the time estimate; and

(v) award the mystery prize in response to the actual turnover becoming equal to or greater than the trigger amount.

2. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the current turnover rate comprises a sum of all portions received during a previous selected time interval.

3. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to calculate the time estimate based on the current turnover rate, the trigger amount, and the actual turnover.

4. The gaming system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further operative to calculate the time estimate as:

time estimate=(trigger amount−actual turnover)/current turnover rate.

5. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to:

(i) activate the trigger time indicator to display the time estimate when the time estimate is less than or equal to a first threshold; and

(ii) deactivate the trigger time indicator when the time estimate is greater than a second threshold.

6. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further operative to adjust the time estimate before displaying the time estimate on the trigger time indicator.

7. The gaming system of claim 5 , wherein the controller is further operative to average the time estimate with one or more previous time estimates.

8. The gaming system of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further operative to

(i) calculate the time estimate at a first frequency; and

(ii) update the trigger time indicator at a second frequency.

9. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming device of a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a wager to conduct the wagering game on the gaming device;

displaying, on a display device associated with the gaming device, a randomly determined outcome of the wagering game;

adding at least a portion of the wager to an actual turnover for a mystery prize using a processor associated with the wagering game;

randomly determining a trigger amount from a range of available trigger amounts using the processor;

calculating a time estimate when the actual turnover will become equal to or greater than the trigger amount based on a current turnover rate using the processor;

displaying on the display device the time estimate on a trigger time indicator; and

awarding the mystery prize in response to the actual turnover becoming equal to or greater than the trigger amount.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising the step of:

calculating, using the processor, the current turnover rate as a sum of all portions received during a previous selected time interval.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of displaying the time estimate on the trigger time indicator comprises the steps of:

displaying on the display device the trigger time indicator when the time estimate is less than or equal to a first threshold; and

clearing the trigger time indicator, using the processor, when the time estimate is greater than a second threshold.

12. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of calculating the time estimate comprises the step of:

adjusting the time estimate, using the processor, before displaying on the display device the time estimate on the trigger time indicator.

13. The method of claim 9 , wherein the step of calculating the time estimate comprises the steps of:

calculating the time estimate at a first frequency using the processor; and

updating, using the processor, the trigger time indicator with the time estimate at a second frequency.

14. A method of conducting wagering games on a plurality of gaming devices of a gaming system, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a plurality of wagers to conduct the wagering game on the plurality of gaming devices;

displaying a plurality of randomly determined outcomes of the wagering games on display devices associated with respective ones of the plurality of gaming devices;

displaying a plurality of progressive jackpots on the display devices, on at least one area display, or on both the display devices and at least one area display;

apportioning a portion of the plurality of wagers to fund an actual turnover for a mystery prize using at least one processor associated with the wagering game;

distributing the portion among the plurality of progressive jackpots using the at least one processor;

randomly determining a trigger amount from a range of available trigger amounts using the at least one processor;

calculating a time estimate when the actual turnover will become equal to or greater than the trigger amount based on a current turnover rate using the at least one processor;

displaying the time estimate on a trigger time indicator on the display devices, on at least one area display, or on both the display devices and at least one area display; and

awarding a randomly selected one of the progressive jackpots in response to the actual turnover becoming equal to or greater than the trigger amount.

15. The method of conducting wagering games on a plurality of gaming devices of a gaming system according to claim 14 , further comprising the step of:

using the at least one processor, calculating the current turnover rate as a sum of all portions received during a previous selected time interval.

16. The method of conducting wagering games on a plurality of gaming devices of a gaming system according to claim 15 , wherein the step of displaying the time estimate on the trigger time indicator comprises the steps of:

displaying the trigger time indicator when the time estimate is less than or equal to a first threshold on the display devices, on at least one area display, or on both the display devices and at least one area display; and

using the at least one processor, clearing the trigger time indicator when the time estimate is greater than a second threshold.

17. A gaming system comprising:

a plurality of gaming terminals, each gaming terminal comprising at least one primary display;

at least one wager input device associated with the plurality of gaming terminals; and

at least one controller;

wherein each gaming terminal is operative to:

(i) detect receipt of a wager for a wagering game displayed on the respective gaming terminal; and

(ii) transfer an amount of the wager to the controller;

wherein the controller is operative to:

(i) add a portion of the wager to an actual turnover for a mystery prize available to the plurality of gaming terminals;

(ii) randomly select a trigger amount from a range of available trigger amounts;

(iii) calculate a time estimate when the actual turnover will become equal to or greater than the trigger amount based on a current turnover rate at which wagers are received at the gaming terminals;

(iv) update a trigger time indicator of the at least one display based on the time estimate; and

(v) award the mystery prize in response to the actual turnover becoming equal to or greater than the trigger amount.

18. The gaming system of claim 17 , wherein the controller is further operative to calculate the time estimate based on the current turnover rate, the trigger amount, and the actual turnover.

19. The gaming system of claim 18 , wherein the controller is further operative to calculate the time estimate as:

time estimate=(trigger amount−actual turnover)/current turnover rate.

20. The gaming system of claim 17 , further comprising at least one community display;

wherein the community display displays the time estimate via a first trigger time indicator;

wherein each of the primary displays displays the time estimate via a second trigger time indicator;

wherein the controller is further operative to update the first and second trigger time indicators based on the time estimate.

21. A gaming terminal, comprising:

a value input device for receiving wagers;

one or more displays for displaying a randomly selected outcome of a wagering game, the one or more displays further displaying a trigger time indicator; and

a first controller operative to transfer an amount of each wager received to a second controller and cause the at least one display to display the trigger time indicator;

wherein the second controller is operative to:

(i) add a portion of each wager to an actual turnover for a mystery prize;

(ii) calculate a current turnover rate for the gaming terminal and any other eligible gaming terminals;

(iii) determine a time estimate at which the actual turnover will reach a randomly selected trigger amount, the time estimate based upon the current turnover rate; and

(iv) send the time estimate to the first controller to update the trigger time indicator.

22. The gaming terminal of claim 21 , wherein the second controller is operative to calculate the current turnover rate based upon the portions added to the actual turnover within a previous time interval.

23. The gaming terminal of claim 22 , wherein the previous time interval comprises 60 seconds.

24. The gaming terminal of claim 21 , wherein the first controller is operative to cause the at least one display to clear the trigger time indicator upon receipt of a “clear” message from the second controller.

25. The gaming machine of claim 21 in combination with the second controller, wherein the second controller is operative to:

(i) randomly select the trigger amount from a range of available trigger amounts;

(ii) award a prize in response to the actual turnover becoming equal to or greater than the trigger amount.

26. A method of conducting a wagering game on a gaming device of a gaming system, the method comprising:

receiving a wager to conduct the wagering game on the gaming device;

displaying, on a display device associated with the gaming device, a randomly determined outcome of a wagering game;

calculating, using a processor associated with the wagering game, a clock time estimate when a special award will be triggered by a triggering event;

displaying on the display device the clock time estimate on a trigger time indicator; and

awarding the special award in response to the triggering event.

27. The method of claim 26 , wherein the displayed clock time estimate includes an absolute time or a time relative to a current time.

Assignments (12)