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  Gaming system allowing jackpot system selectionUSPTO Application #: 20080076540Title: Gaming system allowing jackpot system selection Abstract: In a gaming system according to the present invention, a server monitors jackpot values and the availability of a plurality of jackpot systems, and thereby produces list outputs of the jackpot values and the available gaming machines. The gaming system provides players with the lists displayed in a screen, and allows each player to select one of the available gaming machines in accordance with the jackpot values. When the jackpot systems are separated from each other and the server, the server reserves the gaming machine selected by a player by using the lists. The selected gaming machine is locked unless the server verifies customer ID data entered into the selected gaming machine. When the server virtually constructs all the jackpot systems, the server will link a virtual gaming machine, which a player has selected by using the lists, to a gaming terminal that the player actually operates. (end of abstract)
Agent: - , Inventors: USPTO Applicaton #: 20080076540 - Class: 463 26 (USPTO) The Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20080076540. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Field of the Invention [0002]The present invention relates to a gaming system, and in particular, a gaming system that comprises a plurality of jackpot systems. [0003]2. Background Information [0004]The value of a jackpot, i.e., the largest award that a player can win on a gaming machine, is one of the most attractive features for players who select gaming machines in a casino. The higher the value of a jackpot is, the more attractive a gaming machine is. In general, one or more gaming machines are linked to a common jackpot controller, and constitute a single jackpot system. The jackpot controller uses a lottery process to determine whether or not to provide a jackpot to one of the linked gaming machines. Jackpot values vary with jackpot systems. In some jackpot systems, two or more jackpot values are selectable (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,147). In a progressive jackpot system, a jackpot controller repeatedly increments a jackpot value by a percentage of each bet on gaming machines linked to the jackpot controller until a jackpot is won on one of the gaming machines (cf. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,055). [0005]In recent years, a casino will usually have many jackpot systems in a huge area. Accordingly, players who want to play games on gaming machines in a jackpot system having higher jackpot value have to walk around the huge casino and compare the jackpot values of many different systems. Furthermore, once the players have selected a gaming machine on which they want to play games, the gaming machine may be unavailable when they return to play. Thus, it is difficult to reduce the time required to select a gaming machine, and in particular, reduce the waiting time for available gaming machines linked to a jackpot system that a player wants to play, and therefore, it is difficult to both improve occupancy rates of gaming machines and maintain a player's interest in gaming at a high level. [0006]In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved gaming system which allows players to select jackpot systems more easily and more reliably. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007]A gaming system according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a plurality of gaming machines, a plurality of jackpot controllers, a gaming machine reservation terminal, and a server that are interconnected therebetween to communicate with each other. [0008]The gaming machines each comprise a jackpot checking unit, a player tracking unit, and a reservation checking unit. The jackpot checking unit is configured to inform one of the jackpot controllers of a bet from a player, and to access the jackpot controller to check whether or not a jackpot will be won. The player tracking unit is configured to detect the availability of the gaming machine and then inform the server of the availability. The player tracking unit is also configured to receive customer ID data from the player and then send the customer ID data to the server. The reservation checking unit is configured to decide whether or not to allow the player to play the game in accordance with an instruction from the server. Preferably, the reservation checking unit locks or unlocks the gaming machine in accordance with the instruction. [0009]The jackpot controllers are each configured to decide whether or not one of the gaming machines wins a jackpot under a lottery process, in response to the player's bet of the gaming machine. Here, one or more of the jackpot controllers may be a progressive jackpot controller, that is, it may increment a jackpot value at every reception of a player's bet of a gaming machine. [0010]The gaming machine reservation terminal is configured to display a list of jackpot values that are controlled by the respective jackpot controllers and a list of the available gaming machines, and then allow a customer to select one of the available gaming machines, and inform the server of the linkage of customer ID data of the customer and the selected gaming machine. Preferably, the gaming machine reservation terminal is served as a kiosk terminal that is separated from any of the gaming machines, or alternatively, may be included in each of the gaming machines. [0011]The server comprises a jackpot value monitoring unit, an available gaming machine monitoring unit, a gaming machine selection controller, and a gaming machine reservation controller. The jackpot value monitoring unit is configured to monitor the jackpot value of each of the jackpot controllers. The available gaming machine monitoring unit is configured to monitor the availability of each of the gaming machines through the player tracking units of the gaming machines. The gaming machine selection controller is configured to produce list outputs of the jackpot values and the available gaming machines. The gaming machine reservation controller is configured to register the linkage of the gaming machines and the customer ID data of customers who have selected one of the gaming machines by using the gaming machine reservation terminal. The gaming machine reservation controller is also configured to instruct each of the gaming machines whether or not to allow a player to play a game, based on a comparison between the customer ID data of the player that is received from the gaming machine and the registered customer ID data that has been linked to the gaming machine. Preferably, the server further comprises a customer management unit, which comprises a player tracking controller configured to authenticate a player of the gaming machine, based on customer ID data received from the gaming machine, and a customer database configured to store customer information linked to customer ID data. [0012]In the above gaming system according to the present invention, a player can promptly and easily know every jackpot value of many jackpot systems by viewing the display of the gaming machine reservation terminal, without walking around in a huge area filled with gaming machines. In addition, the player can easily and reliably select one available gaming machine in a jackpot system with a favorable jackpot value by making a reservation of the gaming machine through the gaming machine reservation terminal. Indeed, the server will lock the reserved gaming machine by using its reservation checking unit until customer ID data of a player received from the gaming machine matches the registered customer ID data (or a predetermined time has elapsed from the reservation), and accordingly, only an authorized player who has reserved the gaming machine can play games on the gaming machine. Thus, the time needed to select a gaming machine can be reduced, and therefore, the occupancy rates of gaming machines will improve, and players can gain more opportunities to play games on a gaming machine linked to a favorable jackpot system. [0013]A gaming system according to another aspect of the present invention is a server-based gaming system, and it comprises a plurality of gaming terminals and a server that are interconnected therebetween to communicate with each other. The gaming terminals are each configured to display game content and jackpot values in accordance with data sent from the server, and inform the server of data that a player has entered into a gaming terminal. In other words, the server will run a game program, and the gaming terminal will primarily relay various kinds of data exchanged between the player and the game program. [0014]The server comprises a plurality of virtual gaming machines, a plurality of virtual jackpot controllers, a jackpot value monitoring unit, an available virtual gaming machine monitoring unit, and a virtual gaming machine selection controller. The virtual gaming machines are each configured to run a game program, and then send game content to one of the gaming terminals that is linked to the virtual gaming machine and receive a player's response from the gaming terminal. The virtual jackpot controllers are each configured to decide whether or not one of the virtual gaming machines has won a jackpot under a lottery process, in response to a player's bet placed on the virtual gaming machine. Preferably, one or more of the virtual jackpot controllers is a progressive jackpot controller, that is, it will increment the jackpot value each time it receives a player's bet placed on a virtual gaming machine. The jackpot value monitoring unit is configured to monitor the jackpot value controlled by each of the virtual jackpot controllers. The available virtual gaming machine monitoring unit is configured to monitor the availability of each of the virtual gaming machines. The virtual gaming machine selection controller is configured to provide list outputs of the jackpot values to one of the gaming terminals, and then allow the player who uses the gaming terminal to select an available, virtual gaming machine based on the jackpot values displayed by the gaming terminal, and allow the selected, virtual gaming machine to be linked to the gaming terminal. [0015]In the server-based gaming system according to the present invention, a player can promptly and easily know every jackpot value of many jackpot systems by viewing the display of the gaming terminal. Furthermore, the player can promptly and easily select one available virtual gaming machine in a virtual jackpot system having a favorable jackpot value, and immediately start gaming on the selected virtual gaming machine by using the gaming terminal. Thus, the time needed to select a virtual gaming machines can be reduced, and therefore, the occupancy rates of virtual gaming machines are improved, and players can gain more opportunities to play games on virtual gaming machines linked to a favorable virtual jackpot system. [0016]These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0017]Referring now to the attached drawings which form a part of this original disclosure: [0018]FIG. 1 is a network diagram that shows a gaming system according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; [0019]FIG. 2 is a perspective view that shows the appearance of a gaming machine included in one of the jackpot systems shown in FIG. 1; [0020]FIG. 3 is a block diagram that shows the configuration of a standalone jackpot system shown in FIG. 1; [0021]FIG. 4 is a block diagram that shows the configuration of a linked jackpot system shown in FIG. 1; Continue reading... Full patent description for Gaming system allowing jackpot system selection Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Gaming system allowing jackpot system selection patent application. Patent Applications in related categories: 20080234039 - Gaming - A gaming machine has a random percentage selection device for randomly selecting a percentage value of a jackpot amount. The gaming machine may have a plurality of random percentage selection devices for selecting a plurality of individual percentage values and a summation unit for summing the individual percentage values to ... 20080234040 - Gaming system with promotional feature - A method is described for running a feature on a gaming system comprising a plurality of gaming consoles linked by a communication network. The method includes defining a spatial sequence for the plurality of gaming consoles and running a feature in which at least one of the gaming consoles is ... ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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