AU2007216941B1

AU2007216941B1 - Jackpot system

Info

Publication number: AU2007216941B1
Application number: AU2007216941A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Eiji Aida
Original assignee: Konami Gaming Inc
Current assignee: Konami Gaming Inc
Priority date: 2007-09-24
Filing date: 2007-09-24
Publication date: 2008-10-16
Anticipated expiration: 2027-09-24
Also published as: JP2009072589A

Description

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AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION STANDARD PATENT Invention Title: JACKPOT SYSTEM The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing known to me/us: The present invention relates to a gaming system, and in particular, a gaming system that uses a progressive jackpot system.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [Mere reference to background art herein should not be construed as an admission that such art constitutes common general knowledge in relation to the invention in Australia.] The value of a jackpot, the largest payout that a player can win on a gaming machine in a casino, is one of the most attractive features for players. The higher a jackpot value is, the more attractive a gaming machine is. In general, one or more gaming machines are linked to a common jackpot controller through a network, and constitute a single jackpot system. Each time a bet is placed on one of the linked gaming machines, the jackpot controller randomly determines whether or not to provide a jackpot to the gaming machine. Especially when the jackpot system is of a progressive type, the jackpot controller repeatedly increments a jackpot value by a percentage of each bet placed on any gaming machine until a gaming machine wins a jackpot. The increasing jackpot value is displayed on each gaming machine. The higher the jackpot value rises, the larger number of customers are attracted to gaming machines.

Accordingly, the increasing pace of the jackpot value is further accelerated with time.

This excites players on the gaming machines, and thereby attracts more customers to the gaming machines.

In a type of progressive jackpot system, the upper limit of a jackpot value has been predetermined. In this case, a jackpot controller raises the probability of providing a jackpot to a gaming machine as the jackpot value approaches the upper limit. This prevents the jackpot value from exceeding the upper limit. However, this also causes a group, which is known as a "syndicate" in Australia, to take the following undesirable action. When a jackpot value sufficiently approaches its upper limit in a progressive jackpot system of a casino, a large number of persons belonging to a syndicate forcibly occupy all gaming machines in the jackpot system until a jackpot is won. Accordingly, other customers in the casino never win a jackpot on gaming machines in the jackpot system. This prevents the jackpot system from being more attractive, and therefore, prevents the casino from fairly amusing a larger number of various customers.

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 jackpot system that can prevent a specific group from forcibly occupying gaming machines, and can thereby provide a chance of winning a jackpot fairly to a larger number of various customers. 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 A jackpot system according to the present invention includes a network, a database, a player tracking unit, a jackpot controller, and one or more gaming machines.

The network is connected to the database, the player tracking unit, the jackpot controller, and the gaming machine. Here, the network may include a bus connected /o between components implemented in a common device as well as a LAN, a WAN, and the Internet. Preferably, the database and the player tracking unit are integrated into a single server. Alternatively, they may be separated from each other, and connected to each other through the LAN or the like. The jackpot controller may be implemented in the server or one of the gaming machines, or separated from them.

is The database stores data about membership, playing histories, and ranks of individual customers linked to customer IDs. Here, any customer is preferably allowed to earn membership in a casino or the like in which the jackpot system is installed.

Preferably, the customer applies for membership to the casino or the like in advance, and receives a unique customer ID. The playing history of each member stored in the database preferably includes a total amount of bets that the member has spent on one or more gaming machines in the jackpot system during a predetermined period of time.

Alternatively, the playing history may include a total number of game rounds that the member has played on one or more gaming machines in the jackpot system during a predetermined period of time. The rank of each member stored in the database is preferably assigned to the customer ID of the member depending on the content of the playing history linked to the customer ID in the database.

The player tracking unit receives a customer ID of a player from each gaming machine through the network. The player tracking unit then verifies the membership of the player by using the data about membership linked to the received customer ID in the database. The player tracking unit also assigns the rank of the player to the gaming machine by using the data about ranks linked to the received customer ID in the database.

The player tracking unit further receives information about game play of the player from the gaming machine through the network. The player tracking unit then updates the playing history of the player stored in the database on the basis of the received information.

The player tracking unit also updates the rank of the player stored in the database on the basis of the membership and playing history of the player. The player tracking unit preferably assigns a higher rank to a customer ID when a membership linked to the customer ID is valid and a playing history linked to the customer ID in the database includes a larger, total amount of bets. Alternatively, the player tracking unit may assign a higher rank to a customer ID when a membership linked to the customer ID is valid and a playing history linked to the customer ID in the database includes a larger number /0 of game rounds.

The jackpot controller selects a type of jackpot value as being available to each gaming machine depending on a rank assigned to the gaming machine by the player tracking unit. The jackpot controller preferably selects a jackpot value that are allowed to be incremented to a higher upper limit as being available to a gaming machine assigned to a higher rank. The jackpot controller further detects a bet placed on each gaming machine through the network, and randomly decides whether to provide the gaming machine with a jackpot value of a type selected as being available to the gaming machine. In addition, the jackpot controller increments one or more types of jackpot values at each detection of a bet placed on each gaming machine.

Each gaming machine informs the player tracking unit of a customer ID of a player through the network. The gaming machine further conducts a game by using a bet placed by the player, and randomly provide the player with an award depending on the bet. Here, the award may be an amount of payouts or a right to play a bonus game.

The gaming machine informs the jackpot controller of the bet through the network, and displays a jackpot value available to the gaming machine. If necessary, the gaming machine informs the player of a winning of the jackpot.

The jackpot system is preferably of a progressive type where each type of jackpot value has an upper limit. In this case, the jackpot controller preferably raises the probability of providing each jackpot value when the jackpot value approaches its upper limit. On the other hand, the player tracking unit places each member of the casino in a rank depending his/her playing history, and assigns each gaming machine to a rank of a player who plays games on the gaming machine. The jackpot controller selects a type of jackpot value as being available to a gaming machine depending on a rank assigned thereto. Thus, the jackpot system provides members of the casino who have spent larger amounts of bets or played larger number of game rounds during a predetermined period of time with chances of winning larger jackpot values. This prevents a specific group as a "syndicate" from forcibly occupying all gaming machines in the jackpot system only when the highest jackpot value approaches its upper limit, since players of lower rank or without a membership have no chance of winning the highest jackpot value. Therefore, the jackpot system can provide more various customers more fairly with chances of winning various types of jackpot values.

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, 1o which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Referring now to the attached drawings which form a portion of this original disclosure: FIG. 1 is a network diagram of a jackpot system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the appearance of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1; FIGS. 3A-3C are examples of jackpot meters and game screens displayed on the gaming machine shown in FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the server shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the jackpot controller shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a game round conducted on the gaming machine shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a lottery process for jackpot conducted on the jackpot controller shown in FIG. 1; FIG. 9 is a flow chart of player verification and rank assignment processes conducted on the server shown in FIG. 1; and FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a rank update process conducted on the server shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT A selected embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with reference to the drawings. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that the following description of the embodiment of the present invention is Sprovided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

A preferred embodiment of the present invention is a progressive jackpot system preferably installed in a casino. Referring to FIG. 1, the jackpot system includes a plurality of gaming machines 10, a server 20, and a jackpot controller 30. The gaming /0 machines 10 are preferably placed on floors on the casino. The server 20 is preferably placed in a security room, which is off-limits to customers and is locked by casino managers. The jackpot controller 30 is preferably placed on the casino floor, and more preferably integrated into one of the gaming machines 10. Alternatively, the jackpot controller 30 may be placed on the security room, or integrated into the server 20. Each gaming machine 10, the server 20, and the jackpot controller 30 are preferably connected to each other through a network 40. The network 40 is preferably a LAN, or may additionally use a WAN and the Internet.

Each gaming machine 10 is preferably a video slot machine, for example, as shown in FIG. 2. Alternatively, the gaming machine 10 may be a slot machine with mechanical reels, a poker machine, a roulette machine, or other types of video or mechanical gaming machines. Referring to FIG. 2, the gaming machine 10 includes a box-shaped cabinet 1 with a front panel 2. Three display windows 3A, 3B, and 3C are preferably mounted on the upper portion, the middle portion, and the lower portion of the front panel 2, respectively. A sub-display window 4A and a card slot 4B are preferably mounted between the upper display window 3A and the middle display window 3B. A coin slot 5A, a bill slot 5B, and various push buttons 7 are mounted between the middle display window 3B and the lower display window 3C. A coin chute 8A, a coin tray 8B, and a speaker 9 are installed below the lower display window 3C.

Through each display window 3A, 3B13, or 3C, a screen of a display unit is visible.

The display unit preferably includes a flat panel display device, a liquid crystal display device (LCD), a plasma display device (PDP), or an organic light-emitting device (OLED). Various images are reproduced in the display windows 3A, 3B, and 3C.

The images preferably include images for use in decoration and advertisements, the logo of a game developer, images for use in visual effects in games, and visualized 7 information on games, pay tables and player's guide to game operations. In particular, a plurality of jackpot meters are displayed in the upper display window 3A, and a game screen is displayed in the middle display unit 3B.

V, Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, five types of jackpot meters JVI-JV5 are preferably r" 5 displayed in the upper display window 3A. Since the jackpot system shown in FIG. 1 is of a progressive type, each jackpot meter JVI-JV5 indicates a jackpot value incremented by a predetermined percentage of a bet placed on a gaming machine 10. Upper limits of Sjackpot values vary with of the jackpot meters JVI-JV5. In the example shown in FIGS.

N, 3A-3C, the "TOP", "BIG", "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values have upper limits of$10,000, $5,000, $1,000, $100, and $50, respectively. Each time a player places a bet on the gaming machine 10, the jackpot system provides the player with a chance of winning an available jackpot value indicated by one of the jackpot meters Here, the jackpot system places each customer in a "rank", preferably depending on whether he/she is a member of the casino or not, and the total amount of bets that he/she has spent in the casino during a predetermined period of time, more preferably during the past month. Members of the casino who have spent larger total amounts of bets during the predetermined period of time can achieve higher ranks preferably. The jackpot system then selects jackpot values available to each player depending on his/her rank. Preferably, a larger number of types of jackpot values are available to players of higher ranks. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, a player's rank is displayed on the top portion 3D of the upper display window 3A. To a player of a "TEMPORARY" rank, the "TOP" and "BIG" jackpot values are unavailable, but other three smaller jackpot values are available. To a player of a "REGULAR" rank, the "TOP" jackpot value is unavailable, but other four smaller jackpot values are available.

To a player of a "VIP" rank, all the jackpot values are available. Preferably, the jackpot meter JVI or JV2 indicating an unavailable jackpot value is covered with a mask M in the upper display window 3A.

Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, a game screen is displayed in the middle display window 3B. The game screen preferably includes five video reels 3E, symbol columns displayed in a graphic form. Three symbols 3F are preferably displayed on each video reel 3E, and thereby a 3 x 5 symbol matrix appears on the game screen. Note that mechanical reels may be installed in the middle display window 3B, and symbols 3F may be displayed on the circumferential surfaces of the mechanical reels. The video reels 3E vary in pattern at random in response to each cue provided by a player. In particular, various symbols 3F move in a vertical direction on each video reel 3E for a while, and then the symbol matrix will be stopped in an arrangement selected at random, like a symbol matrix displayed on the circumferential surfaces of mechanical reels that repeat spins and stops. A player guesses on which payline in the symbol matrix a winning combination will appear, and then places a bet on a desired payline before the symbol matrix is changed in arrangement. If a winning combination appears on the payline where the player has placed a bet, the player will win an amount of a payout or a right to play a bonus game depending on the amount of the bet and the type of the winning combination. Note that the gaming machine 10 may conduct another type of game with different rules and different symbol arrangements. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, the game screen preferably includes three types of meters showing the number of available credits, a bet, and a payout that a player has won.

The card slot 4B preferably allows a player to insert his/her ID card thereinto.

The ID card is also referred to as a house card. A card reader is embedded in the card slot 4B, and reads the player's customer ID from the ID card inserted into the card slot 4B. Note that the card slot 4B may be replaced with a pad or holder type of card reader.

The ID card is preferably a portable storage device, more preferably an IC card, usable as a membership card within the casino. Each customer is issued an ID card in exchange for earning membership in the casino. The ID card stores a unique identification data, a customer ID assigned to the customer. A player on the gaming machine 10 can enter his/her customer ID into the gaming machine 10 by inserting his/her ID card into the card slot 4B mounted on the gaming machine 10. The jackpot system then uses the customer ID to verify the player and select available jackpot values. Note that ID cards may be also used to provide customers with a number of points depending on total amounts of money that they have spent for game play in the casino. The server preferably keeps track of a total number of customers' points. Customers can be provided with bonuses such as free accommodation coupons depending onil their total number of points.

Through the sub-display window 4A, a screen of a sub-display unit is visible.

The sub-display unit preferably includes a flat panel display device, an LCD, a PDP, or an OLED. Specific items of individual information of a player are preferably displayed in the sub-display window 4A. The items preferably include one or more of the player's membership, playing history, and rank, as well as the player's name, photograph, and/or the number of points. The sub-display window 4A is preferably covered with a touch panel, and thereby serves as an operation screen for the card slot 4B and the card reader. The sub-display window 4A may be also used in decoration and advertisements, visual effects in games, and display of visualized information on games, like the display windows 3A, 3B, and 3C.

The coin slot 5A and the bill slot 5B allow a player to enter coins and bills thereinto, respectively. The entered coins and bills are counted by a money counter and validated by a money acceptor. The money counter and the money acceptor are installed inside the cabinet 1. The total amount of the validated coins and bills are displayed on the middle display unit 3B as credits available to the player. A money hopper installed inside the cabinet 1 stores a large number of coins and bills together with the coins and bills entered by the player. The money hopper discharges coins and bills equivalent to credits that the player has won through the coin chute 8A into the coin tray 8B and the bill slot 5B, respectively. Note that the gaming machine 10 may support a ticketin/ticket-out system, accept and print a bar-coded paper ticket. A bar code printed on the ticket represents monetary data available to a player.

The push buttons 7 are preferably of mechanical types, or alternatively may be virtual buttons displayed on a touch panel. The push buttons 7 allow a player to operate the gaming machine 10. For example, by using the push buttons 7, a player can select one or more paylines on the video reels, and place a desired amount of a bet on each selected payline. The player then pushes a spin button included in the push buttons 7 to cause the video reels to start spinning, symbols to move in the vertical direction. If an arrangement of stopped symbols includes a winning combination on any selected payline, the player will win an award depending on the amount of the bet and the type of the winning combination. The player will be allowed to push a cash-out button included in the push buttons 7, and then receive coins and bills equivalent to the player's credit from the coin chute 8A and the bill slot 5B. The push buttons 7 are preferably lamp buttons, which each include a light-emitting device and lights up when pushed by a player or used in lighting effects during game play.

The speaker 9 is installed inside the cabinet 1, and generates voice announcements and sound effects during game play.

The above-described components of the gaming machine 10 are preferably controlled by a gaming unit 12, a player checking unit 13, and a jackpot unit 14 as shown in FIG. 4. These units 12, 13, and 14 are preferably implemented in separate circuit boards, and installed inside the cabinet 1. The units 12, 13, and 14 then communicate with each other through an internal bus by using respective communication handlers 12A, 13A, and 14A. The units 12, 13, and 14 can preferably communicate with the server 20 and the jackpot controller 30 through the network 40 by using the communication handlers 12A, 13A, and 14A. Note that two or more of the units 12, 13, and 14 may be integrated into the same circuit board. Alternatively, one or more of the units 12, 13, and 14 may be separated from the cabinet 1, and connected through the network 40 to the components of the cabinet I. The separated unit may be integrated into the server Referring to FIG. 4, the gaming unit 12 preferably includes a gaming controller io 12B, display/speaker drivers 12C, a user interface 12D, and money counter/hopper drivers 12E, in addition to the communication handler 12A.

The gaming controller 12B executes a game program, and thereby conducts a game and controls other components 12A and 12C-12E in response to data and instructions accepted by the user interface 12D. In particular, the gaming controller 12B provides awards to a player depending on game results, preferably at random. The types of awards, the amounts of payouts or the types of bonus games vary with bets placed by the player.

The gaming controller 12B further manages player's credits and information about game play of the player on the gaming machine 10, on the basis of data and instructions accepted by the user interface 12D, monetary data accepted by the money counter/hopper drivers 12E, and game results. The information about game play preferably includes the total amounts of bets that the player has spent and/or the total number of game rounds that the player has played. The gaming controller 12B informs the player checking unit 13, or alternatively the server 20, of the current information preferably at intervals of a predetermined number of game rounds.

In addition, the gaming controller 12B receives a player's rank from the player checking unit 13, and distinguishes available jackpot values from others according to the received rank. Referring to FIGS. 3A-3C, five types of jackpot values, "TOP", "BIG", "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI", and three ranks of players, "TEMPORARY", "REGULAR", and "VIP", are preferably prepared. If the received rank is "TEMPORARY", the gaming controller 12B distinguishes the "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values as being available. If the received rank is "REGULAR", the gaming controller 12B distinguishes jackpot values other than the "TOP" jackpot value as being available. If the received rank is "VIP", the gaming controller 12B sets all types of the jackpot values as being available.

The display/speaker driver 12C controls the display units in the display windows 3A, 3B, 3C, and the speaker 9, and in particular, produces visual and sound effects for s games, and controls the jackpot meters JV1-JV5 and the game screen shown in FIGS.

3A-3C. H-ere, the gaming controller 12B causes the display/speaker driver 12C to display increasing jackpot values on the basis of information on jackpots received from the jackpot unit 14, and mask jackpot meters indicating unavailable jackpot values as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B.

1o The user interface 12D controls the push buttons 7, and accepts data and instructions from a player depending on types of buttons pushed by the player and game status. The money counter/hopper driver 12E controls the money counter, the money acceptor, and the money hopper.

The player checking unit 13 preferably serves as an interface between the gaming machine 10 and the server 20. Referring to FIG. 4, the player checking unit 13 preferably includes a sub-controller 13B, a sub-display driver 13C, and a card reader 13D, in addition to the communication handler 13A.

The sub-controller 13B controls other components 13A, 13C, and 13D. The subcontroller 13B in particular uses the card reader 13D to read a customer ID of a player from his/her ID card inserted into the card slot 4B. The sub-controller 13B then transmits the customer ID to the server 20 together with a machine ID, which is uniquely assigned to each gaming machine 10 in advance.

The sub-controller 13B preferably receives the current information about game play of the player from the gaming controller 12B at predetermined intervals, more preferably at the end of each game round. The sub-controller 13B then transmits the information to the server 20 together with the customer ID.

In response to the transmitted data, the sub-controller 13B receives a rank of the player from the server 20, and then informs the gaming controller 12B of the received rank.

The sub-display driver 13C controls the sub-display unit in the sub-display window 4A. The card reader 13D preferably wirelessly communicates with an ID card placed in the card slot 4B. While the ID card is placed in the card slot 4B, the subcontroller 13B monitors the state of the ID card, as well as the states of the card slot 4B and the card reader 13D. If a player operates the card slot 4B to eject the ID card therefrom, or an error is detected in the reading of the ID card by the card reader I 3D, the sub-controller 13B ejects the ID card from the card slot 4B. Furthermore, the subcontroller 13B preferably informs both the gaming controller 12B and the jackpot Vcontroller 30 of the ejecting of the ID card.

Referring to FIG.4, the jackpot unit 14 preferably includes a jackpot checking unit 14B in addition to the communication handler 14A. The jackpot checking unit 14B detects data representing a bet through the communication handler 14A at each time the Suser interface 12D has accepted the data. The jackpot checking unit 14B then informs Sthe jackpot controller 30 of each bet together with the machine ID assigned to the o/0 gaming machine N In response to them, the jackpot checking unit 14B receives information on jackpots from the jackpot controller 30. The information preferably includes current jackpot values incremented by the jackpot controller 30 and/or a signal informing of winning a jackpot. The jackpot checking unit 14B transmits the information to the gaming controller 12B. The gaming controller 12B then causes the display/speaker driver 12C to update jackpot values on the jackpot meters JVI-JV5. If the information represents the winning of a jackpot, the jackpot checking unit 14B instructs the gaming controller 12B to inform a player of winning the jackpot. The gaming controller 12B then increases the player's credits by the jackpot value.

In addition, the jackpot checking unit 14B preferably detects the start or finish of game play by the player from operations of the gaming unit 12 through the communication handler 14A, and then informs the jackpot controller 30 of the start or finish of game play together with the machine ID assigned to the gaming machine Referring to FIG. 5, the server 20 preferably includes a communication handler 21, a database 22, and a player tracking unit 23.

The communication handler 21 connects the other components 22 and 23 to the network 40, and in particular, the gaming machines 10 and the jackpot controller The database 22 preferably includes a mass-storage device, a hard disk drive, a semiconductor memory, or the like. The database 22 stores data about membership, playing histories, and ranks of individual customers linked to customer IDs.

Any customer is preferably allowed to earn membership in the casino. The customer preferably applies for membership to the casino in advance, and is issued an ID card in exchange for registration of his/her individual information, his/her name and address. The ID card stores a customer ID that is uniquely assigned to the customer.

The individual information of each member is stored in a membership area 22A of the database 22 together with the customer ID of the member.

The playing history of each member is stored in a playing history area 22B of the database 22 together with his/her customer ID. The playing history preferably includes a total amount of bets that the member has spent on one or more gaming machines during a predetermined period of time, more preferably during the past month.

Alternatively, the playing history may include a total number of game rounds that the member has played on one or more gaming machines 10 during a predetermined period of time.

Each member is placed in a rank depending on the content of the playing history linked to his/her customer ID in the playing history area 22B of the database 22. The rank of each member is stored in a rank area 22C of the database 22 together with his/her customer ID.

The player tracking unit 23 receives a customer ID of a player from each gaming is machine 10 through the network 40 and the communication handler 21. The player tracking unit 23 then verifies the membership of the player, and assigns the rank of the player to the gaming machine 10. More specifically, the player tracking unit 23 first receives a customer ID of a player and a machine ID from the player checking unit 13 of each gaming machine 10. The player tracking unit 23 next accesses the membership area 22A of the database 22 to verify the membership of the player depending on the presence or absence of the data about membership linked to the received customer ID in the membership area 22A. If the membership of the player is valid, the player tracking unit 23 retrieves the rank of the player linked to the received customer ID from the rank area 22C of the database 22. The player tracking unit 23 then assigns the retrieved rank to the received machine ID. The player tracking unit 23 further transmits the verification result and the rank to the player checking unit 13 of the gaming machine as a response, and transmits the pair of the rank and the machine ID to the jackpot controller In addition, the player tracking unit 23 receives the current information about game play of the player together with his/her customer ID from the player checking unit 13 of the gaming machine 10 through the network 40 and the communication handler 21.

The player tracking unit 23 then updates the playing history stored in the playing history area 22B of the database 22 on the basis of the received information. More specifically, the player tracking unit 23 first receives information about game play of a player together with his/her customer ID from the player checking unit 13 of the gaming machine 10. The player tracking unit 23 next retrieves the playing history of the player linked to the received customer ID from the playing history area 22B of the database 22.

The player tracking unit 23 then modifies the retrieved playing history on the basis of the received information about game play, recalculates the total amount of bets that the player has spent on the gaming machines 10 during a predetermined period of time, more preferably during the past month. After that, the player tracking unit 23 rewrites the modified playing history into the playing history area 22B.

Furthermore, the player tracking unit 23 updates the rank of the player stored in the rank area 22C of the database 22 on the basis of the modified playing history of the player. More specifically, the player tracking unit 23 retrieves the rank of the player linked to the received customer ID from the rank area 22C of the database 22. The player tracking unit 23 then matches the retrieved rank to the modified playing history, the current total amount of bets that the player has spent on the gaming machines during the predetermined period of time. After that, the player tracking unit 23 rewrites the current rank into the rank area 22C.

In the example shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the player tracking unit 23 places customers without memberships and members who have only spent bets below a lower limit during the predetermined period of time in the lowest "TEMPORARY" rank. If the members have spent more bets during the predetermined period of time, the player tracking unit 23 places the members in the second "REGULAR" rank. If the members have spent sufficiently large amounts of bets during the predetermined period of time, the player tracking unit 23 places the members in the highest "VIP" rank.

If the modification of the playing history results in a change of the rank, the player tracking unit 23 further transmits the new rank to the player checking unit 13 of the gaming machine 10, and transmits the pair of the new rank and the machine ID of the gaming machine 10 to the jackpot controller The jackpot controller 30 selects a type of jackpot value as being available to each gaming machine 10 depending on a rank assigned to the gaming machine 10 by the player tracking unit 23. The jackpot controller 30 preferably selects a jackpot value that are allowed to be incremented to a higher upper limit as being available to a gaming machine 10 assigned to a higher rank. The jackpot controller 30 further detects a bet placed on each gaming machine 10 through the network 40, and randomly decides whether to provide the gaming machine 10 with a jackpot value of a type selected as r being available to the gaming machine 10. In addition, the jackpot controller increments one or more types of jackpot values at each detection of a bet placed on any gaming machine Referring to FIG. 6, the jackpot controller 30 preferably includes a N"1 5 communication handler 31, a storage unit 32, a mode selector unit 33, a bet checking unit 34, a lottery unit 35, and an increment unit 36.

The communication handler 31 connects the other components 32-36 to the network 40, and in particular, the gaming machines 10 and the server The storage unit 32 preferably includes a nonvolatile memory unit, e.g. a hard r"disk drive, and stores two or more types of current jackpot values. Since the jackpot N system is of a progressive type, each jackpot value, the "TOP", "BIG", "MAJOR", "MINOR", or "MINI" jackpot value displayed on the respective jackpot meter in FIGS. 3A-3C, is incremented by a predetermined percentage of each bet placed on a gaming machine 10. The increments and ranges, in particular upper limits of the jackpot values preferably vary with types thereof. For example, the "TOP", "BIG", "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values have upper limits of $10,000, $5,000, $1,000, $100, and $50, respectively.

The mode selector unit 33 manages the relationship between machine IDs of the gaming machines 10 and ranks assigned to the machine IDs by the player tracking unit 23. Here, data about the relationship is preferably stored in the storage unit 32. Initially, the lowest rank is assigned to each machine ID. When receiving a pair of a machine ID and a rank from the player tracking unit 23, the mode selector unit 33 updates the relationship. The mode selector unit 33 further checks the current relationship, and thereby selects a type of jackpot value as being available to the gaming machine depending on the rank. In other words, the mode selector unit 33 assigns available jackpot values to the machine ID of the gaming machine 10 depending on the rank assigned to the machine ID.

In the case of the example shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, if the "TEMPORARY" rank is assigned to a machine ID, the mode selector unit 33 assigns the "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values to the machine ID as being available. If the "REGULAR" rank is assigned to a machine ID, the mode selector unit 33 assigns jackpot values other than the "TOP" jackpot value to the machine ID as being available. If the "VIP" rank is assigned to a machine ID, the mode selector unit 33 assigns all types of the jackpot values to the machine ID as being available.

In addition, the mode selector unit 33 preferably detects the start or finish of game play by a player on each gaming machine 10 together with the machine ID thereof.

The mode selector unit 33 then replaces a rank assigned to the machine ID with the lowest rank, the "TEMPORARY" rank, and thereby assigns jackpot values with lower upper limits, the "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values, to the machine ID as being available.

The bet checking unit 34 detects a bet placed on each gaming machine 10 and a machine ID of the gaming machine 10 through the communication handler 31 and the network 40. More specifically, the bet checking unit 34 detects a signal transmitted /0 from the jackpot checking unit 14B of each gaming machine 10. The signal indicates each bet placed on the gaming machine 10 together with the machine ID thereof. The bet checking unit 34 then decodes data about the bet and the machine ID from the detected signal, and informs the lottery unit 35 and the increment unit 36 of the data.

Each time the bet checking unit 34 detects a bet and a machine ID, the lottery is unit 35 randomly decides whether to provide a gaming machine 10 assigned the detected machine ID with a jackpot value selected by the mode selector unit 33 as being available to the gaming machine 10. More specifically, the lottery unit 35 first receives data about a bet and a machine ID detected by the bet checking unit 34. The lottery unit 35 then informs the mode selector unit 33 of the machine ID, and checks available jackpot values assigned to the machine ID by the mode selector unit 33. After that, the lottery unit 35 randomly decides whether to provide the gaming machine 10 assigned to the machine ID with the available jackpot values. Here, the probabilities of providing jackpot values vary with types of jackpot values. There is a lower probability of providing a jackpot value having a higher upper limit. Furthermore, the lottery unit preferably raises the probability of providing each jackpot value when the jackpot value approaches its upper limit. If having decided to provide the gaming machine 10 with one of the available jackpot values, the lottery unit 35 informs the gaming machine 10 of winning a jackpot through the communication handler 31 and the network In the case of the example shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, if the "TEMPORARY" rank is assigned to a machine ID, the lottery unit 35 provides a chance of winning the available "MAJOR", "MINOR", or "MINI" jackpot value to the gaming machine assigned the machine ID. If the "REGULAR" rank is assigned to the machine ID, the lottery unit 35 provides a chance of winning the available jackpot value other than the "TOP" jackpot value. If the "VIP" rank is assigned to the machine ID, the lottery unit provides a chance of winning any jackpot value.

Each time the bet checking unit 34 detects a bet and a machine ID, the increment unit 36 increments a jackpot value that is stored in the storage unit 32 and of a type selected by the mode selector unit 33 as being available to a gaming machine assigned the machine ID. More specifically, the increment unit 36 first receives data about a bet and a machine ID detected by the bet checking unit 34. The increment unit 36 then informs the mode selector unit 33 of the machine ID, and checks available jackpot values assigned to the machine ID by the mode selector unit 33. After that, the /0 increment unit 36 updates the available jackpot values stored in the storage unit 32 to increase the available jackpot values by respective increments. Here, the increments are equal to percentages of the detected bet that preferably vary with types of the available jackpot values. Thus, each player only bears portions of jackpot values available to his/her rank. The increment unit 36 further transmits current jackpot values to all the gaming machines 10 through the communication handler 31 and the network In the case of the example shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, if the "TEMPORARY" rank is assigned to a machine ID, the increment unit 36 increases the available "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values. If the "REGULAR" rank is assigned to the machine ID, the increment unit 36 increments the available jackpot values other than the "TOP" jackpot value. If the "VIP" rank is assigned to the machine ID, the increment unit 36 increments all types of jackpot values.

Alternatively, the increment unit 36 may integrally accumulate percentages of bets placed on any gaming machine 10. The increment unit 36 then divides the accumulated percentages of bets into all types ofjackpot values stored in the storage unit 32 at predetermined ratios. Here, the player tracking unit 23 and the jackpot controller preferably determine the ratios from ratios between total amounts of bets that players of different ranks have spent on gaming machines 10 during a common interval. This causes all players to bear percentages of all types of jackpot values, but the percentages vary with the types of jackpot values. Players of lower ranks have to bear lower percentages of unavailable jackpot values on one hand, but players of higher ranks have to bear higher percentages of jackpot values available to players of lower ranks on the other hand. This results in substantially equitable bearing of jackpot values between players of different ranks.

18 Referring to FIG. 7, operations of the jackpot system will be explained below in the order of the flow of operations of a gaming machine STEP S I: The gaming machine 10 performs initialization before a start of game play by a player, and then goes into an idle mode. In particular, the gaming machine waits for insertion of an ID card into the card slot 4B or money into the coin slot 5A or the bill slot 5B, while repeating STEPS S11 and S12. Note that the gaming machine may inform the jackpot controller 30 of the initialization, and thereby cause the jackpot controller 30 to assign the lowest rank to the gaming machine After initialization, the gaming machine 10 in the idle mode preferably displays all types ofjackpot values without masks M on the jackpot meters JV 1 -JV5 in the upper display window 3A, as shown in FIG. 3C. This causes a player to notice the idle mode of the gaming machine STEP SI 1: In the player checking unit 13, the sub-controller 13B monitors the states of the card slot 4B and the card reader 13D, and thereby checks if an ID card is inserted into the card slot 4B. If both the card slot 4B and the card reader 13D properly detect an ID card, the process will be branched to STEP S3. Otherwise, the process will proceed to STEP S12.

STEP S12: In the gaming unit 12, the gaming controller 12B checks if the number of player's credits is larger than zero. If the number of the credits is larger than zero, the process will proceed to STEP S3. Otherwise, the process will repeat STEP S11.

Here, the gaming controller 12B monitors the states of the money counter/acceptor through their drivers 12E. If a player inserts coins or bills into the coin slot 5A or the bill slot 5B, respectively, the money counter/acceptor validates the coins and bills and counts the valid coins and bills. The gaming controller 12B then reads the count from the money counter driver 12E, and increases credits of the player by the count. In this case, the number of the credits is larger than zero, and accordingly, the process will proceed to STEP S2.

STEP S2: The gaming machine 10 goes into a non-member play mode. The gaming machine 10 in this mode considers the player as a customer without a membership in the casino until he/she inserts his/her ID card into the card slot 4B. More specifically, the gaming machine 10 places the player in the lowest rank, the "TEMPORARY" rank, and thereby provides the player only with a chance of winning a jackpot value with a lower upper limit, "MAJOR", "MINOR", or "MINI" jackpot value. The gamning machine 10 in the non-member play mode preferably masks unavailable jackpot values with higher upper limits, "TOP" and "BIG" jackpot values, on the respective jackpot meters JV1 and JV2 in the upper display window 3A, as shown in FIG. 3A. In addition, the gaming machine 10 preferably displays a message to advise the player to insert his/her ID card into the card slot 4B. The message may be displayed in any of the display windows 3A-3C or the sub-display window 4A.

In the non-member play mode, the following STEPS $21-S26 are repeated at each game round.

STEP S21: In the player checking unit 13, the sub-controller 13B monitors the states of the card slot 4B and the card reader 13D, and thereby checks if an ID card is /0 inserted into the card slot 4B. If both the card slot 4B and the card reader 13D properly detect an ID card, the process will be branched to STEP S3. Otherwise, the process will proceed to STEP S22.

STEP S22: In the gaming unit 12, the gaming controller 12B checks if the user interface 12D accepts a bet from the player. If so, the gaming controller 12B reduces the player's credits by the amount of the bet. In parallel to that, the jackpot unit 14 informs the jackpot controller 30 of the bet together with the machine ID. Then, the process will proceed to STEP S23. Otherwise, the process will repeat STEP S21.

In response to information about the bet and the machine ID, the jackpot controller 30 preferably increments jackpot values available to the gaming machine 2o and randomly decides whether to provide the gaming machine 10 with an available jackpot value. Referring to FIG. 8, the jackpot controller 30 performs the process in the following STEPS S51-53.

STEP S51: In the jackpot unit 14, the jackpot checking unit 14B detects the bet accepted by the user interface 12D, and informs the jackpot controller 30 of the bet and the machine ID. In the jackpot controller 30, the bet checking unit 34 detects the bet and the machine ID, and transmits them to the lottery unit 35 and the increment unit 36.

STEP S52: When receiving the bet and the machine ID, the increment unit 36 first checks available jackpot values assigned to the machine ID by the mode selector unit 33. The lowest rank, the "TEMPORARY" rank, is assigned to the machine ID at this time. Accordingly, the increment unit 36 only increases lower jackpot values assigned to the lowest rank, the "MAJOR", "MINOR", and "MINI" jackpot values.

STEP S53: When receiving the bet and the machine ID, the lottery unit 35 first checks available jackpot values assigned to the machine ID by the mode selector unit 33.

The lowest rank, the "TEMPORARY" rank, is assigned to the machine ID at this time. Accordingly, the lottery unit 35 randomly decides whether to provide the gaming machine 10 assigned to the machine ID with a lower jackpot value assigned to the lowest rank, the "MAJOR", "MINOR", or "MINI"jackpot value.

The increment unit 36 transmits current jackpot values to all the gaming machines 10. If the lottery unit 35 decides to provide the gaming machine 10 with one of the available jackpot values, the lottery unit 35 then informs the gaming machine of winning a jackpot. The current jackpot values and the winning of a jackpot are transmitted to all the gaming machines 10 as information on jackpots.

STEP S23: Referring to FIG. 7, the jackpot checking unit 14B of the gaming /0 machine 10 receives the information on jackpots from the jackpot controller 30, and then decodes the current jackpot values and checks whether or not to win a jackpot from the information. The current jackpot values are transmitted to the gaming controller 12B, and used to update jackpot values on the jackpot meters JVI-JV5. If the information represents the winning of a jackpot, the process will be branched to STEP Otherwise, the process will proceed to STEP S24.

STEP S24: The gaming controller 12B conducts a game round, and then provides awards to the player depending on game results at random. In the example shown in FIGS. 3A-3C, the gaming controller 12B first allows a player to place a bet on a desired payline formed on the five video reels 3E, and next changes the arrangement of symbols 3F on the video reels 3E in response to a cue from the player. In parallel, the gaming controller 12B randomly forms an arrangement of stopped symbols 3F and checks if a winning combination appears on the desired payline in the arrangement. If so, the gaming controller 12B will increase the player's credits by an amount of a payout or start a bonus game.

STEP S25: The jackpot checking unit 14B instructs the gaming controller 12B to inform the player of winning a jackpot. The gaming controller 12B then increases the player's credits by the jackpot value.

STEP S26: The gaming controller 12B checks if the number of player's credits is larger than zero. If so, the process will return to STEP S21 and repeat the next game round. Otherwise, the process will return to STEP S11, the non-member play mode will be changed to the idle mode. At this time, initialization may be skipped.

The gaming controller 12B monitors the states of the money counter/acceptor through their drivers 12E. If the money counter counts neither coins nor bills during a predetermined period of time, or the user interface 12D accepts an instruction to finish L game play from the player, the gaming controller 12B then performs initialization. At Sthe same time, the jackpot checking unit 14B preferably informs the jackpot controller of the initialization, and thereby cause the jackpot controller 30 to assign the lowest rank to the machine ID of the gaming machine N 5 STEP S3: When both the card slot 4B and the card reader 13D properly detect an ID card, the sub-controller 13B of the player checking unit 13 reads a customer ID from the ID card through the card reader 13D. If the sub-controller 13B fails to read the customer 1D, the process will return to STEP S1 or be forcefully terminated. If the subcontroller 13B has successfully read the customer ID, the sub-controller 13B causes the server 20 to verify the customer ID and transmit a rank of the player. Referring to FIG.

N 9, the player tracking unit 23 of the server 20 performs the verification and assignment of a rank in the following STEPS S31-S34.

STEP S31: The sub-controller 13B first reads a customer ID from an ID card inserted into the card slot 4B. If the sub-controller 13B has successfully read the customer ID, the sub-controller 13B transmits the customer ID together with the machine ID to the server STEP S32: The player tracking unit 23 receives the customer ID and the machine ID, and then checks if there is the data about membership linked to the received customer ID in the membership area 22A of the database 22. If so, the membership of the player is valid, and otherwise invalid.

STEP S33: If the membership is valid, the player tracking unit 23 retrieves the rank of the player linked to the received customer ID from the rank area 22C of the database 22. If the membership is invalid, or no rank is linked to the received customer ID, the lowest rank, the "TEMPORARY" rank, is assigned as a retrieved rank.

STEP S34: The player tracking unit 23 assigns the retrieved rank in STEP S33 to the received machine ID. The player tracking unit 23 then transmits the verification result and the rank as a response to the player checking unit 13 of the gaming machine If either the customer ID or the membership linked thereto is invalid, the process will preferably return to STEP S1, the gaming machine 10 will be placed in the idle mode. If both the customer ID and the membership linked thereto are valid, the process will proceed to STEP S4.

The player tracking unit 23 also transmits the pair of the rank and the machine ID to the jackpot controller 30. When receiving the pair, the mode selector unit 33 updates the relationship between ranks and machine IDs, and further reassigns available jackpot 22 values to machine IDs depending on the relationship.

STEP S4: The gaming machine 10 goes into a member play mode. The gaming machine 10 in this mode provides the player with a chance of winning a jackpot value available to his/her rank received from the player tracking unit 23 in STEP S3. In particular, the gaming machine 10 provides only a player of the highest rank, the "VIP" rank, with a chance of winning any type of jackpot value, the "TOP" through "MINI" jackpot values. Players of lower ranks are provided with a chance of winning a lower jackpot value depending on their respective ranks. The gaming machine 10 in the member play mode preferably selects unavailable jackpot values on the basis of the /o received rank, and masks them on the respective jackpot meters JV1-JVS in the upper display window 3A, as shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. In addition, the gaming machine preferably displays the received rank in the upper display window 3A as shown in FIGS.

3A-3C. The gaming machine 10 may also display a message aimed at members in the casino in any of the display windows 3A-3C or the sub-display window 4A. The gaming machine 10 may further allow the player to check and change his/her individual information stored in the database 22 of the server In the member play mode, the following STEPS S41-S45 are repeated at each game round.

STEP S41: The gaming controller 12B checks if the number of player's credits is larger than zero. If so, the process will proceed to STEP S42. Otherwise, the process will repeat STEP S41. If the money counter counts neither coins nor bills during a predetermined period of time, or the user interface 12D accepts an instruction to finish game play from the player, the process will return to STEP SI, the gaming controller 12B will perform initialization and place the gaming machine 10 in the idle mode. At the same time, the jackpot checking unit 14B preferably informs the jackpot controller 30 of the initialization, and thereby cause the jackpot controller 30 to assign the lowest rank to the machine ID of the gaming machine STEP S42: The gaming controller 12B checks if the user interface 12D accepts a bet from the player. If so, the gaming controller 12B reduces the player's credits by the amount of the bet. In parallel to that, the jackpot unit 14 informs the jackpot controller of the bet together with the machine ID. Then, the process will proceed to STEP S43.

Otherwise, the process will repeat STEP S42.

In a manner similar to STEP S22, the jackpot controller 30 preferably increments jackpot values available to the gaming machine 10, and randomly decides whether to provide the gaming machine 10 with an available jackpot value. Referring to FIG. 8, the jackpot controller 30 performs the process in the following STEPS S51-53.

STEP S52: When receiving the bet and the machine ID, the increment unit 36 first checks available jackpot values assigned to the machine ID by the mode selector unit 33. Ranks assigned to the machine ID vary with players at this time. Accordingly, jackpot values incremented by the increment unit 36 also vary with players.

Ranks assigned to the machine ID vary with players at this time. Accordingly, types of jackpot values possibly provided by the lottery unit 35 to the gaming machine 10 also vary with players.

STEP S43: Referring to FIG. 7, the jackpot checking unit 14B of the gaming machine 10 receives the information on jackpots from the jackpot controller 30, and then decodes the current jackpot values and checks whether or not to win a jackpot from the information. The current jackpot values are transmitted to the gaming controller 12B, and used to update jackpot values on the jackpot meters JV1-JV5. If the information represents the winning of a jackpot, the process will be branched to STEP Otherwise, the process will proceed to STEP S44.

STEP S44: In a manner quite similar to STEP S24, the gaming controller 12B conducts a game round, and then provides awards to the player depending on game results at random. After that, the process will return to STEP S41.

STEP S45: The jackpot checking unit 14B instructs the gaming controller 12B to inform the player of winning a jackpot. The gaming controller 12B then increases the player's credits by the jackpot value. After that, the process will return to STEP S41.

At predetermined intervals, preferably at the end of each game round or the start of the next game round, the jackpot system checks the current rank of the player as follows. Referring to FIG. 10, the rank check proceeds in the order of STEPS S71-S74.

STEP S71: The sub-controller 13B receives the current information about game play from the gaming controller 12B. The information in particular includes the current total amount of bets that the player has spent on the gaming machine 10. The subcontroller 13B then transmits the information to the player tracking unit 23 together with the customer ID and the machine ID.

STEP S72: The player tracking unit 23 receives the current information about game play and the customer ID as well as the machine ID, and then retrieves the playing io history linked to the received customer ID from the playing history area 22B of the database 22. The player tracking unit 23 next modifies the retrieved playing history on the basis of the received information about game play, recalculates the total amount of bets that the player has spent on the gaming machines 10 during a predetermined period of time, more preferably during the past month. After that, the player tracking unit 23 rewrites the modified playing history into the playing history area 22B.

STEP S73: The player tracking unit 23 retrieves the rank linked to the received customer ID from the rank area 22C of the database 22. The player tracking unit 23 then matches the retrieved rank to the modified playing history, the current total amount of bets that the player has spent on the gaming machines 10 during the predetermined period of time. After that, the player tracking unit 23 rewrites the current rank into the rank area 22C.

STEP S74: If the modification of the playing history results in a change of the rank, the player tracking unit 23 transmits the new rank to the player checking unit 13 of the gaming machine 10. The player checking unit 13 receives the new rank and informs the gaming controller 12B of the new rank. The gaming controller 12B then reselects unavailable jackpot values on the basis of the new rank, and updates the jackpot meters in the upper display window 3A. In addition, the gaming controller 12B preferably displays the new rank in the upper display window 3A, and a message indicating the change of the rank in any of the display windows 3A-3C or the subdisplay window 4A.

The player tracking unit 23 also transmits the pair of the new rank and the machine ID of the gaming machine 10 to the jackpot controller 30. When receiving the pair, the mode selector unit 33 of the jackpot controller 30 updates the relationship between ranks and machine IDs, and further reassigns available jackpot values to machine IDs depending on the relationship.

During the member play mode, the sub-controller 13B of the player checking unit 13 monitors the states of the ID card placed in the card slot 4B, the card slot 4B, and the card reader 13D. If a player operates the card slot 4B to eject the ID card therefrom, or an error is detected in reading the ID card, the sub-controller 13B first ejects the ID card from the card slot 4B, and interrupts the gaming controller 12B to check if the number of the player's credits is larger than zero. If so, the gaming controller 12B places the gaming machine 10 in the non-member play mode, STEP S2 shown in FIG. 7.

In particular, the gaming machine 10 places the player in the lowest rank, the 1o "TEMPORARY" rank. If the number of the player's credits is equal to zero, the gaming controller 12B places the gaming machine 10 in the idle mode, STEP SI shown in FIG.

7. In this case, the gaming machine 10 preferably performs initialization. The subcontroller 13B also informs the jackpot controller 30 of the ejecting of the ID card.

When receiving the information, the mode selector unit 33 of the jackpot controller updates the relationship between ranks and machine IDs to assign the lowest rank to the machine ID of the gaming machine 10. Thus, any player can only gain a chance of winning the lowest jackpot value without his/her ID card being placed in the card slot 4B.

As described above, the player tracking unit 23 places each member of the casino in a rank depending his/her playing history, and assigns each gaming machine 10 to a rank of a player who plays games thereon. The jackpot controller 30 selects a type of jackpot value as being available to a gaming machine 10 depending on a rank assigned thereto. Thus, the jackpot system provides members of the casino who have spent larger amounts of bets during a predetermined period of time with chances of winning larger jackpot values. This prevents a specific group from forcibly occupying all the gaming machines 10 only when the highest jackpot value, the "TOP" jackpot value, approaches its upper limit, since players of lower rank or without a membership have no chance of winning the highest jackpot value. Therefore, the jackpot system can provide more various customers more fairly with chances of winning various types of jackpot values, and thereby becomes more attractive for fairly amusing a larger number of various customers.

26 GENERAL INTERPRETATION OF TERMS In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term "configured" as used herein to describe a component, section or portion of a device includes hardware and/or software that is constructed and/or programmed to carry out the desired function.

In understanding the scope of the present invention, the term "comprising" and its derivatives, as used herein, are intended to be open ended terms that specify the presence of the stated features, elements, components, groups, integers, and/or steps, but do not exclude the presence of other unstated features, elements, components, groups, integers and/or steps. The foregoing also applies to words having similar meanings such as the terms, "including", "having" and their derivatives. Also, the terms "part," "section," "portion," "member" or "element" when used in the singular can have the dual meaning of a single portion or a plurality of portions.

Finally, terms of degree such as "substantially", "about" and "approximately" as used herein mean a reasonable amount of deviation of the modified term such that the end result is not significantly changed. For example, these terms can be construed as including a deviation of at least 5% of the modified term if this deviation would not negate the meaning of the word it modifies.

While only selected embodiments have been chosen to illustrate the present invention, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that various changes and modifications can be made herein without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Furthermore, the foregoing descriptions of the embodiments according to the present invention are provided for illustration only, and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A jackpot system including a network, a database, a player tracking unit, a jackpot controller, and one or more gaming machines; the network configured to be connected to the database, the player tracking unit, the jackpot controller, and the gaming machine; the database configured to store data about membership, playing histories, and ranks of individual customers linked to customer IDs; the player tracking unit configured to receive a customer ID of a player from each gaming machine through the network, and verify the membership of the player by using the data about membership linked to the received customer ID in the database, and assign the rank of the player to the gaming machine by using the data about ranks linked to the received customer ID in the database, and receive information about game play of the player from the gaming machine through the network, and update the playing history of the player stored in the database on the basis of the received information, and update the rank of the player stored in the database on the basis of the membership and playing history of the player; the jackpot controller configured to select a type of jackpot value as being available to each gaming machine depending on a rank assigned to the gaming machine by the player tracking unit, detect a bet placed on each gaming machine through the network, and randomly decide whether to provide the gaming machine with a jackpot value of a type selected as being available to the gaming machine, and increment one or more types of jackpot values at each detection of a bet placed on a gaming machine; and each gaming machine configured to inform the player tracking unit of a customer ID of a player through the network, conduct a game by using a bet placed by the player, and randomly provide the player with an award depending on the bet, inform the jackpot controller of the bet through the network, display a jackpot value available to the gaming machine, and inform the player of a winning of the jackpot.

2. A jackpot system according to the claim 1, wherein the player tracking unit configured to receive a machine ID from each gaming machine together with a customer ID of a player, retrieve the rank of the player linked to the customer ID from the database, and assign the retrieved rank to the machine ID.

3. A jackpot system according to the claim 2, wherein the jackpot controller including a storage unit configured to store two or more types of jackpot values that are incremented within different ranges, a mode selector unit configured to check a rank assigned to a machine ID of each gaming machine by the player tracking unit, and select a type of jackpot value as being available to the gaming machine depending on the rank; a bet checking unit configured to detect a bet placed on each gaming machine and a machine ID of the gaming machine; a lottery unit configured to randomly decide whether to provide a gaming machine assigned a machine ID with a jackpot value selected by the mode selector unit as being available to the gaming machine, each time the bet checking unit detects a bet and the machine ID; and an increment unit configured to increment a jackpot value that is stored in the storage unit and of a type selected by the mode selector unit as being available to a gaming machine assigned a machine ID, each time the bet checking unit detects a bet and the machine ID.

4. A jackpot system according to the claim 3, wherein each gaming machine including: a player checking unit configured to receive a customer ID from a player, and transmit the customer ID and a machine ID to the player tracking unit, a gaming unit configured to receive a bet from a player, and randomly provide the player with an award depending on the bet, a bet informing unit configured to inform the jackpot controller of a bet placed by a player and a machine ID, a jackpot meter unit configured to display a jackpot value stored in the storage unit and of a type selected by the mode selector unit as being available to the gaming machine, and a jackpot informing unit configured to inform a player of a winning of a jackpot when the lottery unit has decided to provide the gaming machine with the jackpot.

A jackpot system according to the claim 1, wherein the jackpot controller is configured to raise a probability of providing a jackpot to a gaming machine when a jackpot value of a type selected as being available to the gaming machine approaches an upper limit.

6. A jackpot system according to the claim 1, wherein the playing history of each customer stored in the database includes a total amount of bets that the customer has spent on one or more gaming machines in the jackpot system during a predetermined period of time, the player tracking unit is configured to assign a higher rank to a customer ID when a membership linked to the customer ID is valid and a playing history linked to the customer ID in the database includes a larger, total amount of bets, and the jackpot controller is configured to select a jackpot value that are allowed to be incremented to a higher upper limit as being available to a gaming machine assigned to a higher rank.

7. A jackpot system substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawings.