Dynamic Gaming Display Area Expansion for Vertical Symbol Stacks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gaming systems lack alternatives that effectively utilize vertical stacks of symbols to enhance player engagement and award opportunities by dynamically adjusting the display area based on symbol overlap and random selection.
Innovation Solution
An electronic method for operating a gaming system that uses a display with a rectangular array, where symbols are selected using a random number generator, and the active region is dynamically increased in size to maintain a vertical stack within the display area, allowing for potential winning outcomes to be evaluated across expanded rows.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the display area is fixed in size, then the device complexity is low, but the vertical stack may be cut off at the edges reducing award opportunities
Solution Approach 1:
The display area is made dynamic by automatically adjusting its boundaries based on the position of vertical stacks of symbols. When a vertical stack is detected at a particular location, the display area expands in that direction to ensure the entire stack remains visible and evaluable, preventing edge-cutting while maintaining a relatively simple implementation through automated boundary adjustment.
2Productivity
If the active region is dynamically increased to include vertical stacks, then the chances of winning outcomes increase, but the display area size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The display area is segmented into an active region and a non-active region. The active region is dynamically adjusted to include only the necessary portions where vertical stacks are located, while the non-active region contains areas that are currently not evaluable. This segmentation allows the system to expand the active region only when needed to accommodate vertical stacks, thereby increasing award opportunities without permanently increasing the overall display area size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If vertical stacks overlapping active and non-active regions are allowed, then more symbol combinations are possible, but the evaluation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by determining in advance whether a vertical stack overlaps both the active and non-active regions before finalizing the display configuration. This preliminary detection allows the system to pre-calculate the necessary adjustments to the active region boundaries, ensuring that all overlapping vertical stacks are properly included in the evaluation area. This advance preparation simplifies the subsequent evaluation process by establishing clear boundaries before symbol evaluation begins.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic gaming machine and method. An initial symbol array of a predetermined size is provided, and reels are used for selecting symbols for display onto the array. There is an active region and a non-active region of the array. At least one reel includes a vertical stack of at least two rows high. If the vertical stack lands in a position overlapping the active and non-active region, the array grows to encompass the vertical stack. The outcome is determined based on the array after it has grown. In addition, a second growing occurs randomly when the vertical stack lands within the active region or overlaps the active and non-active regions.