Dynamic Search Interface for Electronic Gaming Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic gaming machines face challenges in providing an efficient and user-friendly way for players to locate and view winning patterns in wagering games, as traditional help screens require scrolling through numerous static images, leading to increased storage requirements and network bandwidth usage, and are time-consuming to create with potential inconsistencies.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a dynamic search module that constructs help screens from a pay table file, allowing players to daub a search pattern to identify winning patterns, reducing storage needs and bandwidth usage, and dynamically generating help screens for easy navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If traditional static help screens are used to display winning patterns, then players can view winning pattern information, but storage requirements and network bandwidth usage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pay table file (which contains game rules and winning pattern definitions) with the help screen generation process. Instead of storing separate static help screen images for each winning pattern, the system combines the dynamic generation of help screens with the existing pay table data structure, allowing help screens to be constructed on-demand from the same data source used for game logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static help screen images to dynamic help screen generation. The help screens are no longer pre-rendered static files but are generated in real-time based on player interactions with the search pattern matrix, allowing the system to display only the relevant winning pattern information that matches player selections.
2Loss of information
If traditional static help screens are used to display winning patterns, then players can view winning pattern information, but network bandwidth usage increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the pay table file (which contains game rules and winning pattern definitions) with the help screen generation process. Instead of storing separate static help screen images for each winning pattern, the system combines the dynamic generation of help screens with the existing pay table data structure, allowing help screens to be constructed on-demand from the same data source used for game logic.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static help screen images to dynamic help screen generation. The help screens are no longer pre-rendered static files but are generated in real-time based on player interactions with the search pattern matrix, allowing the system to display only the relevant winning pattern information that matches player selections.
3Loss of information
If static help screens are used, then help screens can be displayed, but they are time-consuming to create and may have inconsistencies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by establishing a standardized template structure for help screens that is defined in advance through the pay table file configuration. The template includes predefined elements such as pattern display areas, award information sections, and navigation controls, which are prepared beforehand and can be dynamically populated with specific winning pattern data without requiring manual creation of each help screen.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements self-service by automatically generating help screens from the pay table file data without requiring manual intervention. The dynamic help screen generation process automatically extracts winning pattern information, formats it according to the template structure, and displays it to players, eliminating the need for manual help screen creation and reducing inconsistencies.
4Loss of information
If players scroll through numerous static images to find winning patterns, then all winning patterns can be displayed, but the process is time-consuming and user-unfriendly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the winning pattern information display into interactive components. Instead of presenting a continuous scroll of static images, the system divides the information into discrete, selectable elements including a search pattern matrix with individual cell selections and a results area that displays matching patterns. Players can selectively examine specific pattern cells rather than scrolling through all patterns sequentially.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from static help screen images to dynamic help screen generation. The help screens are no longer pre-rendered static files but are generated in real-time based on player interactions with the search pattern matrix, allowing the system to display only the relevant winning pattern information that matches player selections.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic gaming machine includes a display, a player input device, a credit input mechanism, and a processor programmed to perform operations comprising: (i) display a search pattern matrix to a player on the display, the search pattern matrix includes a plurality of cells that are selectable by the player; (ii) receive an input selection of cells of the search pattern matrix from the player; (iii) search a pay table associated with a wagering game provided by the gaming machine for winning patterns included within the pay table and having at least the same plurality of cells daubed as are indicated by the search pattern matrix; and (iv) display the winning patterns identified by the searching to the player via the display, the displaying including presenting the winning patterns in a matrix display format identifying one or more daubed cells of the associated winning patterns within the matrix display