Floating Mid-Screen Input Deck for Ergonomic Gaming Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional gaming machine designs fail to differentiate themselves on a casino floor, leading to a lack of visual appeal and ergonomic comfort for players, as they often require players to tilt their heads to view large displays and interact with input devices, causing physical strain and discomfort.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine design featuring a floating input deck positioned between the upper and lower boundaries of the active display region, allowing the display to extend both above and below the input deck, with the input deck intersecting an imaginary horizontal plane, providing an ergonomic and visually striking configuration that minimizes head movement and enhances player engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If the display is made larger to attract player attention, then visual appeal is improved, but players experience physical strain and discomfort from tilting their heads to view the display
Solution Approach 1:
The patent positions the input deck in a mid-screen location that extends into the player's viewing space, creating a three-dimensional spatial arrangement where the display wraps around the input deck. This dimensional reconfiguration allows the display to be large and visually striking while maintaining ergonomic viewing angles, as the display is positioned both above and below the input deck rather than solely above it.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a dynamic player-space environment where the input deck can be positioned at various heights and angles relative to the display. The floating input deck configuration allows for adjustable positioning that adapts to different player preferences and viewing conditions, enabling the system to maintain both large display size and player comfort through flexible spatial arrangement.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional gaming machine designs are used, then manufacturing is simple, but the machines fail to differentiate themselves on the casino floor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the traditional gaming machine layout by separating the input deck from the conventional position directly below the display. The input deck is positioned in a mid-screen location that is spatially distinct from both the display and the traditional control panel area, creating a segmented player-space configuration that differentiates the machine visually while maintaining functional integrity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs asymmetric positioning of the input deck relative to the display, with the input deck located at a mid-screen position that is not symmetrically aligned with traditional gaming machine layouts. This asymmetric arrangement creates a unique visual profile that differentiates the machine on the casino floor while allowing for flexible configuration options.
3Device complexity
If the input deck is positioned below the display as in conventional designs, then device complexity is low, but player comfort and engagement are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mid-screen input deck position that acts as an intermediary between the display and the player's hands. This intermediate positioning allows the player to interact with the input deck at a comfortable height while maintaining optimal viewing of the display, mediating between the visual display area and the manual input area to enhance overall player comfort and engagement.
Data Source
AI summary
An inventive gaming machine is disclosed that includes a floating, mid-screen input deck positioned facing an active display region. The gaming machine positions the input deck relative to the active display region such that a part of the active display region extends below the input deck. The gaming machine implements a large active display region within a relatively compact envelope. The gaming machine further provides an ergonomically superior gaming machine configuration that enables a player to view the full extent of the active display region while requiring minimal head and eye movements.