Game Outcome Validator Using Digital Model Simulation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Confirming the correct operation of gaming machines, such as slot machines, is challenging due to the vast number of possible play scenarios and the reliance on Monte Carlo tests that do not reflect actual gameplay, making it difficult to verify if a machine is operating correctly, especially in a gaming floor environment where frequent refreshes raise operator concerns.
Innovation Solution
An independent game outcome validator system that uses a validation computer with a processor, memory, and network interface to receive game data from an electronic gaming machine, execute a model of the machine to simulate its operation, and compare the results to ensure accuracy, including features like debug mode reporting and a simulator to log discrepancies.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If Monte Carlo tests are used to validate gaming machines, then testing can be performed, but the tests do not reflect actual game play and sequences of events
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a digital model that replicates the actual game logic, rules, and sequences of events from the gaming machine. This model is then used to generate test scenarios that accurately mirror real gameplay conditions, replacing abstract Monte Carlo simulations with faithful reproductions of actual game behavior.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary validation by executing the digital model with captured gameplay data before final deployment or verification. This allows validation to occur in advance under conditions that closely match actual usage, identifying potential issues before they affect real players.
2Reliability
If game play history is recorded to verify correct operation, then some validation data is available, but the coverage is limited to only tens of games
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of relying solely on limited recorded gameplay history, the system creates a digital model that can be executed repeatedly with various input scenarios. This generates a much larger volume of validation data without requiring proportionally more physical gameplay recordings, effectively multiplying the available test coverage.
Solution Approach 2:
The validation process is divided into capturing actual gameplay data segments and then using those segments to drive multiple model executions. This segmentation allows the system to extract maximum validation value from limited captured data by replaying and analyzing it through the digital model under different conditions.
3Adaptability or versatility
If games are refreshed frequently to maintain popularity, then the gaming catalog is updated, but operator questions about machine correctness increase
Solution Approach 1:
The digital model serves as a verified reference copy of the game logic. When games are refreshed or updated, the new versions can be compared against their model representations to ensure correctness, providing operators with objective validation that the updated games are functioning as intended.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides automated feedback to operators confirming that game machines are operating correctly according to their digital models. This continuous validation feedback loop builds operator confidence by objectively demonstrating that games are paying correctly and functioning as designed, even as games are frequently refreshed.
4Reliability
If extensive testing is performed on each game, then validation thoroughness is improved, but the time and resources required increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The digital model acts as a virtual testbed that can be executed rapidly without physical hardware constraints. Once the model is created, extensive validation scenarios can be run quickly and repeatedly, providing thorough validation without the time and resource costs of physical testing.
Solution Approach 2:
The digital model is built and validated in advance as a preliminary step. This upfront investment in model creation enables rapid subsequent validation of game versions, reducing the time needed for each individual validation event while maintaining thoroughness through the reusable model framework.
Data Source
AI summary
A simulator reproduces a game running on an electronic gaming machine using a model that implements the game rules and logic of the game. The electronic gaming machine stops at predetermined breakpoints during execution of a game session and sends data to the simulator at each breakpoint and at a conclusion of the game session. The data may include random number values, other game variables, and the result of the game session. The simulator uses the data to independently reproduce the game session. Output from the simulator is used to verify the state of internal variables and/or the result received from the electronic gaming machine.