Game State Retention via Machine-Recognizable Sign for Cross-Venue Continuation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing player tracking systems are non-venue-transparent, preventing game state retention and continuation across multiple gaming venues operated by different venue operators.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a system where electronic gaming machines generate and display a machine-recognisable sign, such as a QR code, encoding the game state, which can be captured by a handheld player device for later continuation at different gaming machines.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a player tracking system is used to retain game state at a venue, then game state retention and continuation is enabled within the same venue, but the system becomes non-venue-transparent and cannot permit game state retention and continuation across multiple venues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a two-dimensional machine-recognisable image (such as a QR code) that encodes game state variables as a copyable representation of the game state. This image can be captured by a handheld player device and later presented to continue the game at any venue, eliminating the need for venue-specific tracking systems while maintaining reliable game state retention across multiple venues.
2Adaptability or versatility
If additional infrastructure is implemented to enable game state retention across multiple venues, then venue transparency is achieved, but system complexity and data transfer time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the game state information from the gaming machine system and encodes it into a portable two-dimensional image that can be stored on a player's handheld device. This removes the dependency on venue infrastructure for game state retention, achieving venue transparency without requiring additional backend connectivity or central data storage across multiple venues.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical infrastructure of venue-specific player tracking systems (magnetic stripe cards, backend connectivity, central data storage) with an optical/digital system using two-dimensional machine-recognisable images that can be captured and presented by player devices, significantly reducing system complexity.
3Reliability
If player tracking systems are used, then game state can be retained at the venue, but additional time is required for data upload/download between venues
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by encoding the complete game state into a two-dimensional image that is immediately captured by the player's handheld device. This eliminates the need for subsequent data upload/download operations between venues, as the game state is already stored locally on the player's device in a machine-recognisable format that can be instantly presented for game continuation.
Data Source
AI summary
An electronic gaming machine includes a display device and a processor configured to execute instructions stored in a memory, which when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a game-state-retention sign based upon a plurality of game variables representing a state of a wagering game, where the game-state-retention sign includes a first two-dimensional machine-recognisable image that encodes the plurality of game variables. When executed, the instructions also cause the processor to display the game-state-retention sign on the display device for image capture by a handheld player device, where the handheld player device is configured to display a game-continuation sign generated from the game-state-retention sign for resuming play of the wagering game.