Gaming Machine Bonus Symbol Display via Video Reel Copying
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional slot machines lack dynamic expressions in their displays, leading to a lack of engaging visual effects, which can result in less immersive gaming experiences for players.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine that generates random numbers to determine the position of symbols on rotating reels, displaying bonus symbols and triggering predetermined images when specific conditions are met, such as the appearance of a predetermined number of bonus symbols, to enhance gameplay and visual engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If a video display is disposed in front of rotational reels to provide a video image superimposed upon the rotational reels, then visual effects and dynamic expressions are improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a video display to show copied images of the reels and symbols rather than relying solely on the physical reels. The video display presents a virtual copy of the reel symbols that can be manipulated independently, allowing for dynamic visual effects without adding physical complexity to the reel mechanism itself.
Solution Approach 2:
The video display acts as an intermediary between the physical reels and the player's visual experience. It mediates by showing processed images of the reels with enhanced visual effects, allowing the system to improve visual presentation without directly modifying the physical reel structure.
2Loss of information
If predetermined images are displayed while symbol groups are being rotationally displayed to indicate attraction previews, then player engagement and information communication are improved, but loss of time during game resolution increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system displays predetermined images showing attraction previews while the reels are still rotating. This preliminary action informs players in advance about potential bonus outcomes before the reels stop, allowing information communication to occur during the existing rotation time without adding separate notification steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The display of attraction preview images occurs continuously during the reel rotation period. Rather than pausing the game to show information, the useful action of displaying outcome information continues simultaneously with the reel rotation, eliminating additional time loss.
3Adaptability or versatility
If the total number of bonus symbols is tracked and predetermined images are displayed when a predetermined number is reached, then player engagement is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The video display serves multiple functions: it shows the reel symbols, displays visual effects, and communicates bonus symbol counts and attraction previews. By making the display system multi-functional, the patent improves player engagement without adding separate dedicated components for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the information display function with the visual effect function in the video display system. The same display that shows the reel symbols also displays the bonus symbol count and attraction previews, combining multiple information communication tasks into a single integrated system.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming machine 13 determines a position of a symbol statically displayed corresponding to a random number thus generated, statically displays the video reels 3A to 3E which were rotationally displayed in sequence, in a case where a bonus game is statically displayed, displays an image corresponding to the total number of the bonus symbols statically displayed on the display every time the video reels 3A to 3E are statically displayed. Furthermore, in a case where the total number of the bonus symbols which were statically displayed is a predetermined number, and when the bonus symbol included in a video reel to be statically displayed next is determined to be stopped at a predetermined stop position, displays a predetermined image on the display while the video reel to be statically displayed next is being rotationally displayed.