Coordinating Multiple Gaming Machines via Single Interface
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Solution Overview
Problem
Casino patrons face inefficiencies when playing multiple wager gaming machines, as they need to frequently switch between machines, leading to idle machines and confusion among other players regarding availability.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system that allows simultaneous play across multiple gaming machines by coordinating responses, enabling a single machine to control and communicate with others, disabling unnecessary functions on secondary machines, and combining game outcomes for enhanced gameplay.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a player manually operates multiple gaming machines separately, then each machine can be played independently, but the player experiences inefficiency and idle time between machine transitions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple gaming machine operations into a single coordinated session. The system allows a player to select multiple gaming machines and control them simultaneously through one interface, combining what were previously separate manual operations into a unified automated process that eliminates transition time between machines.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary system that acts as a mediator between the player and multiple gaming machines. This intermediary coordinates the operations, manages credit transfers, and synchronizes game outcomes across machines, allowing the player to operate multiple machines without manually interacting with each one separately.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple gaming machines operate independently, then each machine maintains full functionality, but other players experience confusion about machine availability
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses visual indicators (analogous to color changes) to communicate machine status. When machines are coordinated in a concurrent session, they display a coordinated status indicator that clearly shows they are in use as a group, preventing other players from attempting to use them individually and eliminating confusion about availability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to both the player and other potential players about the status of coordinated machines. The primary gaming machine displays information about the concurrent session, and the secondary machines reflect this status, creating a feedback loop that communicates availability information clearly to all users.
3Adaptability or versatility
If a player uses a single gaming machine, then all functions are fully accessible, but the player cannot achieve combined game outcomes across multiple machines
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the gaming system universal by allowing it to function both as individual independent machines and as a coordinated multi-machine system. The same gaming machines can operate separately when not coordinated, or be combined into a concurrent session when desired, providing multi-functionality without requiring different equipment for different play modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses virtual representations and data copying to manage multiple machines. The primary machine creates a virtual model of the coordinated session, and game outcomes from secondary machines are copied and integrated into the primary machine's display, allowing combined outcomes without physical complexity at each machine location.
Data Source
AI summary
Some implementations allow a player to control multiple gaming machines involved in a concurrent gaming session by interacting with only one of the machines. For example, a patron may be able to provide credit and/or user input for all gaming machines that are involved in a concurrent gaming session by interacting with only one gaming machine. A patron may be able to provide a player tracking card to only one gaming machine, but may obtain player loyalty points for all participating machines. A coordinated game presentation may be provided for some or all of the gaming machines. Game outcomes of two or more gaming machines may be combined to produce an outcome that could not be produced by an individual gaming machine.