Electronic Gaming Machine Partial Symbol Matching Across Adjacent Frames
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electronic gaming machines lack innovative mechanisms to enhance player engagement and increase winnings by combining partial symbols across adjacent frames, leading to a static and unexciting gaming experience.
Innovation Solution
The system introduces a method where a processor distributes random symbols into a 3-column by 3-row frame array, allowing partial symbols to extend towards the edges of frames, and identifies completed symbols by combining partial symbols from adjacent frames, scoring these as immediate awards, multipliers, or triggers for additional rounds or jackpot events.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional slot machine games are used with simple rules, then ease of operation is improved, but player engagement and excitement deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The game display is divided into multiple frames (e.g., 5x5 grid of frames), each containing symbols that can form partial matches. This segmentation allows players to engage with multiple potential winning combinations simultaneously while maintaining simple slot machine operation. The segmentation creates more opportunities for engagement without complicating the basic play mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends the traditional single-frame slot game into multiple adjacent frames, adding a spatial dimension to symbol matching. Partial symbols can extend across frame boundaries, creating winning lines that traverse multiple frames. This dimensional expansion increases player engagement by offering more varied winning patterns while keeping the core game simple.
2Adaptability or versatility
If bonus games are added to increase winnings, then player engagement is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the base game and bonus game into a single integrated gameplay mechanism. The same multi-frame symbol distribution and matching process serves both as the primary game and as the trigger mechanism for bonus features. This merging reduces device complexity by eliminating the need for separate bonus game systems while maintaining player engagement through enhanced winning opportunities.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-frame display structure serves multiple functions: it acts as the primary game interface, the bonus trigger mechanism, and the award display simultaneously. This multi-functionality reduces overall device complexity by consolidating what would traditionally require separate systems into a single unified structure that handles both base and bonus gameplay.
3Quantity of substance
If progressive bonus systems are implemented, then potential winnings are improved, but player engagement deteriorates after bonus awards
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates multiple potential winning combinations across the frame array before any single bonus is awarded. Players can see multiple partial and complete symbol matches simultaneously, building anticipation and engagement. This preliminary arrangement of multiple winning opportunities maintains player interest even when progressive bonuses are involved, as there are always additional winning possibilities visible across the frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-frame structure allows for continuous winning opportunities as symbols are distributed across all frames simultaneously. Rather than a single bonus event that ends gameplay, the system maintains continuous engagement by displaying multiple potential wins across the frame array, ensuring useful action continues even after bonus awards are given.
Data Source
AI summary
A video gaming machine provides partial symbols that match other partial symbols across adjacent horizontal frames. Matches of two melding frames provides absolute payouts, multipliers, bonus events and the like.