Gaming System Pre-storing Reel Sets to Eliminate Play Delays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Wagering games over the internet face delays and security risks due to client-server architecture, leading to user frustration, confusion, and potential hacking, especially in spinning reel-type games where reel sets and outcomes are delayed, and previous solutions either confuse users or introduce security vulnerabilities.

Innovation Solution

A gaming system where the server determines outcomes and presentation information for each play, storing this data on the user device to immediately display spinning reels, and validates reel sets and outcomes for security, ensuring fair gameplay and reducing delays.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If the server determines and sends reel sets for each play in real-time, then the game can adapt to player choices and provide varied gameplay, but the user experiences appreciable delays of two to three seconds between initiating a play and receiving reel set data

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvereel set variationVSAvoiddelay

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The server determines reel sets for multiple future plays in advance and stores them in a database. When a player initiates a play, the system retrieves pre-determined reel set data from storage rather than calculating it in real-time, eliminating the 2-3 second delay while maintaining reel set variation through pre-computed different reel configurations

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates and stores copies of reel set data representing different possible reel configurations in advance. These stored reel set copies are then retrieved and applied to actual gameplay, allowing the system to present varied reel sets without real-time computation delays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

2Loss of time

If the user device displays spinning reels immediately without receiving reel set data from the server, then the user experiences no delay in game play, but the displayed reel set may not match the determined reel set for that play

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegame play delayVSAvoidreel set matching

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of timeVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The server pre-determines and stores reel set data for future plays before the player initiates them. When gameplay starts, the system retrieves the appropriate pre-computed reel set data and immediately displays it, ensuring both zero delay and accurate reel set matching since the data was prepared in advance and validated beforehand

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements validation where the server verifies that the retrieved reel set data matches the currently active reel set configuration before allowing gameplay to proceed. This feedback mechanism ensures reliability while maintaining immediate display capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Adaptability or versatility

If the server determines reel sets and outcomes after the play is initiated, then the system can respond to player actions dynamically, but the user experiences delays and may be confused by mismatched reel sets

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedynamic responseVSAvoiduser confusion

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The server pre-determines reel sets for multiple future plays and stores them in advance. This allows the system to maintain dynamic adaptability through pre-computed varied reel configurations while eliminating user confusion by ensuring the displayed reel set always matches the determined reel set, as both are retrieved from the same pre-validated storage source

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

4Adaptability or versatility

If the client-server architecture is used for internet-based wagering games, then the system can operate remotely and communicate game data over the network, but security risks and hacking opportunities arise

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveremote operationVSAvoidsecurity risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The server pre-determines and validates reel sets and outcomes before storing them. This preliminary validation ensures data integrity and prevents hacking, as the reel sets are computed and verified by the server authority before being transmitted to or stored on the user device, eliminating security risks while maintaining remote operation capability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Data Source

PatentUS8827798B2Gaming system and method providing a user device that receives and stores reel sets for subsequent game plays

Publication Date: 2014.09.09 INTERNATIONAL GAME TECHNOLOGY INC

AI summary

System and method providing reel sets for subsequent plays. A user playing a user device wagers a wager amount on a play of a game. The user device displays a base reel set spinning. A server determines an outcome for the current play and a second reel set for the next play of that game on which the user wagers that same wager amount. The server communicates second reel set data and outcome data to the user device. The reels are stopped in accordance with the determined outcome. When the user wagers that same wager amount on another play of that game, the user device displays the second play of that game using the second reel set, the server determines a third reel set for the next play of that game on which the user wagers that same wager amount, and communicates third reel set data to the user device.