Gaming Symbol Conversion via Sandwiched Stacks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current gaming machines lack innovative features to maintain player engagement, as they rely on conventional technologies that fail to provide new and exciting gameplay experiences, leading to potential player disappointment and reduced excitement.

Innovation Solution

A gaming system that generates and displays symbols, where symbols sandwiched between columns of the same or similar symbols are converted into matching symbols, allowing for the evaluation of winning combinations and payout of awards, thereby enhancing gameplay excitement and reducing player disappointment.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If conventional gaming machine technologies are used, then the system structure remains simple and easy to manufacture, but player engagement and excitement decrease

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvegameplay functionalityVSAvoidsystem structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic symbol conversion where symbols sandwiched between matching symbol pairs are automatically converted to match the surrounding symbols. This dynamic transformation rule adds gameplay complexity and player engagement without requiring physical hardware changes, resolving the contradiction between gameplay versatility and system simplicity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces a new dimension of symbol interaction by evaluating symbols based on their positional relationships with adjacent symbols. This dimensional approach to symbol evaluation (considering left and right neighbors) creates new winning opportunities and gameplay depth without complicating the underlying system architecture

Inventive Principle:

Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Productivity

If conventional symbol evaluation is used, then the game rules remain simple, but winning opportunities and player excitement are limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvewinning opportunitiesVSAvoidgame rules

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary symbol conversion before the final evaluation stage. By converting sandwiched symbols to match surrounding symbols in advance, the system creates additional winning combinations that will be evaluated in the subsequent payment determination phase, thereby increasing winning opportunities without adding complexity to the evaluation process itself

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The symbol conversion mechanism serves the evaluation process by automatically transforming symbols into configurations that may create winning combinations. This self-service approach where symbols effectively 'help' create winning scenarios increases productivity in terms of winning opportunities while keeping game rules relatively simple

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10403093B1Gaming system and method including symbol conversions based on symbol stacks

Publication Date: 2019.09.03 ADP GAUSELMANN GMBH

AI summary

Various implementations of a gaming system and method include generating and displaying a plurality of symbols, where at least some generated symbols are converted into different symbols when sandwiched between at least two columns containing the same or similar symbols. The gaming system may convert the sandwiched symbols into symbols that are the same or similar to the symbols in the at least two columns. The gaming system may evaluate the displayed symbols, including the converted sandwiched symbols, for winning symbol combinations and payout any determined awards.