Integrated Progressive Controller for Gaming Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current progressive award systems in gaming machines rely on external stand-alone controllers, which can lead to single points of failure and require separate regulatory approvals, limiting system reliability and flexibility.
Innovation Solution
Integrating a progressive controller into each gaming machine, enabling peer-to-peer communication to maintain consistent progressive award information across machines, eliminating the need for a central controller and simplifying regulatory compliance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If an external stand-alone progressive controller is used, then the system has a centralized control structure, but the system reliability decreases due to single points of failure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the centralized progressive controller into multiple distributed progressive controllers, each embedded within individual gaming machines. This segmentation eliminates the single point of failure by distributing the control function across multiple independent units, thereby improving system reliability while maintaining the progressive award functionality.
2Adaptability or versatility
If an external stand-alone progressive controller is used, then the control function is centralized, but the regulatory approval process becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the progressive controller functionality directly into the gaming machine's existing processor and memory resources. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate regulatory approval of an external controller, as the progressive control functions are now integrated into the already-approved gaming machine platform, thereby simplifying the regulatory approval process.
3Reliability
If progressive award information is stored centrally, then data consistency is managed by one controller, but the system requires more communication infrastructure
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables each gaming machine's processor to serve dual functions: both running the game software and maintaining progressive award information locally. This multi-functionality allows each machine to act as both a game device and a progressive controller, eliminating the need for dedicated communication infrastructure while ensuring data consistency through peer-to-peer information sharing among machines.
Data Source
AI summary
Technology for operating a gaming system is disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated progressive controller is maintained within each one of a plurality of electronic gaming machines (EGMs) in the gaming system. Progressive award information then may be distributed, by each integrated progressive controller within each of the plurality of EGMs to each integrated progressive controller within each remaining EGM of the plurality of EGMs, such that the progressive award information is kept consistent between each integrated progressive controller within each of the plurality of EGMs in the gaming system.