Multi-action Switch for Gaming Devices
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Solution Overview
Problem
Class II bingo games require multiple button presses for inputs like 'bet', 'daub', and 'claim', which detract from the gaming experience and are inefficient.
Innovation Solution
A multi-action switch with a movable body along a fixed path, allowing a single press to execute multiple inputs by detecting different positions, enabling 'bet', 'daub', and 'claim' operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple separate buttons are used for bet, daub, and claim inputs, then each input function is clearly defined and reliable, but the device complexity increases and the ease of operation deteriorates due to requiring multiple button presses
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple input functions (bet, daub, claim) into a single multi-action switch. The switch body can be pressed to different depths or held for different durations to trigger different functions, merging what were previously separate buttons into one integrated control mechanism.
Solution Approach 2:
The multi-action switch serves multiple functions within a single device component. By detecting different press depths or hold times, the same physical switch executes different game operations (betting, daubing, claiming), making the input device universal rather than requiring specialized buttons for each function.
2Productivity
If multiple button presses are required for each game input, then input precision is maintained, but the productivity deteriorates due to increased time for completing game actions
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of the player's intended action during the button press itself. By monitoring press depth and duration in real-time, the system determines which function the player intends before the press is complete, allowing immediate execution of the appropriate game action without requiring additional confirmation steps or sequential button presses.
Solution Approach 2:
The switch's functional output is dynamic rather than static. The same physical component produces different digital signals based on the dynamics of the press (depth, duration, velocity), allowing the system to differentiate between multiple intended actions from a single continuous player gesture, thereby reducing the number of discrete presses needed.
3Productivity
If a single multi-action switch is used to perform multiple inputs, then the ease of operation improves and productivity increases, but the difficulty of detecting and measuring deteriorates due to needing to distinguish multiple positions
Solution Approach 1:
The detection system adds dimensional complexity to distinguish switch positions. Instead of simple on/off detection, the system measures multiple dimensions of the button press including depth (vertical position), duration (time dimension), and potentially velocity. This multi-dimensional detection approach allows clear differentiation between different intended actions despite using a single physical switch.
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming machine that includes a multi-action switch that is held in an initial position when the multi-action switch is not being pressed, and a position detection device for detecting whether the multi-action switch is in a first position, a second position, or a third position. The gaming machine further includes a controller for controlling operations of the gaming machine in accordance with the position of the multi-action switch, such that the gaming machine carries out a first operation when the position detecting device detects that the multi-action switch has reached the first position, a second operation when the position detecting device detects that the multi-action switch has reached the second position, and a third operation when the position detecting device detects that the multi-action switch has reached the third position.