Patterned Symbol Enhancement in Gaming Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Gaming terminals lack features that significantly enhance player engagement and perceived chances of winning, leading to reduced player frequency and operator profitability.

Innovation Solution

A gaming system and method that includes a wager input device, display, and controller to detect wagers, activate gameplay, display play enhancement images indicating patterns, and transform symbols to predefined enhance symbols, enhancing game outcomes based on these patterns.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If traditional gaming terminals are used without additional enhancement features, then the device complexity remains low, but player engagement and perceived chances of winning are insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplayer engagementVSAvoidgaming system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system displays play enhancement images before the game outcome is determined, creating anticipation and enhancing player engagement. These images are prepared in advance and displayed during the spin sequence, allowing players to perceive enhanced possibilities before the actual outcome is revealed.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

Play enhancement images serve as an intermediary element between the base game symbols and the final outcome. These images modify the perception of game outcomes by providing visual enhancements that increase player engagement without fundamentally changing the core gaming mechanism.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If play enhancement images are displayed to increase player engagement, then player frequency may increase, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveplayer frequencyVSAvoidgaming system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system dynamically displays play enhancement images during the game spin sequence based on randomly selected outcomes. The images are activated and deactivated dynamically during gameplay, allowing the system to adapt to different game states and outcomes while maintaining player engagement.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The play enhancement images utilize visual elements including color changes and graphical transformations to enhance player engagement. Different images are displayed based on the randomly selected outcomes, using visual variations to create excitement and anticipation without requiring complex mechanical changes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #32Color changes

3Ease of operation

If symbols are transformed to predefined enhance symbols based on patterns, then the entertainment value increases, but the complexity of symbol transformation logic increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveentertainment valueVSAvoidsymbol transformation logic
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The system transforms symbols based on pattern parameters derived from randomly selected outcomes. Different play enhancement images correspond to different pattern parameters, and symbols are transformed according to these parameters. This approach organizes the complexity through parameter-based classification rather than complex conditional logic.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

Solution Approach 2:

The symbol transformation process is segmented into discrete steps: determining the randomly selected outcome, selecting the corresponding play enhancement image, and transforming symbols based on the image's pattern. This segmentation breaks down the complex transformation logic into manageable, sequential operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Data Source

PatentUS8187079B2Gaming system with patterned enhancement features
Publication Date: 2012.05.29 LNW GAMING INC
  • US8187079B2 patent drawing
  • US8187079B2 patent drawing
  • US8187079B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A gaming system and method for conducting a wagering game wherein a play enhancement image is displayed on a randomly selected outcome. The randomly selected outcome is enhanced by the changing of symbols in the outcome to predefined enhance symbols in a pattern in response to the play enhancement image. The play enhancement image may be an action icon traversing the display or a play enhancement image pictorially indicating a pattern in which the enhance symbols are going to form on the display.