Remote Award Server for Gaming Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaming machines issue awards in the form of cash, coin, or vouchers, which can be lost or damaged, leading to a physical loss of value for players and missed opportunities for casinos, and do not allow for flexible or value-enhancing prize offerings.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system that communicates with a remote award server to issue awards based on data from the gaming machine, allowing for awards to be determined randomly or in response to game outcomes, and enabling the issuance of non-monetary prizes that can be tracked and redeemed later.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If cash, coin, or vouchers are used as awards, then the player receives immediate physical value, but the player risks physical loss of the award
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses electronic copies of awards (e-wallets, digital credits) instead of physical cash or vouchers. The gaming machine creates and transmits electronic award representations to a remote server, which stores and manages these digital copies. This eliminates physical loss risk while maintaining award value, as the electronic copies can be tracked and transferred securely without physical handling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a remote server as an intermediary between the gaming machine and the award delivery system. The server receives award data from the gaming machine, manages the electronic award records, and facilitates secure transfer to the player's e-wallet. This intermediary system ensures reliable award issuance while eliminating direct physical contact with cash or vouchers.
2Productivity
If cash or vouchers are issued as awards, then the player receives immediate value, but the casino loses the opportunity to track and redeem the award later
Solution Approach 1:
The system creates persistent electronic copies of award transactions that are stored on the remote server and linked to the player's e-wallet account. These digital records maintain complete transaction history, allowing the casino to track exactly what awards were issued, when, and in what amount. The electronic nature of these copies ensures they can be retrieved and managed indefinitely, unlike physical cash that disappears from the system.
3Ease of manufacture
If monetary awards with fixed value are issued, then the casino has clear accounting, but the casino cannot offer prizes with greater value to the player than the cost to the casino
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables dynamic award values that can vary based on player preferences, game outcomes, and promotional strategies. The remote server can allocate awards of different types and values (monetary, non-monetary, experience-based) without changing the underlying accounting framework. This flexibility allows the casino to offer prizes with greater perceived value to players while maintaining clear electronic tracking of the actual cost to the casino.
Solution Approach 2:
The system allows changing the parameters of award value and type without affecting the core accounting mechanism. The remote server can adjust award parameters (value amount, award type, delivery method) based on real-time conditions, player history, and game performance. This parameter flexibility enables the casino to optimize prize offerings while maintaining straightforward electronic record-keeping.
4Reliability
If a remote award server system is implemented, then award tracking and flexibility are improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The remote server performs multiple functions within a single integrated system: it receives award data from gaming machines, validates transactions, manages player e-wallets, stores award records, and facilitates award delivery. By consolidating these functions into one universal platform, the system achieves reliable tracking without proportionally increasing complexity. The gaming machine itself remains relatively simple, only needing to communicate basic award information to the server.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for conducting gaming includes at least one gaming machine communicating with an award server. Optionally, the gaming machine communicates with the award server via a network server. A game is conducted at the gaming machine. A determination is made whether to issue an award from the award server. In an optional embodiment, the determination is random; in another optional embodiment, the determination is based on the outcome of the game. The award is issued from the award server, at least in part, based on data communicated between the gaming machine and the award server.