Synchronized Multimedia Audio for Gaming Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Casinos face a cacophonous environment due to unsynchronized audio from multiple slot machines, leading to a muddled and non-descript sonic atmosphere that detracts from the gaming experience for both players and bystanders.
Innovation Solution
A gaming machine network with synchronized multimedia content, where audio assets are dynamically distributed and synchronized across multiple machines, ensuring harmonious and consonant soundscapes by using techniques like MPEG media synchronization and centralized or distributed control schemes, ensuring all machines play in time with each other.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If multiple slot machines play audio independently, then each machine can operate autonomously, but the overall sonic atmosphere becomes a muddled cacophony
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the audio operations of multiple independent slot machines into a coordinated system. A central controller or peer-to-peer synchronization mechanism ensures all machines play audio in unison, transforming individual autonomous operations into a unified harmonious performance that eliminates cacophony while preserving operational independence.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a synchronization intermediary (central controller or timing protocol) that mediates between independent machines. This intermediary coordinates audio playback timing and selection across machines, allowing them to maintain operational autonomy while achieving synchronized harmonious audio output.
2Adaptability or versatility
If background music is modified according to individual player's pace, then the audio adapts to gameplay, but multiple machines with different player paces create disharmonious and arrhythmic combinations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines individual adaptive audio streams into a unified synchronized audio experience. By merging timing control and audio selection across machines, it maintains adaptability to gameplay while ensuring harmonic composition through coordinated playback.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic audio synchronization where playback timing and content adapt to real-time gameplay conditions while maintaining overall coordination. The system dynamically adjusts individual machine audio output based on synchronized timing signals, allowing adaptability without sacrificing harmonic stability.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If synchronized multimedia content is distributed across the network, then audio harmony is achieved, but network coordination complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a central controller as an intermediary to manage network coordination, simplifying the complexity by centralizing synchronization logic. Alternatively, peer-to-peer timing protocols serve as distributed intermediaries that reduce central coordination overhead while maintaining synchronization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback mechanisms where machines report their state and receive synchronization timing information. This feedback loop enables automatic coordination without complex manual configuration, reducing network coordination complexity through self-regulating synchronization.
Data Source
AI summary
A network of slot machines which plays audio and/or other media assets in synchronicity, leading to a more consonant audiovisual atmosphere or more effective player attraction. Audio may be dynamically distributed among different gaming machines in the network. Audio playback may be synchronized between several machines, forming a collaborative harmony. Game events, such as reels stopping, may be synchronized with audio playback.