Variable Opacity Electro-Optical Assembly for Gaming Displays
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Solution Overview
Problem
Gaming machines lack features that enhance community interaction and entertainment value, leading to a need for innovative solutions to attract players and increase profitability through enhanced gameplay experiences.
Innovation Solution
A gaming system incorporating an electro-optical assembly with a variable opacity layer allows players to view each other and shared video images, enabling interactive and community-based gameplay experiences by altering the transmissive properties of the layer to facilitate mutual interaction and engagement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional opaque displays are used in gaming machines, then players can view video images clearly, but players cannot see each other and community interaction is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel's opacity is made dynamically controllable, switching between opaque and transparent states based on game phase requirements. During community interaction phases, the display becomes transparent to allow player visibility. During video display phases, the display becomes opaque to ensure clear video image presentation. This dynamic property resolution resolves the contradiction between community interaction and video visibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical parameter (transparency/opacity) of the display panel is changed based on operational requirements. The system controls the display panel to transition between different transparency states, allowing optimization of both community interaction (transparent state) and video image display (opaque state) at different times, thereby resolving the inherent contradiction between these two functions.
2Ease of operation
If transparent displays are used to allow player visibility, then community interaction is enhanced, but video image clarity is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel transitions between transparent and opaque states dynamically. When player visibility is needed, the panel becomes transparent. When video image display is prioritized, the panel becomes opaque to ensure clear, high-quality video presentation. This temporal separation of functions resolves the contradiction between player visibility and video image quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The optical parameter of the display panel is dynamically adjusted between transparent and opaque states. This parameter change allows the system to optimize for either player visibility or video image quality depending on the current game phase, resolving the contradiction between these competing requirements.
3Productivity
If separate displays are provided for each player, then individual gaming experience is maintained, but space requirements and device complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
A single display panel serves multiple functions: it displays video images when opaque, and allows player visibility when transparent. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate displays for each player, reducing space requirements and device complexity while maintaining individual gaming experience through selective transparency control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the video display function and the player visibility function into a single display panel by controlling its opacity. This consolidation reduces the number of components needed, simplifying the display system configuration and reducing space requirements compared to providing separate displays for each player.
4Adaptability or versatility
If the display alternates between opaque and transparent states, then both video display and player interaction are supported, but transition timing and control complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The display panel's opacity parameter is controlled to transition between opaque and transparent states based on game phase requirements. This parameter control enables the display to adapt to different functional requirements (video display vs. player interaction) using a relatively simple control mechanism that monitors game state and adjusts transparency accordingly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enhances player engagement and entertainment by allowing direct interaction and mutual viewing, increasing the appeal of gaming machines and attracting more players, while reducing space requirements and improving the overall gaming experience.
Implementation Method 1
The electro-optical assembly includes a substrate and a layer having a variable opacity. The controller is electrically coupled to the layer and programmed to alter the opacity of the layer to allow the first player to view the video images reflected from the at least one display.
Implementation Method 2
alter the opacity of the layer to allow the first player to view the video images reflected from the at least one display
Data Source
AI summary
A gaming system includes a cabinet having an electro-optical assembly including a substrate and a layer having a variable opacity. Also included in the gaming system is a first input device for receiving a wager from a first player and a second input device for receiving a wager from a second player, as well as at least one video display for displaying video images relating to a wagering game. A controller is electrically coupled to the layer having a variable opacity and is programmed to alter the opacity of the layer to allow the first player to view the video images reflected from the at least one display.