Wireless Tablet Gaming Interface for Multi-Player Slot Machines
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gaming machines do not allow for a shared gaming experience among multiple players, as they operate independently, and portable devices are bulky, expensive, and limited in game complexity due to large displays and high power consumption.
Innovation Solution
A portable tablet device that wirelessly communicates with a stationary gaming machine, allowing multiple players to share the same gaming experience by independently betting on the same game, with the machine determining the outcome and transmitting awards, enabling a small, inexpensive, and low-power device for players to view the game outcome.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If portable gaming devices use a large display to show the game, then the game visibility is improved, but the device size, cost, and battery consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the stationary gaming machine's display as an intermediary to show the game to remote players. Instead of each player needing their own large display, the game video signal is transmitted from the gaming machine to multiple tablets simultaneously, allowing players to view the game on smaller portable screens while the main display serves the primary player.
Solution Approach 2:
The game display content is copied from the main gaming machine display and transmitted to multiple tablet devices. Each tablet receives a copy of the video feed, allowing players to see the game outcome without needing large displays. This copying approach enables multiple players to share the same game visual information on smaller screens.
2Adaptability or versatility
If portable gaming devices include a large display and processor, then the gaming capability is improved, but the device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the expensive display and heavy processing functions from the portable tablet and places them in the stationary gaming machine. The tablet only needs minimal processing to receive and display video signals and transmit bet information, dramatically reducing its cost while maintaining full gaming capability through the shared machine's resources.
Solution Approach 2:
The stationary gaming machine serves multiple functions: it acts as the game controller, the primary display for the local player, and a signal distribution hub for multiple remote players. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for each player to have their own expensive gaming device with full processing and display capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If portable gaming devices operate independently with internal game programs, then the device autonomy is improved, but the game complexity is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the stationary gaming machine as an intermediary that hosts the complete game logic and random number generation. The tablet maintains autonomy for placing bets and receiving results, while the machine handles complex game determination, allowing simple tablets to access complex games without embedding full game programs locally.
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
Enables two or more players to share the same gaming experience, providing an inexpensive alternative for peak traffic handling and allowing for social interaction, while reducing device size, cost, and battery consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The tablet has a transceiver that wirelessly communicates with a standard stationary gaming machine
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is a small tablet that wirelessly communicates with a stationary gaming machine. The player makes bets using the tablet. The gaming machine, and not the tablet, determines the outcome of the game and transmits the award information to the tablet. The gaming machine may be an ordinary slot machine displaying random symbols in an array or displaying another game. The player using the tablet views the display on the gaming machine to see the outcome of a game, so the tablet does not need a large display to play a game. The player who operates the gaming machine bets independently from the player using the tablet. In another embodiment, the gaming machine is operated automatically, and multiple players with tablets independently bet on a common game.