Gaming machine and method with a dynamic search interface
An electronic gaming machine includes a display, a player input device, a credit input mechanism, and a processor programmed to perform operations comprising: (i) display a search pattern matrix to a player on the display, the search pattern matrix includes a plurality of cells that are selectable by the player; (ii) receive an input selection of cells of the search pattern matrix from the player; (iii) search a pay table associated with a wagering game provided by the gaming machine for winning patterns included within the pay table and having at least the same plurality of cells daubed as are indicated by the search pattern matrix; and (iv) display the winning patterns identified by the searching to the player via the display, the displaying including presenting the winning patterns in a matrix display format identifying one or more daubed cells of the associated winning patterns within the matrix display.
1. An electronic gaming machine comprising:
a display device;
an input device;
a storage medium having instructions stored thereon; and
a game controller configured to execute the instructions stored in the storage medium, which, when executed by the game controller, cause the game controller to at least:
display, on the display device, a help screen graphical user interface (GUI) of a help function associated with a game on the display device, the help screen GUI enables searching for and visually displaying patterns that represent potential win conditions for the game;
display, on the display device, a search pattern matrix within the help screen GUI, the search pattern matrix includes a plurality of selectable cells;
receive, within the help screen GUI, an input selection of one or more selected cells of the search pattern matrix via the input device;
search a pay table associated with the game provided by the electronic gaming machine for one or more potential winning patterns included within the pay table and having at least the same one or more selected cells as are indicated by the search pattern matrix;
dynamically construct a plurality of help screens based on results of the search, each help screen includes (i) a dynamically built visual representation of at least one potential winning pattern of the one or more potential winning patterns constructed based on a pattern map of the at least one potential winning pattern included within the pay table and (ii) pay table data indicating win amounts associated with the at least one potential winning pattern; and
display, within the help screen GUI, the plurality of constructed help screens, thereby visually representing an indication of what the game could award if the at least one potential winning pattern is achieved.
2. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the search pattern matrix represents a bingo card, wherein the game is a bingo game, wherein each selectable cell of the search pattern matrix represents a square of the bingo card.
3. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the display device is a touch screen display device that includes the input device, wherein receiving the input selection includes:
receiving a touch gesture performed on a first selected cell of the search pattern matrix; and
marking the first selected cell on the search pattern matrix to identify that the first selected cell is selected.
4. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein displaying the search pattern matrix further includes initiating the displaying of the search pattern matrix based on a selection of one or more of a rules button and a help button provided by the game.
5. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein dynamically constructing the plurality of help screens includes:
construct at least one help screen of the plurality of help screens to include the one or more potential winning patterns identified by the search within the help screen GUI, the display of the one or more potential winning patterns including at least a matrix display format marking one or more cells within the matrix display,
wherein each of the one or more potential winning patterns within the at least one help screen is selectable to present a large format display of a selected potential winning pattern.
6. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , the instructions further cause the game controller to at least:
display a pattern number input box;
receive a search pattern number via the pattern number input box;
search the pay table for a winning pattern having the search pattern number;
dynamically construct a first help screen based on search results using the search pattern number; and
display the first help screen within the help screen GUI.
7. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein displaying the plurality of constructed help screens further includes displaying one or more scroll arrow buttons within the help screen GUI that, when pressed, causes the help screen GUI to cycle through the plurality of constructed help screens.
8. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein the pattern map includes an ordered plurality of characters, wherein each character of the ordered plurality of characters represents a single space of a particular potential winning pattern of the one or more potential winning patterns, wherein a value of each character of the ordered plurality of characters represents a daub status for that single space within that particular potential winning pattern.
9. The electronic gaming machine of claim 1 , wherein receiving the input selection of the one or more selected cells further includes constructing a search pattern map based on the one or more selected cells, wherein searching the pay table further includes performing a byte-wise comparison between the constructed search pattern map and a plurality of pattern maps included within the pay table to identify matching entries.
10. A method of electronic gaming implemented on an electronic gaming machine, the electronic gaming machine including at least one processor in communication with at least one memory device, an input device, and a display device, the method comprising:
displaying, on the display device, a help screen graphical user interface (GUI) of a help function associated with a game on the display device, the help screen GUI enables searching for and visually displaying patterns that represent potential win conditions for the game;
displaying, on the display device, a search pattern matrix within the help screen GUI, the search pattern matrix includes a plurality of selectable cells;
receiving, within the help screen GUI, an input selection of one or more selected cells of the search pattern matrix via the input device;
searching a pay table associated with the game provided by the electronic gaming machine for one or more potential winning patterns included within the pay table and having at least the same one or more selected cells as are indicated by the search pattern matrix;
dynamically constructing a plurality of help screens based on results of the search, each help screen includes (i) a dynamically built visual representation of at least one potential winning pattern of the one or more potential winning patterns constructed based on a pattern map of the at least one potential winning pattern included within the pay table and (ii) pay table data indicating win amounts associated with the at least one potential winning pattern; and
displaying, within the help screen GUI, the plurality of constructed help screens, thereby visually representing an indication of what the game could award if the at least one potential winning pattern is achieved.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the search pattern matrix represents a bingo card, wherein the game is a bingo game, wherein each selectable cell of the search pattern matrix represents a square of the bingo card.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the display device is a touch screen display device that includes the input device, wherein receiving the input selection includes:
receiving a touch gesture performed on a first selected cell of the search pattern matrix; and
marking the first selected cell on the search pattern matrix to identify that the first selected cell is selected.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein displaying the search pattern matrix further includes initiating the displaying of the search pattern matrix based on a selection of one or more of a rules button and a help button provided by the game.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein dynamically constructing the plurality of help screens includes:
constructing at least one help screen of the plurality of help screens to include the one or more potential winning patterns identified by the search within the help screen GUI, the display of the one or more potential winning patterns including at least a matrix display format marking one or more cells within the matrix display,
wherein each of the one or more potential winning patterns within the at least one help screen is selectable to present a large format display of a selected potential winning pattern.
15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
displaying a pattern number input box;
receiving a search pattern number via the pattern number input box;
searching the pay table for a winning pattern having the search pattern number;
dynamically construct a first help screen based on a search result using the search pattern number; and
displaying the first help screen within the help screen GUI.
16. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon, wherein when executed by an electronic gaming machine having at least one processor coupled to an input device, a display device, and at least one memory device, the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
display a help screen graphical user interface (GUI) of a help function associated with a game on the display device, the help screen GUI enables searching for and visually displaying patterns that represent potential win conditions for the game;
display a search pattern matrix within the help screen GUI, the search pattern matrix includes a plurality of selectable cells;
receive, within the help screen GUI, an input selection of one or more selected cells of the search pattern matrix via the input device;
search a pay table associated with the game provided by the electronic gaming machine for one or more potential winning patterns included within the pay table and having at least the same one or more selected cells as are indicated by the search pattern matrix;
dynamically construct a plurality of help screens based on results of the search, each help screen includes (i) a dynamically built visual representation of at least one potential winning pattern of the one or more potential winning patterns constructed based on a pattern map of the at least one potential winning pattern included within the pay table and (ii) pay table data indicating win amounts associated with the at least one potential winning pattern; and
display, within the help screen GUI, the plurality of constructed help screens, thereby visually representing an indication of what the game could award if the at least one potential winning pattern is achieved.
17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the search pattern matrix represents a bingo card, wherein the game is a bingo game, wherein each selectable cell of the search pattern matrix represents a square of the bingo card.
18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the display device is a touch screen display device that includes the input device, wherein receiving the input selection includes:
receiving a touch gesture performed on a first selected cell of the search pattern matrix; and
marking the first selected cell on the search pattern matrix to identify that the first selected cell is selected.
19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
construct at least one help screen of the plurality of help screens to include the one or more potential winning patterns identified by the search within the help screen GUI, the display of the one or more potential winning patterns including at least a matrix display format marking one or more cells within the matrix display,
wherein each of the one or more potential winning patterns within the at least one help screen is selectable to present a large format display of a selected potential winning pattern.
20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the at least one processor to:
display a pattern number input box;
receive a search pattern number via the pattern number input box;
search the pay table for a winning pattern having the search pattern number;
dynamically construct a first help screen based on search results using the search pattern number; and
display the first help screen within the help screen GUI.