Amusement devices: games – Puzzles – Take-aparts and put-togethers
Reexamination Certificate
1999-06-04
2002-08-20
Wong, Steven (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Puzzles
Take-aparts and put-togethers
C273S15300J
Reexamination Certificate
active
06435502
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates generally to devices having encoded images and, more particularly, to a decoder for viewing images formed from encoded images. The invention also relates to slide puzzles comprising decoding lenses which superpose encoded images.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Lenticular lenses affixed to respective substrates bearing respective lens-resolvable linear-patterned encoded images are commercially available. The lines from the patterned image must be in alignment with the lenticules of the lenticular lens in order to form a readily viewable resolved image. Known lenticular lens/patterned image-bearing substrate combinations have generally met this requirement by permanently affixing the substrate directly onto the back of the lenticular lens or by directly printing the patterned image onto the back of the lenticular lens.
Such substrates in combination with lenticular lenses are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,488,452 to Goggins, 5,568,313 to Steenblik et al., 5,543,964 to Taylor et al., 5,461,495 to Steenblik et al., 4,935,335 to Fotland, 4,082,433 to Appledorn et al., 3,937,565 to Alasia, 3,538,632 to Anderson, 3,119,195 to Braunhut
While known lenticular lens-containing promotional items provide a user entertainment and provide some degree of interaction, they can be further improved by increasing the level of interaction such as by letting the user properly align the lenticules of the lenticular lens with the lines of a linear-patterned image of a puzzle.
Puzzles comprising a plurality of unencoded image-bearing pieces have been known for centuries. The pieces generally have unique shapes which can be assembled in a unique manner to form an assembled image. The puzzle pieces heretofore have always borne an image portion that was readily viewable and discernible.
Thumb puzzles, or slide puzzles, comprising plural unencoded image-bearing pieces assembled in a frame have been known for decades. Such puzzles have generally comprised plural slidable pieces each of which bears an unencoded readily viewable and discernible image portion. When the pieces are assembled in an appropriate manner, a coherent unencoded readily viewable and discernible image is formed. U.S. Pat. No. 5,769,418 to Gilbert et al. discloses a slide puzzle having a transparent first image plane superposing a second image plane. The first image plane comprises plural slidable transparent first tiles several or all of which bear sections of a first image. The second image plane comprises an image bearing sheet or plural slidable second tiles several or all of which bear sections of a second image.
Other slide puzzles shaped as cubes, planes, cylinders or polygonal structures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,904, No. 5,470,065, No. 5,267,732, No. 5,116,053, No. 5,074,561, No. 4,949,969, No. 3,829,101, No. 5,529,301, No. 4,872,682, No. 4,269,414, No. 4,097,049, No. 5,060,948, No. 4,927,150 and No. 4,422,641. However, none of these prior art puzzles incorporate sliding pieces that are actually decoding lenses that decoding encoded images which they superpose.
Thus, to date, there has been no puzzle available for momentarily aligning plural decoding lenses with corresponding encoded image portions on a substrate to form an unencoded and preferably assembled image. It is an object of the invention to provide such a method and apparatus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides an encoded-image viewer and puzzle that can be used to view one or more of a variety of encoded images with one or more decoding lenses. The apparatus of the invention is simple to use, inexpensive to manufacture and can be used to view almost any lens resolvable or decodable image.
The present invention seeks to overcome the disadvantages known in the art of puzzles and encoded image viewers and to provide a puzzle or decoder for viewing encoded images whereby one or more decoding lenses are slidable or movable with respect to a substrate bearing an encoded image which comprises one or more encoded image portions. When a decoding lens is properly aligned with an encoded image portion on the substrate, a readily viewable decoded or unencoded image is formed.
In one aspect, the invention provides a puzzle or viewer for viewing and decoding an encoded image, said viewer comprising:
a substrate bearing an encoded image on a first surface, wherein said encoded image comprises one or more encoded image portions;
a body having opposing first and second surfaces and a receptacle for at least one of receiving and retaining said substrate;
one or more decoding lenses superposed said substrate for decoding said one or more encoded image portions on said substrate; and
a first retainer for retaining said one or more decoding lenses with said body.
One or many different lens-resolvable encoded images can be viewed with the viewer of the invention. A single encoded image or image portion can form one or more corresponding assembled images according to the pattern employed.
The retainer of the puzzle or viewer of the invention can be integral with or attached to the body and/or the decoding lenses. Various types of retainers as described herein are contemplated by the invention. The decoders and puzzles of the invention can also comprise one, two, three or more retainers.
The substrate used in the viewer or puzzle of the invention can be made permanent or semipermanent and can be replaceable or removable.
In some embodiments of the invention, the puzzle or viewer will comprise a bypass portion wherein one or more decoding lenses or puzzle pieces can be inserted. The bypass portion can be attached to or be integral with the body of the viewer or puzzle.
Another embodiment of the invention provides an encoded image puzzle decoder capable of forming a decoded image from a lens-resolvable encoded image disposed on a substrate, said puzzle decoder comprising:
one or more decoding lenses each of which has a front and a rear surface;
a substrate bearing on an upper surface a lens-resolvable encoded image comprising one or more lens-resolvable encoded image portions;
a body having a receptacle for at least one of receiving and retaining said substrate; and
a retainer associated with at least one of said body and said one or more lenses for retaining said one or more lenses with said body;
wherein said one or more lenses superpose said receptacle and said upper surface of said substrate and each one of at least two of said one or more lenses decodes a different one of said plural lens-resolvable encoded image portions.
In another aspect, the invention is a substrate bearing plural lens-resolvable encoded image portions wherein each of at least two of said image portions is disposed such that either at least two different lenses or at least two different lens orientations are required to decode said each of at least two of said image portions.
The viewer of the present invention can also be used to simultaneously decode plural encoded images thereby forming plural decoded images. Thus, the invention also provides a hand-held viewer for simultaneously decoding plural encoded images comprising:
one or more decoding lenses each having a front and rear surface and a plurality of lenticules disposed on at least one of said surfaces; and
plural substrates each having a front surface bearing an encoded image;
said one or more lenses superposing said front surfaces of said plural substrates, said front surfaces of said plural substrates being adjacent said rear surfaces of said one or more lenses, and each of said one or more lenses being alignable with at least one of said plural substrates to form plural decoded images.
Another embodiment of the invention provides a viewer for viewing and decoding an encoded image on a surface wherein said encoded image comprises one or more encoded image portions, said viewer comprising:
an encoded image comprising one or more encoded image portions;
a body having an interior surface defining an open or sealed cavity wherein said body has at least one viewing port through whi
Innovar L.L.C.
Matos Rick
Wong Steven
LandOfFree
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