Amusement devices: games – Chance devices – Dice
Reexamination Certificate
2002-04-29
2004-11-30
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Chance devices
Dice
C273S272000, C273S293000, C273S299000, C273S429000, C273S431000, C273S432000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06824136
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention is directed to a word game wherein words are created from letters derived from chance elements. More particularly, the present invention is a competitive points based English alphabet word construction game apparatus and method for players who create words from letters determined from a group of chance elements, wherein long words created from infrequently used letters are rewarded with enhanced points levels.
BACKGROUND OF INVENTION
It is well recognized in the prior art the benefit of playing word games as an enjoyable method by which an individual can build their vocabulary and spelling skills. Most word games have an element of chance and an element of competitive strategy that allows the player to win the game while utilizing a minimal amount of apparatus required to play the game. There are numerous approaches to playing word games, although most of the games utilize a series of chance elements, typically being dice that contain six sides, in that each of the sides normally has an indicia in the form of a letter. The dice are then rolled by the player with the top side of the dice counting as letters that the player can utilize in an attempt to create a word, wherein there are numerous rules for converting the created word into a points system that eventually will lead to a game winner. In addition, sometimes specialty cards are used in conjunction with the dice to enhance the word creation ability of the player.
Prior examples include U.S. Pat. No. 5,558,328 to Krantz that discloses a word game using twelve six sided dice, wherein a plurality of dice are rolled by the player who tries to make a word from the uppermost side of each die's letter. However, not all letters are on the dice and the highest frequency letters are used more than once on the dice, with the limitation that no one die has the same letter twice. Also, a die side can have more than one letter present to aid in making words, using one of the two letters on the side. Joker or blank dice sides are used for any letter to be used or selected by the player. The player must make a word from a singular role of dice, with points awarded based upon the size of the word, in other words more letters equate to more points. Another prior art example would be U.S. Pat. No. 1,412,204 to Derby that discloses a word game that uses six sets of differently colored cubes with each cube having six sides with each side having one letter so that each cube spells a six letter word and a set of six cubes also spells the same word, but without using the same letter twice. In other words, each cube of a set is identical. The cube sets spell different words. To play, a player uses one set of cubes and rolls them and scores points based on the portion of the length of the word spelled correctly. The player must make a word from a singular dice roll, with points awarded based upon the partial correct spelling of the word, with more letters equaling more points awarded. If a first letter of the word appears three times in any throw, that player loses their entire score to that point, if six of the same letters are thrown, the player's score is doubled. As yet another prior art example is Canadian Patent No. 552,193 to Barber that discloses a word game using a set of five dice, wherein one side of each die has one different vowel with the dice set having twenty one of the consonants and four joker sides total, such that one cube has no joker. Alternatively, the dice can be arranged to have all the five vowels on one cube with one joker side and to use the twenty one consonants on the remaining four cubes with three jokers, such that one cube has no joker. To play, the player's roll of the set of five dice tries to make a word from the uppermost sides of the dice. Barber has no specifics for scoring rules, only that a form could be used to complete a crossword puzzle type of form and suggests that the players make up their own rules for scoring.
Other prior art word games would include U.S. Pat. No. 4,966,366 to Mercado-Torres that discloses a word game that uses a set of ten cubes that are each marked with different letters on the six sides of each cube and a set of word cards that do not have a word longer than ten letters and with the words on the word cards being able to be made from the various cube combinations. The most frequently used letters appear twice on the cubes and the letters having a lesser frequency of use appear only once on the cubes. The game is played by picking a card and then arranging the cubes to spell the word in the least amount of time. A simpler prior game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,700 to Turek that discloses a word game that uses twenty four identical six sided dice, with each side of the die marked with the unique letter of the six letter target word so that the die contains all the letters of the target word. The game is played by each player being given six dice, and the player then rolls one die in an attempt to have the first letter H of the target word shown in this example as the word HEARTS that would land face up on the die, and then the player attempts to roll the second letter E with the first player who spells the entire target word being the winner. When the player rolls the desired letter, that particular die joins that player's completion set, and at that player's next turn they roll one of their remaining dies. When a player successfully rolls the desired letter of the target word that player continues to get additional turns until they roll an undesirable letter. A final prior art example would be Canadian patent No. 553,458 to Holloway that discloses a word game that includes fifteen dice with thirteen of the dice having letters, with one die being blanked, and with one die being a conventional die with dots one through six on its six sides. The blank die is a wild die that can be used for any desired letter and the conventional dotted die is used to multiply that player's score. The distribution of the letters on the thirteen dice are arranged in their frequency of occurrence of use. The game is played by throwing the dice and a player than arranging the dice to form words in order to maximize their score. As is typical, longer words equate to higher scores with score additions from the wild die available. Challenges are also allowed with points gained or lost for successful or unsuccessful challenges respectively by rearranging the other player's dice for higher points words.
What has not been disclosed is a word construction game that allows a higher proportion of player strategy as opposed to the prior art concentrating mostly on player chance by typically initiating a chance element or more specifically rolling a set of dice to determine the letters available for spelling a word. Most of the prior games disclosed limit the size and type of word that can be created and do not allow it to be “built” out of multiple turns that the player can take, thus allowing the player to either use letters gained from a chance element or to store those letters in a bank for later use, wherein the player would receive enhanced awards for both the creation of a longer word and a word that uses less frequently used consonant letters. For a word game to truly stimulate creative thinking there should be absolutely no limit on the length of the words created. Also, there should be a strategic component in the players selecting which single one of the chance elements to initiate or roll on their turn, this allows the player some discretion in using their banked letters in conjunction with the letters that the player desired. What is needed is a word construction game that has a higher proportion of player strategy in relation to player chance in the ability to win the game while the same time keeping the game apparatus very simple.
SUMMARY OF INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful competitive points based English alphabet word construction game apparatus and method hereby termed th
Collins Dolores R.
Jackson Roger A.
Layno Benjamin H.
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