Amusement devices: games – Including means for processing electronic data – In a race game
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-06
2004-01-27
Harrison, Jessica (Department: 3714)
Amusement devices: games
Including means for processing electronic data
In a race game
C273S349000, C273S445000, C463S059000, C463S046000, C463S031000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06682418
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to the general field of arcade games, and more particularly, an arcade game having interchangeable modules or features.
The present invention is a game that involves players shooting water, air, light or any other suitable means at a target where activation of the target causes the progression of a race progression indication device or means (e.g., an entire column may rise, an object on a vertical or horizontal plane may move, water may rise up a column, a progression of lights may be illuminated, etc.). The first player whose race progression indication device reaches a predetermined level or point is deemed the winner of the game (e.g., a column rises to a predetermined point or all the lights on a column are illuminated). The present game is unique over known columnar games in that the game of the present invention is adapted to be interchanged into many different games or into distinct variations of the same game. For example, the base unit of the game may be fitted with various race progression indication devices (i.e., devices that show the progress of a particular player in the race) and/or winner indication devices (i.e., devices that indicate the winner of the game or race) to form various arcade games. For example, one arcade unit may be used to form:
a) a race game where the entire column rises to a predetermined level and where the winner's column has a ring of light that glows to indicate the winner; or
b) a race game where the entire column rises to a predetermined level and where the winner's column has a round platform affixed to it which rotates (i.e., spins) to indicate the winner; or
c) a race game having a stationary column where the column is comprised of a plurality of lights or disks of lights placed along the length of the column and where the lights are progressively illuminated to indicate race progress (i.e., as the target is hit by a player, more lights are illuminated until one player illuminates all of the lights of his column, thus winning the race); or
d) a water race game having a stationary column which is progressively filled with water to indicate race progression, where the player to first fill his column with water is deemed the winner of the race (details of such a water game are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,230 to Mendes, Jr. which has been incorporated by reference).
A preferred base unit of the game of the present invention is pre-wired to accommodate any one or more of the games indicated above. With the wiring of all accommodated games in place in the unit, the particular race progression indication device and/or winner indication device may be placed into the base unit and wired to the corresponding wire connections in the base unit to form a particular game. If another game, or a variation of the same game, is desired, the installed race progression indication device and/or winner indication device may be replaced with another race progression indication device and/or winner indication device to form another game. For example, instead of having a top platform that glows to indicate a winner, the column may be fitted with a spinning platform that spins to indicate the winner. For another example, instead of having a rising column to indicate the progress of the player in a race, a stationary column with rising water may be used to indicate the progression of the player in the race.
The interchangeability of the present invention provides a flexible arcade game that may be configured for many different games. This “plug-and-play” feature allows the owner of the game to swiftly alter the unit to form a different game or a variation of the same game. By providing the ability to change the type of game or features of the game, players are given an opportunity to experience various types of games, and/or they may choose to play a particular game that they find most enjoying. The owner of the game may configure the game to achieve the design that he or she believes will attract the most interest and players.
One embodiment of the present invention is a game comprising a projectile device, an activation device, and a game progression indication device. The projectile device is adapted to shoot at least one projectile, and the activation device is adapted to activate a signal when hit by the at least one projectile. The game progression indication device is in electrical communication with the activation device. The game progression indication device is comprised of a plurality of lights, wherein the game is configured to cause the lights to emit light in succession in response to the signal.
The at least one projectile may be any suitable projectile such as, but not limited to, a fluid (e.g., water or air), a solid, a light beam, or any other similar projectile. The activation device may be any device that can perform the desired function. For example, the activation device may be any suitable device such as a switch, e.g., an electronic switch, a mechanical switch, or an optical switch, or any other similar device. It is also appreciated that other suitable embodiments of the activation device include, but are not limited to, a laser sensor, a pressure sensor, an electrical contact, or any other similar device.
The lights of the game progression indication device may be arranged in any desired order. For example, the lights may be arranged in a column. More particularly, the lights may be arranged in a plurality of generally horizontal rows, and the rows may be stacked in a generally vertical direction. In such an embodiment, the game may be configured to cause the rows of the lights to emit light in succession, or any other desired progressive fashion, in response to the signal.
The lights may be any desired type of light emitting device. For example, the lights may be LEDs.
The game may further comprise a processing system such as, but not limited to, a microcontroller or microprocessor-based system or any other suitable type of system. The processing system may be interposed between the activation device and the game progression indication device. The processing system is preferably adapted to control the lighting of the lights in response to the signal. For example, the processing system can be used to control the power supplied to the lights.
Another embodiment of the present invention is a game that includes a projectile device adapted to shoot at least one projectile, and an activation device adapted to activate at least one trigger signal when hit by the at least one projectile. A processing system is in electrical communication with the activation device. The processing system is adapted to process the at least one trigger signal and produce at least one game progression signal. A game progression indication device is in electrical communication with the processing system, and it is comprised of a plurality of lights. In this embodiment, the at least one game progression signal from the processing system is adapted to cause the lights to emit light in a predetermined order, e.g., in succession or another progressive fashion. This embodiment of the present invention may include any of the optional or preferred features of the previous embodiment of the present invention.
The present invention also includes a game comprising an activation device adapted to be activated by a player, and a game progression indication device connected to the activation device. The game progression indication device is comprised of a plurality of lights, wherein the game is configured to cause the lights to emit light in a progressive fashion in response to activation of the activation device. A player can win the game by causing all of the lights to emit light. This embodiment of the game may include any of the optional or preferred features of the above-described embodiments of the present invention.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2028676 (1936-01-01), Light
patent: 2507916 (1950-05-01), Lister
patent: 2627411 (1953-02-01), Bartlam et al.
patent: 2759731 (1956-08-01), Quinn
Mendes John F.
Tudela Weimar P.
Wise David A.
Bob's Space Racers, Inc.
Coburn Corbett B
Harrison Jessica
Standley Law Group LLP
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