Amusement devices: games – Board games – pieces – or boards therefor – Alignment games
Reexamination Certificate
2002-11-14
2004-03-09
Pierce, William M. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Board games, pieces, or boards therefor
Alignment games
C273S269000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06702288
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to board games and the like, and more specifically to a matching game incorporating a series of differently patterned game boards, with each player having a distinctive board. Players attempt to match colors called by a caller to the color patterns displayed on their boards. While the present color game is directed to a board game, it may be readily adapted to computer play, if so desired.
2. Description of the Related Art
A number of different board games have been developed in the past, which require players to match called symbols (letters, numbers, etc.) with a unique pattern on their individual game board. In such games, a single caller draws symbols randomly from a source (container, etc.), and calls out the specific symbol drawn on each turn. Players attempt to locate a matching symbol on their game boards, and place markers on the appropriate locations on their game boards when matches occur.
Perhaps the best known of such matching board games is Bingo®, in which a series of letters and numbers are used to define board positions, with each board having a unique letter-number combination. While every board and all markers use the five alphabetic letters contained in the name “Bingo,” the numbers associated with the letters may vary widely to provide a large number of different and unique playing boards. Moreover, where the same letter-number combinations are used between different boards, their positions vary between boards, in order to make each game board distinct from every other board. A caller sequentially randomly draws letter-number markers, with players attempting to find matches on their individual boards. The first player to complete a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal row across their individual board, wins the game.
While such a game may be a reasonably enjoyable pastime for literate persons who readily recognize the letter and number combinations of the game, it is not suitable for illiterate or dyslexic players who do not recognize the various alphanumeric combinations used in the game, nor to young children who are incapable of matching such combinations received audibly with the combinations shown in their game boards. Moreover, the Bingo® game board is limited to a square matrix of only twenty five playing positions, due to the five letters of the word arranged horizontally to define five vertical columns and corresponding five horizontal rows across the columns.
The present inventor is also aware of a number of other loosely related games which operate using similar principles or rules, as discussed further below. However, where those games utilize colors in their play, they also either require some letter and/or number combination and recognition by the players, or differ widely in the method of play from the matching of attributes (colors, letters, numbers, shapes, etc.) called by a single caller for the game.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for a color matching game, which requires no previous reading or numerical skills by the players. The present color game requires only that players be able to recognize basic colors, and to match the visual representation of such colors when they hear the specific colors announced audibly. The present game is thus suitable for preschool children, as well as others who may be illiterate or dyslexic. Yet, the present game provides sufficient complexity to be interesting to older children as well, with its relatively large number of different colors on each board, the varying numbers of positions for each color on each game board, and various other features, as well. The present game is also adaptable to a wide variety of different board configurations and color pattern layouts, as well.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,549,150 issued on Dec. 22, 1970 to James F. Weeks, titled “Color-Number Association Game Apparatus,” describes a Bingo-like game in which each player receives a distinct game board. Each board includes the word “COLORS” across the top, with a differently colored column extending downwardly below each letter of the word. The Weeks game differs from the present game, in that Weeks states that he prefers to have all of the differently colored columns arranged in the same order across all of the boards, with the only difference between boards being the arrangement of the numbers within each of the colored columns. Weeks also uses colored and numbered dice to determine the color land number combinations to be played. The present game is based only on colors, with at least some embodiments varying the number of positions having any given color, between different rows or areas of the board and between different boards.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,690,671 issued on Sep. 12, 1972 to Linda F. Slutsky, titled “Educational Color Association Game,” describes a game in which a large number of differently colored, interlocking tiles are selectively joined to form panels of differently colored tiles. The person assembling the tiles places at least one common color on each panel, and may include a single unique color on only one of the panels. The object is to teach fine color and tint recognition to persons playing the game, by having them match the matching colors in different panels. However, no random callout of colors by a caller, nor actual physical placement of markers by players, is provided by Slutsky.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,707,287 issued on Dec. 26, 1972 to Berdine E. Spector, titled “Color Familiarization Game,” describes a puzzle-like device having a background with a series of differently colored panels thereon. A series of puzzle pieces matching the colors is provided, with another series of pieces having the names of the colors thereon also provided. The object is to assemble each specifically colored piece with the corresponding piece having the name of that color thereon, and place it on the correspondingly colored position in the background panel. If the puzzle is assembled properly, a picture is correctly displayed on the back of the assembly. The Spector puzzle does not provide any competitive aspect of play, as does the present game, nor are unique game boards provided to each player by Spector.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,977,681 issued on Aug. 31, 1976 to Jerry D. Deitrich, titled “Game Using A Board And Playing Pieces,” describes a game somewhat resembling the game of dominoes, in which the object is to arrange one's playing tiles so the numbers of pips on one portion of a given tile, match numerically with an adjacent tile. The Deitrich game includes playing pieces or tiles of only two different colors, with players attempting to match like colors upon adjacent tiles. Points are awarded for such matches during play. The present game differs considerably, in that no numerical scoring is provided and many more colors are used, with players being required to place markers upon colored positions on their individual playing boards as called by the caller, rather than matching a tile to the color of an existing previously played tile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,169,601 issued on Oct. 2, 1979 to Richard D. Frischmann et al., titled “Sound Bingo,” describes a Bingo-like game in which a series of individual game boards each include a number of different sound producing objects thereon. The caller or controller of the game plays a specific sound of short duration on a sound producing device, with players attempting to match the sound with one of the objects pictured on their boards and placing a marker upon any object matched. Frischmann et al. do not provide any color differentiation in their game, nor do they provide differing numbers of positions having a specific attribute (e.g., sound), as do the present game boards with their differing numbers of colors in rows of differing lengths, in at least some embodiments.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,388 issued on Sep. 9, 1980 to Edward Carini, titled “Color Matching Ga
Litman Richard C.
Pierce William M.
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