Amusement devices: games – Simulated-projectile game – target therefor – or accessory
Reexamination Certificate
1998-02-06
2001-07-17
Sager, Mark (Department: 3713)
Amusement devices: games
Simulated-projectile game, target therefor, or accessory
C463S051000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06261180
ABSTRACT:
RELATED APPLICATIONS
The following U.S. patent applications, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference, disclose subject matter related to the subject matter disclosed herein: application Ser. No. 08/795,895, filed Feb. 5, 1997, titled “Interactive Light-Operated Toy Shooting Game” now U.S. Pat. No. 5,741,185; and application Ser. No. 09/015,863, filed Jan. 29, 1998, titled “Player Programmable, Interactive Toy for a Shooting Game”.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention disclosed herein relates to a portable, interactive toy for a shooting game which is player programmed using a computer. The game is played by radiating energy, e.g., light, and detecting appropriately directed radiated energy. Any of a number of features and functions may be enabled, disabled, set, etc. and otherwise controlled via programming by the computer, and data may be uploaded to and downloaded from portable player equipment via the computer. Player equipment may be detachably coupled to the computer or coupled to the computer via a wireless link.
Toys used in shooting games played by shooting some form of light and detecting when the shot light strikes a target typically include a light emitter and a light detector. The light detector may be located with the target and detect light impinging on the target, or the light detector may be provided with the light emitter to detect light projected from a target. The target may be passive and simply reflect light impinging thereon, or active and incorporate a light emitter. Many remote control applications, including remote control of consumer electronics devices and toys, use transmitted and detected light. Some of the above toys and remote control devices pulse, modulate and/or code the light, which may be infrared (“IR”) light.
The “Photon” toy of Entertech includes a gun having an IR emitter, a vest having a speaker and hit indicators, and a helmet having an IR detector and electronic sound transmitters, all tethered together. This toy also has a computerized target with an adjustable skill level.
The “Survivor Shot” toy of Hasbro includes a gun with an IR emitter and a head unit with an IR detector and a vibrator which vibrates when the head unit registers a hit. The gun and head unit are tethered. The gun is adjustable to project light for long range, short range, single shot and multiple shot.
A toy manufactured in China by Sega Enterprises Ltd. and distributed in the United Kingdom by Ban Dai (UK) Ltd. under the mark “Lock-On” includes a gun which emits IR light and a headset including an IR detector, a display and a sound generating device. The toy has a selectable lock-on feature which causes the headset of Player A to display an “H” and to beep when the gun of player “B” is appropriately pointed at player A's headset. Pressing the trigger of player B's gun during lock-on causes a hit to be registered on player A's headset. The “Lock-On” toy is capable of operation in a single player or training mode, and a player or competition or team mode. The “Lock-On” toy includes a high power feature where each detected shot is counted as three points instead of one point.
The “Laser Challenge” toy of Toymax Inc. of Plainview, New York has been on sale in the United States more than one year before the filing of this application. Application Ser. No. 08/795,895 generally describes the “Laser Challenge” toy.
The “Laser Challenge Pro” toy of Toymax Inc., generally described in application Ser. No. 09/015,863, is a portable, player programmable, interactive toy for a shooting game. The Laser Challenge Pro toy provides player sets which each include a toy gun and front and back targets, all tethered together. The gun has an IR emitter and an IR detector, and the front and back targets are mounted to a vest which includes a speaker, lamps, a vibrator and electronics. A keypad is provided on the gun for the entry of coded information to select from preprogrammed features and functions, including game modes, both prior to the start of a game and during a game. Players may interact with each in addition to detection of a hits by transferring information, which, for example, can remotely activate features and functions in another player's equipment or transfer a feature or function from one player to another.
The following U.S. patents disclose light toys or remote control devices: U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,119,005, 2,404,653, 2,957,693, 3,202,425, 3,499,650, 3,508,751, 3,549,147, 3,870,305, 3,960,380, 3,995,376, 4,164,081, 4,171,811, 4,266,776, 4,267,606, 4,375,106, 4,426,662, 4,533,144, 4,586,715, 4,629,427, 4,718,593, 4,754,133, 4,802,675, 4,844,475, 4,898,391, 4,931,028, 5,029,872, 5,253,068, 5,375,847, 5,401,025, 5,437,463, 5,552,917, 5,656,907, 5,672,108 and 5,577,962.
There is a need for a portable toy for use in a shooting game which provides for more interactivity, both between and among players and between a player and his equipment, and which controls and tracks game parameters not controlled or tracked in prior portable shooting game toys.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the invention disclosed herein to increase the play value of toys used in shooting games by making them more interactive, and/or by controlling and/or tracking game parameters that were not controlled or tracked in prior portable shooting game toys, and/or by providing portable shooting game toys with more player selectable features, and/or by making them player programmable, and/or by linking them to cooperate, for example to transfer information which affects game play between or among players.
It is another object of the invention to modularize a portable toy for a shooting game so that features and functions implemented by modular components may be added to and removed from the portable toy.
It is another object of the invention to provide novel features for portable toys used in shooting games, particularly features that can be programmed or selected by a player at the tart of a game.
It is another object of the invention to provide portable toys for a shooting game in which the players may interact in ways in addition to shooting at an opposing player and registering and processing hits.
It is another object of the invention to provide toys for a portable shooting game in which interactivity between players is increased by the ability of one player to interact with another player other than by firing and registering hits.
It is another object of the invention to enable players in a portable shooting game to transfer information between a player's equipment and a base unit which controls, tracks, tallies, etc. game features, functions and/or parameters.
A portable toy for a shooting game which incorporates the invention includes a plurality of radiation emitters each of which may be incorporated into some type of toy gun, at least one radiation detector which may be incorporated into a toy gun or target, or into another toy item carried by a player, or even into a self-propelled or stationary toy item, an electric circuit or circuits communicating with the radiation emitters and the at least one radiation detector, and at least one base unit which communicates with the electrical circuit(s).
The base unit sets up a game by conditioning player equipment for a selected game, and then receives data accumulated by player equipment, processes the data and makes it available for display and printing. The base unit is not used during game play, except in some embodiments to further condition player equipment (e.g., reload) during a game. In the preferred embodiment the base unit includes a programmed computer which programs circuitry in player equipment to establish and control certain features and functions, and to collect game data. The base unit uploads the collected data and processes it as indicated above.
Also, the invention comprises various combinations of one or more radiation emitters, one or more radiation detectors, one or more electric circuits and one or more base units. Further, the invention provides for modular
Ki Kwan David Chu
Landi Frank
Lebensfeld Steven
Rivette Deni
To Sammy
Brown & Raysman Millstein Felder & Steiner LLP
Sager Mark
Toymax Inc.
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