Amusement devices: games – Chance devices – Dice
Reexamination Certificate
2002-08-30
2004-09-07
Layno, Benjamin H. (Department: 3711)
Amusement devices: games
Chance devices
Dice
CD21S372000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06786485
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an educational dice game apparatus for use by one or more young players who are learning basic mathematical skills such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication. The dice game apparatus enables the participants to engage in various dice games which are educational and entertaining and which increase their ability to quickly and easily solve mathematical problems such as addition, subtraction, and multiplication.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
A comprehensive description of the prior art is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 1,523,615, U.S. Pat. No. 2,077,010, U.S. Pat. No. 3,208,754, U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,893, U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,588, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,239, which patents are incorporated herein in their entireties by reference.
Several educational dice games exist. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,959,893, U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,588, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,239. However, no dice game apparatus has been to teach young children the very basic mathematical skills of adding, subtracting, and multiplying using just three dice.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, there is a need for a dice game, for use by young children who are learning very basic mathematical skills such as adding, subtracting, and multiplying the numbers 0 through 6, 8, 10, 12, or higher, which uses just three dice.
The present invention solves the need set forth in the preceding paragraph by providing a dice game apparatus comprising a first numerical die, a second numerical die, and at least one operator die selected from the group consisting of a first operator die and a second operator die. While the dice game apparatus comprises the first operator die and/or the second operator die, dice games within the scope of the present invention are played with just three dice, namely, the first numerical die, the second numerical die, and either the first operator die or the second operator die.
More specifically, the dice game apparatus of the present invention comprises at least one set of dice. Each set of dice consists essentially of (a) a first numerical die, (b) a second numerical die, and (c) at least one operator die selected from the group consisting of a first operator die and a second operator die. The first numerical die has (i) at least N
1
faces, with N
1
being a whole, even number from 6 to 20, and (ii) N
1
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces, with each of the N
1
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces of the first numerical die lying in a pair of substantially parallel planes. Each face of the first numerical die bears a different first indicia of numerical value from 0 to N
1
, provided that if 0 appears on any face of the first numerical die, the highest first indicia of numerical value on any face of the first numerical die is N
1
/1.
Like the first numerical die, the second numerical die has (i) at least N
2
faces, with N
2
being a whole, even number from 6 to 20, and N
2
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces, with each of the N
2
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces of the second numerical die lying in a pair of substantially parallel planes. Each face of the second numerical die bears a different second indicia of numerical value from 0 to N
2
, provided that if 0 appears on any face of the second numerical die, the highest second indicia of numerical value on any face of the second numerical die is N
2
−1.
Regarding the first operator die, the first operator die has (i) at least N
3
faces, with N
3
being a whole, even number from 6 to 20, and (ii) N
3
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces, with each of the N
3
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces of the first operator die lying in a pair of substantially parallel planes. The first operator die bears (A) a third indicia representing the mathematical operation of addition on X
1
of the faces of the first operator die, where X
1
is a whole number from 1 to 2/3N
3
, (B) a fourth indicia representing the mathematical operation of subtraction on Y
1
of the faces of the first operator die, where Y
1
is a whole number from 1 to 2/3N
3
, and (C) a fifth indicia representing a mathematical operation to be chosen by a player, the mathematical operation being selected from the group consisting of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on Z
1
of the faces of the first operator die, where Z
1
is a whole number from 0 to 1/3N
3
, with the sum of X
1
, Y
1
, Z
1
equaling N
3
.
Similar to the first operator die, the second operator die has (i) at least N
4
faces, with N
4
being a whole, even number from 6 to 20, and (ii) N
4
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces, with each of the N
4
/2 pairs of opposing, spaced apart faces of the second operator die lying in a pair of substantially parallel planes. However, the second operator die bears (A) a sixth indicia representing the mathematical operation of addition on X
2
of the faces of the second operator die, where X
2
is a whole number from 1 to 1/2N
4
, (B) a seventh indicia representing the mathematical operation of subtraction on Y
2
of the faces of the second operator die, where Y
2
is a whole number from 1 to 1/2N
4
, (C) an eighth indicia representing the mathematical operation of multiplication on Z
2
of the faces of the second operator die, where Z
2
is a whole number from 1 to 1/2N
4
, and (D) a ninth indicia representing a mathematical operation to be chosen by a player, the mathematical operation being selected from the group consisting of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division on A
2
of the faces of the second operator die, where A
2
is a whole number from 0 to 1/4N
4
, with the sum of X
2
, Y
2
, Z
2
, and A
2
equaling N
4
.
Preferably, each of the faces of the first numerical die has substantially the same surface area, each of the faces of the second numerical die has substantially the same surface area, each of the faces of the first operator die has substantially the same surface area, and each of the faces of the second operator die has substantially the same surface area. More preferably, each of the faces of the first numerical die, each of the faces of the second numerical die, each of the faces of the first operator die, and each of the faces of the second operator die has substantially the same surface area.
Desirably, the dice game apparatus of the present invention comprises the first operator die and the second operator die. Also, the first numerical die, the second numerical die, the first operator die, and the second operator die preferably have the same number of faces, i.e., N
1
, N
2
, N
3
, and N
4
are preferably equal.
In one embodiment of the present invention, the dice game apparatus comprises a set of dice consisting essentially of (1) a hexahedron first numerical die bearing a different first indicia of numerical value from 0 to 6 on each of its six faces, provided that if 0 appears on any face of the first numerical die, the highest indicia of numerical value on any face of the first numerical die is 5, (2) a hexahedron second numerical die bearing a different second indicia of numerical value from 0 to 6 on each of its six faces, provided that if 0 appears on any face of the second numerical die, the highest indicia of numerical value on any face of the second numeric die is 5, (3) a hexahedron first operator die bearing (a) a third indicia representing the mathematical operation of addition on X
1
of the faces of the first operator die, where X
1
is a whole number from 1 to 4, (b) a fourth indicia representing the mathematical operation of subtraction on Y
1
of the faces of the first operator die, where Y
1
is a whole number from 1 to 4, and (c) a fifth indicia representing a mathematical operation of choice on Z
1
of the faces of the first operator die, where Z
1
is a whole number from 0 to 2 (with the sum of X
1
, Y
1
, and Z
1
equaling 6), and (4) a hexahedron the second operator die bearing (a) a sixth indicia representing the mathematical operation of addition on X
2
of the faces of the second operator die, where X
2
is a whole
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