Handheld pinball game having a changeable display

• US 20050176501A1
• Filed: 02/10/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Wood, Ethan
• Granted Patent: US 7,422,523 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/303 Parts of the playing surface being movable, replaceable or removable A63F2007/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/027 electric

Abstract

A hand-held pinball game has a changeable display. The pinball game has a housing having a front face. A display screen is formed in the front face of the housing. A first opening is formed in the housing. A display card is visible through the display screen. The display card is insertable and removable through the first opening. A second opening in the housing receives additional display cards so that the pinball game display may be changed by a player. An impact sensor in the housing allows the player to nudge the housing to change the path of the simulated pinball.

Claims

1. A hand-held game, comprising:

a housing having a front face;

a display screen formed in said front face;

a first opening in said housing; and

a display card visible through said display screen, said display card being insertable and removable through said first opening.

2. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

said first opening is in a top face of said housing.

3. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

a second opening in said housing receives another display card not received in said first opening for use during play.

4. A hand-held game according to claim 3, wherein

said second opening is a pocket secured to a back face of said housing.

5. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

said game is a pinball game.

6. A hand-held game according to claim 5, wherein

an impact sensor in said housing senses movement of said housing and alters a path of a simulated pinball in said display screen in response thereto.

7. A hand-held game according to claim 5, wherein

a spring-loaded plunger is connected to said housing to launch a simulated pinball into play.

8. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

a battery contained in said housing powers said hand-held game.

9. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

said housing is made of plastic.

10. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

said housing has at least one speaker to provide sound.

11. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

said display screen is an LCD.

12. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

said LCD has a dot matrix portion to display text thereon.

13. A hand-held game according to claim 1, wherein

a printed circuit board is mounted in said housing behind said display card and said display screen.

14. A hand-held game according to claim 12, wherein

a plurality of LED'"'"'s visible through said display screen are mounted on said printed circuit board.

15. A hand-held game according to claim 5, wherein

first and second buttons on said front face of said housing control simulated flippers of said display screen.

16. A hand-held pinball game, comprising:

a housing having a front face and a back face;

a display screen formed in said front face;

a first opening in said housing;

a first display card visible through said display screen;

said first display card being insertable and removable through said first opening;

a second opening in said housing for receiving a second display card, said second display card being interchangeable with said first display card; and

an impact sensor mounted in said housing to sense movement of said housing, wherein a path of a simulated pinball in said display screen is changed when movement of said housing is sensed by said impact sensor.

17. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

said first opening is in a top face of said housing.

18. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

a spring-loaded plunger is connected to said housing to launch said simulated pinball.

19. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

a battery contained in said housing powers said hand-held pinball game.

20. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

said housing is made of plastic.

21. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

said housing has at least one speaker to provide sound.

22. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

said display screen is an LCD.

23. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 22, wherein

said LCD has a dot matrix portion to display text thereon

24. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

a printed circuit board is mounted in said housing behind said display card and said display screen.

25. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 24, wherein

a plurality of LED'"'"'s visible through said display screen are mounted on said printed circuit board.

26. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

said second opening is in a pocket attached to a back face of said housing.

27. A hand-held pinball game according to claim 16, wherein

first and second buttons on said front face of said housing control simulated flippers of said display screen.

28. A method of playing a hand-held pinball game;

comprising the steps of

playing the pinball game with a first display card viewable through a display screen in the housing of the pinball game;

removing the first display card through a first opening in the housing;

inserting a second display card through the first opening in the housing; and

playing the pinball game with the second display card viewable through the display screen in the housing of the pinball game.

29. A method of playing a hand-held pinball game according to claim 28, further comprising

removing the second display card from a second opening in the housing before inserting the second display card through the first opening;

and

inserting the first display card in the second opening after removing the first display card from the first opening.

30. A method of playing a hand-held pinball game according to claim 28, further comprising

tapping the housing during play to alter a path of a simulated pinball in said display screen.

31. A method of playing a hand-held pinball game according to claim 30, further comprising

counting the tapping of the housing during play;

and

stopping play when a predetermined number of taps has occurred within a predetermined amount of time.

32. A method of playing a hand-held pinball game according to claim 28, further comprising

pushing first and second buttons on said housing to move simulated first and second flippers of said display screen.

33. A method of playing a hand-held pinball game according to claim 28, further comprising

pulling and releasing a spring-loaded plunger to launch a simulated pinball into play.