METHODS OF PLAYING DRAWING GAMES AND ELECTRONIC GAME SYSTEMS ADAPTED TO INTERACTIVELY PROVIDE THE SAME

• US 20070018393A1
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Published: 01/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Collins, Gary, Maciver, Peter, Ritter, Janice, Yu, Brian
• Granted Patent: US 7,887,058 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/272
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0661 Making a drawing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2457 Display screens, e.g. monitors, video displays
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric

Abstract

Methods of playing drawings games incorporating novel steps and electronic game systems configured for use with a video display and adapted to interactively provide novel methods of playing drawing games. Novel steps of the methods include: providing an award based at least in part on the number of continuous lines used by a player in the drawing of clues; erasing a player'"'"'s drawing after a predetermined time in sequence to how the drawing was sketched; providing an initial image to a player who sketches clues incorporating the initial image to create a drawing; limiting a player'"'"'s sketch to a combination of a predetermined set of shapes; limiting a player'"'"'s sketch to clues not depicting the physical manifestation of the word provided; manipulating a hand, wrist, or arm of a player to sketch clues to a word; requiring the player sketching clues to continuously produce verbal sound; requiring the player sketching clues to continuously keep his/her feet off the floor; and requiring the player sketching the clues to sketch upside-down.

Claims

1. A method of playing a drawing game, comprising:

playing at least one round, the at least one round selected from the group consisting of;

a first round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a drawing while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on the number of continuous lines used by the first player in the drawing of the clues and on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a second round, comprising;

providing a first player with a word;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a drawing, the drawing being limited to a combination of a predetermined set of shapes while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a third round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a drawing, the drawing being limited to clues not depicting the physical manifestation of the word while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a fourth round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

while continuously producing verbal sound, sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a drawing while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a fifth round comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player while continuously holding his/her feet off the floor, clues to the word to create a drawing while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the first player successfully keeps his/her feet off the floor and the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a sixth round comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, upside-down clues to the word to create a drawing while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a seventh round comprising;

providing a first word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the first word to create a first drawing while a second player, observing the first drawing, attempts to identify the first word;

providing a second word to the first player;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the second word to create a second drawing while the second player, observing the second drawing, attempts to identify the second word; and

providing an award based at least in part on the number of words correctly identified by the second player before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

an eighth round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a drawing while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word;

erasing the drawing after a first predetermined time in sequence to how the drawing was drawn; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a second predetermined time;

a ninth round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

providing an initial image to the first player;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a drawing incorporating the initial image while a second player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

a tenth round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word to create a first drawing while a second player, observing the first drawing, attempts to identify the word;

sketching, by a third player, additional clues to the word to create a second drawing incorporating the first drawing while the second player, observing the second drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time;

an eleventh round, comprising;

providing a first word and a second word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the first word to create a first drawing while a second player, observing the first drawing, attempts to identify the first word;

upon the second player correctly identifying the first word, sketching, by the first player, clues to the second word to create a second drawing while the second player, observing the second drawing, attempts to identify the second word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the first word and the second word before the timer runs to a predetermined time; and

a twelfth round, comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer;

sketching, by the first player manipulating a hand, wrist, or arm of a second player, clues to the word to create a drawing while the second player or a third player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the third player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing an electronic game system for use with a video display including a drawing input device configured to receive user input including the drawing or drawings created in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth round, wherein the system is adapted to;

output video data to the video display including output drawings corresponding to the drawing or drawings created in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth round; and

interactively provide to a user at least one of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eight, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth round.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the drawing input device includes a tablet and stylus.

4. An electronic game system configured for use with a video display and adapted to interactively provide a round of the method of claim 1, comprising:

a drawing input device configured to receive user input including the drawing or drawings created in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth round, wherein the system is adapted to output video data to the video display including output drawings corresponding to the drawing or drawings created in the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, or twelfth round.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the drawing input device includes a tablet and stylus.