ELECTRONIC WORD GAME

• US 20170095729A1
• Filed: 10/04/2016
• Published: 04/06/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Driscoll, Shari Spiridigliozzi
• Original Assignee: Robert Driscoll
• Inventors: DRISCOLL, ROBERT, SPIRIDIGLIOZZI, SHARI
• Granted Patent: US 10,413,808 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00659 LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00826 Changeable playing pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0426 Spelling games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2488 Remotely playable
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2492 Power supply
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00697 Playing pieces
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0421 Electric word or number games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819

Abstract

An electronic word game uses a plurality of tiles and electronic rack to make one or more words. The tiles are received in a plurality of receivers in the rack enabling electronic communication between the tiles and rack. Each tile includes a display screen, a microprocessor, and communication means. The rack includes an on-off switch, microprocessor, speaker, power source, and a means of communicating with each tile. A capacitor in each tile provides power to keep the display screen on temporarily after the tile is removed from the rack. The microprocessor includes a means for selecting a word to be spelled based on the number of tiles selected to play the game (between 3 and 7 tiles), a means for determining whether a word has been formed, and a means to signal the player that a word has been formed.

Claims

1. An electronic word game system, the system comprising:

a rack, the rack comprising;

a body having a bottom surface, a front surface, a back surface and a pair of sides, the front surface including a plurality of receptacles therein, the receptacles sized to receive a plurality of tiles therein, each receptacle sized to receive a single tile therein, each receptacle including a plurality of contacts therein, the contacts further including a means for electronic communication with the plurality of tiles,

the rack further comprising a microprocessor, a power switch, a power source, the microprocessor, power switch and power source being in electrical communication with each other;

the microprocessor comprising;

a means for detecting the presence of a tile within the rack;

a means for determining the location of a tile within the rack;

a means for communicating with the tiles;

a database of words, each word having a plurality of letters; and

a database of instructions for controlling the word game; and

a plurality of tiles, each tile comprising;

a body having;

a front surface, a back surface, a plurality of sides connecting the front and back surfaces, the front surface having a display screen and a rim surrounding the display screen;

the body including a plurality of contacts;

a microprocessor, the microprocessor contained within the body and in electronic communication with the display screen and the plurality of contacts;

a printed circuit board in electronic communication with the microprocessor; and

a means to store electric power to power the display upon removal of the tile from the game rack.

2. The game system as described in claim 1, wherein the plurality of contacts of the rack and the tile each comprise a grounding contact, a data transmission contact and a power transmission contact.

3. The game system as described in claim 2, wherein when the tile is placed in the rack receptacle, the tile rack microprocessor communicates with the tile microprocessor to program the tile display.

4. The game system as described in claim 3, wherein the signals displayed during a game include a NEW LETTERS signal, a VALID WORD signal, a TIME OUT signal, a GAME OVER signal and a NO SCORE signal.

5. A rack for an electronic word game, the rack comprising:

a body having a bottom surface, a front surface, a back surface and a pair of sides, the front surface including a plurality of receptacles therein, the receptacles sized to receive a plurality of tiles therein, each receptacle sized to receive a single tile therein, each receptacle including a plurality of contacts therein, the contacts further including a means for electronic communication with the plurality of tiles,

the rack further comprising a microprocessor, a power switch, a power source, the microprocessor, power switch and power source being in electrical communication with each other;

the microprocessor comprising

a means for detecting the presence of a tile within the rack;

a means for determining the location of a tile within the rack;

a means for communicating with the tiles;

a database of words, each word having a plurality of letters; and

a database of instructions for controlling the word game.

6. The rack as described in claim 5, wherein the plurality of contacts comprise a grounding contact, a data transmission contact and a power transmission contact.

7. The rack as described in claim 5, wherein the maximum number of letters in the plurality of letters is equal to one less than the maximum number of receptacles in the plurality of receptacles.

8. The rack as described in claim 6, further comprising a means for communicating with one or more of a plurality of second racks.

9. The rack as described in claim 8, wherein the means for communicating with the one or more second racks comprises an infrared communication transmitter, the infrared transmitter in electronic communication with the microprocessor.

10. The rack as described in claim 9, wherein the means for communicating with the one or more second racks comprises an wireless communication means, the wireless communication means in electronic communication with the microprocessor.

11. The rack as described in claim 10, further comprising a means for receiving a wireless communication or an infrared communication from the second rack.

12. The rack as described in claim 6, further comprising a speaker, the speaker in electronic communication with the microprocessor.

13. A tile for an electronic word game, the tile comprising:

a body having;

a front surface, a back surface, a plurality of sides connecting the front and back surfaces, the front surface having a display screen and a rim surrounding the display screen;

the body including a plurality of contacts;

a microprocessor, the microprocessor contained within the body and in electronic communication with the display screen and the plurality of contacts;

a printed circuit board in electronic communication with the microprocessor; and

a means to store electric power to power the display upon removal of the tile from a game rack.

14. The tile as described in claim 13, wherein the plurality of contacts comprise a grounding contact, a data transmission contact and a power transmission contact.

15. The tile as described in claim 14, wherein the plurality of contacts interact with corresponding contacts when the tile is positioned in a receptacle of a game rack.

16. The tile as described in claim 14, wherein the display comprises a display selected from the group consisting of a Liquid Crystal Display (“

LCD”

). a light emitting diode (“

LED”

) and an organic light emitting diode (“

OLED”

).

17. The tile as described in claim 16, wherein the display comprises a Liquid Crystal Display.

18. The tile as described in claim 14, wherein the rim further comprises a display, and the tile microprocessor is in electronic communication display with the rim display.

19. The tile as described in claim 18, wherein the tile microprocessor causes the rim display to flash when a correct word is formed.