ELECTRIC PING-PONG GAME AND THE LIKE

• US 3,583,538 A
• Filed: 03/24/1969
• Issued: 06/08/1971
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/1969
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Frederick A. Hurley
• Original Assignee: Frederick A. Hurley
• Inventors: Hurley, Frederick A.
• Application Number:
  US04/809,789
• Time in Patent Office: 806 Days
• US Class Current: 463/3
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0652 Tennis
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0664 Electric
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/38 Ball games; Shooting apparatus

Abstract

A remote control coin-operated amusement game, including a wallhung display panel. The display panel is arranged so that a game can be simulated wherein two players appear to hit a game object back and forth as, for example, in a ping-pong game. The control technique includes initiating a serve in response to a first player actuation and initiating a return volley in response to subsequent player actuations until a miss is detected. When a miss is detected, the course of the game object continues beyond the player that has missed and a point is added to the opposing player'"'"''"'"'s score.

Claims

1. In an electric amusement game wherein a simulated game object is hit back and forth between simulated players, the combination of:

a display panel disposed for view by the players;

first circuit means coupled to said display panel to simulate thereon when actuated the movement of a gAme object toward a simulated player on said display panel;

second circuit means coupled to said display panel to simulate thereon the movement of a game-playing object along a path which intercepts the path of said simulated game object;

third circuit means connected to said first and second circuit means to detect when said game object and said game-playing object intercept to alter the simulated movement of said game object; and

player-operated means coupled to actuate said first and second circuit means.

2. An electric amusement game according to claim 1 further including a radio transmitter-receiver coupled between said player-operated means and said first and second circuit means.

3. An electric amusement game according to claim 1 further including means for receiving coins and detecting when coins of a predetermined amount have been deposited, said means being connected to complete the coupling between said player-operated means and said first and second circuit means when deposited coins of said predetermined amount have been received.

4. An electric amusement device according to claim 3 wherein said player-operated means and said mans for receiving coins are located remotely, and further comprising radio transmitter-receiver means for coupling said player-operated means and said means for receiving coins to said first and second circuit means.

5. An electric amusement game according to claim 1 wherein said game object is a simulated ping-pong ball and said game-playing object is a simulated ping-pong paddle.

6. An electric amusement game according to claim 1 wherein said third circuit means alters the simulated movement of said game object so that it appears to return to another player on said display panel when said game object and game-playing object intercept.

7. An electric amusement game according to claim 6 wherein the movement of said game object is not altered when said game-playing object fails to intercept said game object and appears to move past the simulated player on said display panel.

8. In an electric amusement game, comprising a display panel disposed for view by the players;

first circuit means coupled to said display panel to simulate thereon the movement of a game object back and forth between two players, said first circuit means being operative to simulate the movement of said game object from one player toward the other in response to an initial actuation, and to reverse the direction of movement of said game object in response to each subsequent actuation;

second circuit means coupled to said display panel to simulate thereon, when actuated, the movement of game-playing objects along paths which intercept the path of said simulated game object;

player-operated means coupled to said first and second circuit means to provide said initial actuation for said first circuit means and to provide actuations for said second circuit means;

third circuit means connected to said first and second circuit means to detect when said game object and said game-playing object intercept and to provide a subsequent actuation for said first circuit means each time an interception is detected.

9. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 further including circuit means coupled between said player-operated means and said first and second circuit means so that a first player actuation of said player-operated means provides said initial actuation for said first circuit means and said first and subsequent actuations of said player-operated means provide actuations for said second circuit means.

10. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 wherein said game object continues on a path extending beyond said game-playing object when an intercept is not detected by said third circuit means.

11. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 wherein said second circuit means is actuated prior to the initial actuation of said first circuit means to simulate the serve of said game obJect.

12. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 further including score-accumulating and display means, and wherein said third circuit means is coupled to said score means to add to a player'"'"''"'"'s score when an intercept is not detected.

13. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 wherein said game object is a ping-pong ball and said game-playing object is a ping-pong paddle.

14. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 further including a radio transmitter-receiver coupled between said player-operated means and said first and second circuit means.

15. An electric amusement game according to claim 8 further including means for receiving coins and detecting when coins of a predetermined amount have been deposited, said means being connected to complete the coupling between said player-operated means and said first and second circuit means when deposited coins of said predetermined amount have been received.

16. An electric amusement device according to claim 15 wherein said player-operated means and said means for receiving coins are located remotely, and further comprising radio transmitter-receiver means for coupling said player-operated means and said means for receiving coins to said first and second circuit means.

17. In an electric amusement game, the combination of a display panel disposed for view by the players having areas thereon which can be selectively illuminated;

first switching means coupled to said display panel for selectively illuminating selected areas of said display panel for simulation of a game ball movement back and forth between two players;

second switching means coupled to said display panel for selectively illuminating selected areas of said display panel for simulation of game-playing object movements which intercept the path of said simulated game ball movements;

player-operated means;

first circuit means coupled between said player-operated means and said first and second switching means to provide a simulated serve of the game ball in response to a first player actuation;

second circuit means coupled between said player-operated means and second switching means to provide simulation of a game-playing object movement in response to subsequent player actuations; and

third circuit means coupled to said second circuit means for detecting when said simulated game playing object and said simulated game ball intercept, said third circuit means being connected to said first switching means to alter the direction of the simulated game ball movement when an interception is detected.

18. An electric amusement game according to claim 17 wherein said first and second switching means each comprise stepping switches.

19. An electric amusement game according to claim 17 wherein said first switching means comprises a first stepping switch for controlling simulation of the game ball movement from a first simulated player toward a second simulated player on said display panel and a second stepping switch for controlling simulation of the game ball movement from said second simulated player toward said first simulated player.

20. An electric amusement game according to claim 19 wherein said first switching means further comprises a pair of stepping switches coupled to said display panel to control simulation of the game ball movements when said game-playing object fails to intercept said simulated game ball.

21. An electric amusement game according to claim 17 wherein said second switching means comprises a separate stepping switch for controlling the simulated game-playing object movement for each of two simulated players on said display panel.

22. An electric amusement game according to claim 17 wherein said third circuit means is also operative to detect when a simulated moving playing object fails to intercept said moving ball game, and further including switching means connected to said third circuit means for accumulating the players'"'"''"'"' scoreS.

23. An electric amusement game according to claim 17 wherein said third circuit means detects an interception by detecting when said subsequent player actuations occur when said switching means is in a predetermined condition.