Electronic puzzle game

• US 4,961,579 A
• Filed: 01/23/1989
• Issued: 10/09/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tutor Toys Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Tutor Toys Incorporated
• Inventors: Bingham, Russell D., Holmes, William Jr., Thompson, Barbara J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/300,965
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 273/1 E, 273/237, 273/153 R, 434/167, 434/169, 434/322, 434/335
• US Class Current: 273/153.00R
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0612 Electronic puzzles

Abstract

An electronic puzzle game device for players/students. The device includes a memory for storing code corresponding to a plurality of sets of alpha-numeric symbols, each set comprising a puzzle. A display is provided for visibly indicating a selected puzzle. In the preferred embodiment, a player can vary the degree of difficulty of the displayed puzzle which generally includes a topic together with a selected number of letter cues. A player or student will preferably list words which start with the randomly selected letter cues and correspond to the displayed topic. A timer serves to determine the length of the time period a player has to solve the puzzle. In one embodiment, audible signals, including the counting down of the timer and the ending of the timer cycle are provided.

Claims

1. An electronic puzzle game device for increasing knowledge of a user by causing said user to develop responses to a puzzle topic, comprising:

microprocessor means including memory means for storing codes corresponding to a plurality of random sets of alphanumeric characters, each set comprising a puzzle topic together with a random cue to prompt said user relative to said puzzle topic;

display means connected to said microprocessor means for displaying a randomly selected puzzle topic to said user from said memory means;

further display means connected to said microprocessor means for displaying a plurality of randomly selected alphanumeric characters from said memory means as said cue to said puzzle topic; and

user input means connected with said microprocessor means for initiating a game and for changing said displayed puzzle topic whereby said user responds to said displayed random puzzle topic using said displayed random cue.

2. The electronic puzzle game device of claim 1 further comprising timing means initiated by said user input means for determining a selected time period allotted said user to respond to said puzzle topic.

3. The electronic puzzle game device of claim 2 further including audible means for audibly indicating passage of time and expiration of said time period allotted for said response to each said puzzle topic.

7. The electronic puzzle game device of claim 2 wherein said user input means includes means for manually terminating a round of play.

4. An electronic puzzle game device for increasing knowledge of vocabulary and words of a user, comprising:

microprocessor means including memory means for storing codes corresponding to a plurality of sets of individual and sets of alphanumeric letters, each set comprising a word puzzle topic together with a random cue to prompt said user relative to said puzzle topic;

display means connected to said microprocessor means for displaying a randomly selected word puzzle topic from said memory means to said user;

further display means connected to said microprocessor means for displaying a plurality of randomly selected of said individual alphabetical letters as said cue to said word puzzle topic from said memory means to said user;

user input means to said microprocessor means for initiating a game, for changing said word puzzle topic displayed and for varying the degree of difficulty of said displayed word puzzle topic; and

timing means initiated by said user input means for determining a selected time period allotted said user to respond to said word puzzle topic.

5. The electronic puzzle game device of claim 4 further including audible means for audibly indicating passage of time and expiration of said time period allotted for said response to each said word puzzle topic.

6. The electronic puzzle game device of claim 4 wherein said memory means includes pluggably interchangeable external expansion modules and a built-in memory, said expansion modules and said built-in memory each containing selected individual and sets of alphabetic letters for use in said display means and said further display means.

8. A portable electronic puzzle game device useful for increasing a user'"'"'s knowledge of vocabulary and words related to various word topics by causing said user to generate words related to a selected word topic, which comprises:

user input means for initiating operation of said device;

display means for visually depicting for said user a random one of said various word topics;

further display means for visually depicting for said user a plurality of random alphabetic letters as cues for responses to said displayed word topic; and

microprocessor means, including memory means, connected to said user input means and to said display means and further display means for generating a signal to said display means corresponding to said one of said random word topics and for generating a signal to said further display means corresponding to said plurality of random alphabetical letters, said random word topics and said random alphabetic letters being stored in said memory means, whereby said user generates word responses to said displayed random word topic using said displayed random alphabetic letters as cues.

9. The device of claim 8 further comprising further user input means for selecting a level of difficulty for said word topics.

10. The device of claim 9 further comprising enclosure means for said input means, said further input means, said display and further display means, and said microprocessor means.

11. The device of claim 10 wherein said display means is a display mounted in a face of said enclosure means for providing to said user a visualization of a selected one of said random word topics and said level of difficulty, said further display means is a display mounted in said face of said enclosure means provided to said user a visualization of said random alphabetical letters, said user input means is a keyboard mounted in said face of said enclosure providing for initiation of operation of said device by said user, and said further user input means is a keyboard mounted in said face of said enclosure providing for selection of said level of difficulty of said topic by said user.

12. The device of claim 8 further comprising a timing means initiated by said user input means for generating a signal after an elapse of a preselected time interval for said user to select words within said one random word topic by forming words using said random alphabetic letters.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein said timing means is within said microprocessor means.

14. The device of claim 13 whwerein said microprocessor means provides signals to an audible sound means for producing audible sounds corresponding to conditions of operations of said device.

15. The device of claim 14 whwerein said audible sound means generates an audible sound upon elapse of said preselected time interval.

16. The device of claim 8 further comprising interchangeable supplemental memory means for said microprocessor means for introducing supplemental random word topics and supplemental random alphabetic letters for display in said display means and said further display means, respectively.

17. A portable electronic puzzle game device, for use with a separate recording medium, useful for increasing a user'"'"'s knowledge of vocabulary and words related to various word topics, comprising:

user input means for initiating operation of said device;

display means for visually depicting for said user a random one of said various word topics;

further display means for visually depicting a plurality of random alphabetic letters as cues for forming words to be selected by said user within said random one of said word topics and recorded on said separate recording medium;

microprocessor means, including memory means, connected to said user input means and to said display means and further display means for generating a signal to said display means corresponding to said one of said random word categories and for generating a signal to said further display means corresponding to said plurality of random alphabetical letters, said random word topics and said random alphabetic letters being stored in said memory means;

timing means actuated by said user input means for preselecting a time interval for said user to form said words from said alphabetical letters displayed in said further display means and record said words on said separate recording medium; and

enclosure means for said input means, said further input means, said display and further display means, and said microprocessor means.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein said memory means includes a built-in memory means and pluggably interchangeable external expansion memory modules, said built-in memory means and said expansion memory modules each containing said individual and sets of alphabetical letters.