Self-contained competitive game for developing spatial sense in young children

• US 5,050,883 A
• Filed: 02/07/1990
• Issued: 09/24/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 02/07/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Adolph E. Goldfarb
• Original Assignee: Adolph E. Goldfarb
• Inventors: Goldfarb, Adolph E., Goldfarb, Martin I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Coven, Edward M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee, Junhee
• Application Number:
  US07/476,748
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• Field of Search: 273/238, 273/237, 273/1 E, 273/138 A, 273/254, 273/153 R, 273/1 GC, 273/85 G, 273/251, 273/252, 273/258, 273/262
• US Class Current: 463/15
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2408 Touch-sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2452 as a signal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2477 Tone generators, oscillators
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2494 Battery, e.g. dry cell
• 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 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32

Abstract

Electronics and a playing method stimulate abstract spatil-relations ability, particularly memory of abstract space, in youngsters--without requiring them to know or spell game commands, or to find keys on a typewriter-like keyboard. The game exploits the competitive instinct by rewarding ability to recall complex geometric abstractions, while yet encouraging play by those who lack that ability. Dedicated manual inputs are used by each player to enter moves--in the pure form of directions in which the player wishes to go. An audio speaker signals which player'"'"'s move it is, and whether each attempted move is valid. A digital microprocessor is used to define a maze and each player'"'"'s position in it, and to receive moves from the directional inputs, and to operate the speaker in reply to attempted moves. The processor has no functional connection with any device for displaying a direct pictorial representation of any part of the maze, and indeed no such direct picture is electronically developed or shown. The game does include, however, a playing board on which players can in effect map their own attempts to move through part of the maze--if they are willing to let other players see their maps.

Claims

1. A self-contained electronic game for stimulating and developing abstract spatial-relations sense in young children, without requiring verbal or spelling ability or the ability to operate a typewriter-like keyboard;

said game comprising;

first dedicated digital electronic memory means defining a maze;

second dedicated digital electronic memory means defining a position in the maze for each player of the game respectively;

manually operable dedicated directional input means for use by a player in entering an attempted move;

dedicated annunciator means for communicating to players whether an attempted move is valid;

dedicated digital electronic processing means, interconnected to receive information from the directional input means and from the first and second memory means, for responding to any attempted move which each player respectively enters at the input means by actuating the annunciator means to communicate whether that move is valid for that player'"'"'s position in the maze;

the processing means having no functional interconnection with any device for displaying a direct pictorial representation of any portion of the maze;

wherein the directional input means comprise means for receiving direction of the attempted move from a single respective manual motion;

passive pictorial means, having no electronic interconnection with the processing means, for pictorially representing an array of game positions, conceptually corresponding to an abstract array of geometric positions that includes geometric positions constituting the maze; and

position-defining means for manual placement in relation to the pictorial means to adid a player in visualizing position in and progress through the game positions.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein:

the passive pictorial means comprise a first set of directional indicia defining orientation in relation to the array of game positions; and

the input means comprise a control housing having a second set of directional indicia related to the first set of directional indicia;

whereby the input-means control housing is susceptible to alignment with the passive pictorial means.

3. The game of claim 1, wherein:

the processing means comprise means for advancing each player to a new position in the maze in accordance with that player'"'"'s attempted move, and in accordance with the defined maze, if that attempted move is a valid move.

4. The game of claim 1, wherein:

the annunciator means generate an exclusively acoustic indication of validity or invalidity of an attempted move.

5. A self-contained electronic game for stimulating and developing abstract spatial-relations sense in young children, without requiring verbal or spelling ability or the ability to operate a typewriter-like keyboard;

said game comprising;

first dedicated digital electronic memory means defining a maze;

second dedicated digital electronic memory means defining a position in the maze for each player of the game respectively;

manually operable dedicated directional input means for use by a player in entering an attempted move;

dedicated annunciator means for communicating to players whether an attempted move is valid;

dedicated digital electronic processing means, interconnected to receive information from the directional input means and from the first and second memory means, for responding to any attempted move which each player respectively enters at the input means by actuating the annunciator means to communicate whether that move is valid for that player'"'"'s position in the maze;

the processing means having no functional interconnection with any device for displaying a direct pictorial representation of any portion of the maze;

wherein the directional input means comprise means for receiving direction of the attempted move from a single respective manual motion;

a passive pictorial game board that defines an array of game positions, conceptually corresponding to an abstract array of geometric positions that includes geometric positions constituting the maze, but is not interconnected with the processing means electronically; and

playing tokens for manual placement on the game board to aid a player in visualizing position in and progress through the maze.

6. The game of claim 5, wherein:

the game board comprises a first set of directional indicia defining orientation in relation to the array of game positions; and

the input means comprise a control housing having a second set of directional indicia related to the first set of directional indicia;

whereby the input-means control housing is susceptible to alignment with the game board.

7. A self-contained competitive electronic game apparatus for making use of the competitive nature of young children to stimulate and develop abstract spatial-relations sense in such children, without requiring verbal or spelling ability or the ability to operate a typewriter-like keyboard;

said game comprising;

first dedicated digital electronic memory means defining a maze;

second dedicated digital electronic memory means defining a position in the maze for each player of the game respectively;

manually operable dedicated directional input means for use by a player in entering an attempted move;

dedicated annunciator means for communicating to players whether an attempted move is valid;

dedicated digital electronic processing means, interconnected to receive information from the directional input means and from the first and second memory means, for responding to any attempted move which each player respectively enters at the input means by actuating the annunciator means to communicate whether that move is valid for that player'"'"'s position in the maze;

wherein the processing means and the first and second memory means comprise;

means for signalling each of a plurality of players in turn to enter attempted moves,

means for keeping of track of how many players are in the game, and

means for keeping track of which player'"'"'s turn it is; and

wherein the processing means have no functional interconnection with any device for displaying a direct pictorial representation of any portion of the maze;

passive pictorial means, having no electronic interconnection with the processing means, for pictorially representing an array of game positions, conceptually corresponding to an abstract array of geometric positions that includes geometric positions constituting the maze; and

position-defining means for manual placement in relation to the pictorial means to aid a player in (1) visualizing position in and progress through the game positions, and thus in (2) manually creating a pictorial map of part of the maze;

whereby each particular one of a plurality of competing players can selectively either (a) employ the position-defining means to create such a map of part of the maze, at the cost of making the map visible to other players, or (b) not so employ the position-defining means, at the cost of foregoing the advantage of seeing the part of the maze which that particular one player is traversing;

whereby the game apparatus places a great competitive premium on ability to deduce and remember the maze structure without creating a pictorial map, while yet encouraging meaningful participation in the game by players who lack that abillity; and

wherein;

the directional input means comprise means for receiving direction of the attempted move from a single respective manual motion;

the processing means comprise means for advancing each player to a new position in the maze in accordance with that player'"'"'s attempted move, and in accordance with the defined maze, if that attempted move is a valid move;

the annunciator means generate an exclusively acoustic indication of validity or invalidity of an attempted move;

the passive pictorial means comprise a first set of directional indicia defining orientation in relation to the array of game positions; and

the input means comprise a control housing having a second set of directional indicia related to the first set of directional indicia;

whereby the input-means control housing is susceptible to alignment with the passive pictorial means.

8. A method for playing a game for stimulating and developing abstract spatial-relations sense in young children, without requiring verbal or spelling ability or the ability to operate a typewriter-like keyboard;

said method comprising the steps of;

(a) entering an attempted game move into a dedicated digital electronic device that has a stored digital representation of a maze, and of at least one player position on the maze;

(b) then receiving from the device information solely as to validity of the attempted move;

(c) then visualizing, exclusively by inference from the validity information cumulatively received, part of the configuration of the maze; and

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c), in the same order, multiple times to advance through the maze to a goal;

said method having no step in which the electronic device during normal play develops or displays a direct visual representation of any portion of the maze;

wherein the entering step comprises registering only a direction of the attempted game move, by only a single respective manual motion.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the information cumulatively received, at each repetition of the visualizing step, comprises information received in the immediately concluded receiving step, and all previous receiving steps.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the receiving step comprises receiving information emitted by the device in exclusively acoustic form.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the information received in all previous receiving steps comprises information received in response to attempted moves of at least one other player.

12. A method for playing a game for stimulating and developing abstract spatial-relations sense in young children, without requiring verbal or spelling ability or the ability to operate a typewriter-like keyboard;

said method comprising the steps of;

(a) entering an attempted game move into a dedicated digital electronic device that has a stored digital representation of a maze, and of at least one player position on the maze;

(b) then receiving from the device information solely as to validity of the attempted move;

(c) then visualizing, exclusively by inference from the validity information cumulatively received, part of the configuration of the maze; and

(d) repeating steps (a) through (c), in the same order, multiple times to advance through the maze to a goal;

said method having no step in which the electronic device during normal play develops or displays a direct visual representation of any portion of the maze;

wherein the visualizing step comprises using a passive pictorial game board to manually keep track of the visualized part of the maze configuration;

said board defining a multiplicity of game positions, but not being interconnected with the electronic device electronically to display any direct visual representation of the maze.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the step of:

before the first performance of the entering step, aligning indicia on the electronic device with corresponding indicia on the game board.