Toy apparatus with card reader unit and a card having game parameter data

• US 5,212,368 A
• Filed: 06/03/1991
• Issued: 05/18/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Epoch SL III Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Epoch SL III Incorporated
• Inventors: Hara, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US07/709,304
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/487, 273/93 C
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A toy apparatus includes a card reader unit for use with a card which has game parameter data stored thereon in machine-readable form. The toy apparatus also includes a calculation unit which generates player turn result data or game result data in dependence upon game parameter data read from a card. In a preferred embodiment, the card reader unit is designed to read game parameter data stored as a barcode on the card. In addition, a data storage medium of the present invention stores game parameter data for use with a toy apparatus including a card reader unit. In the preferred embodiment, the data storage medium is a card which stores game parameter data. Also, in the preferred embodiment, the game parameter data is stored as a barcode on the card, and the game parameter data stored on the card may be selected by a user.

Claims

1. A toy apparatus for use with cards having barcode data associated therewith, comprising;

a card reader unit for reading the barcode associated with a card; and

a calculation unit coupled to said card reader unit to receive the barcode data from said card reader unit and to calculate at least one of player turn result data and game result data, based on the barcode data, the barcode being a standard barcode which may be selected by a player from any available barcode and associated with the card.

2. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said calculation unit includes

a memory unit coupled to said card reader unit to receive and store the game parameter data from said card reader unit for use by said calculation unit.

3. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a display unit coupled to said calculation unit to generate a display based on a signal generated and supplied by said calculation unit in response to at least one of the game parameter date, the player turn result data and the game result data.

4. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 2, further comprising:

a display unit coupled to said calculation unit to generate a display based on a signal generated and supplied by said calculation unit in response to at least one of the game parameter data, the player turn result data and the game result data.

5. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a sound unit coupled to said calculation unit to emit a sound based on a signal generated and supplied by said calculation unit in response to at least one of the game parameter data, the player turn result data and the game result data.

6. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a light unit coupled to said calculation unit to emit a light based on a signal generated and supplied by said calculation unit in response to at least one of the game parameter data, the player turn result data and the game result data.

7. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a key unit coupled to said calculation unit and having at least one key operable to initiate a calculation of at least one of the player turn result data and the game result data by said calculation unit.

8. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 1,

wherein said calculation unit has plural game modes, and

wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a selection unit coupled to said calculation unit, including at least one key operable to select and set a selected one of the plural game modes.

9. A toy apparatus for use with cards, each of which has an associated barcode, comprising:

a housing having plural operation keys including at least two power keys and at least two battle keys;

a display coupled to said housing to display scoring data in plural display areas;

a barcode reader coupled to said housing to read a barcode associated with a card and to provide corresponding input information;

a calculation unit coupled to said display and said barcode reader to transduce the input information into point data and output said point data to said display, to modify the point data of an attacking side player when the attacking side player selects one of the power keys, to calculate a hit rate and an amount of damage of a defending side player based on the point data of both players when the attacking side player selects one of the battle keys, to increase and decrease the point data of the characters, relatively, and to output calculated results as scoring data to said display.

10. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said barcode is a standard barcode which may be selected by a player from any available barcode and placed on the card.

11. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said point data displayed on said display includes at least power data, offensive data and defensive data.

12. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said cards include cards for power, offense and defense.

13. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said operation keys include a select key.

14. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein said calculation unit includes

a memory unit coupled to said barcode reader to receive and store point data from said barcode reader for use by said calculation unit.

15. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a sound unit coupled to said calculation unit to emit a sound based on a signal generated and supplied by said calculation unit in response to the scoring data.

16. A toy apparatus as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

a light unit coupled to said calculation unit to emit a light based on a signal generated and supplied by said calculation unit in response to the scoring data.