Amusement device

• US 5,215,311 A
• Filed: 02/05/1992
• Issued: 06/01/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael P. Schuller
• Original Assignee: Michael P. Schuller
• Inventors: Schuller, Michael P.
• Primary Examiner(s): HARRISON, JESSICA
• Application Number:
  US07/831,461
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 273/433, 273/460, 273/459, 273/237, 273/238, 273/153 R, 273/157 R
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2454 with LED
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0083 Memory oriented or pattern matching games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00094 Ticktacktoe
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0612 Electronic puzzles
• 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

An electronic amusement device having preprogrammed game playability uses logical balls or tokens and multi-colored lights to achieve a final state. Game play is based upon the selection of one of three sizes of tokens to be played along one of three different token paths. As game play progresses, the lights change color state while certain tokens are trapped by being made unavailable for further play, while other previously played tokens are released for future play. Control of the state of colors and state of token traps is controlled by a number of erasable programmable read only memories. Game play ends upon achieving a final state designating a specific color array of lights and tokens trapped.

Claims

1. An amusement device including indicators and tokens having a final state, said device comprising a plurality of indicators each having a plurality of different indicator states, said indicator states arrangable into a selected predetermined pattern comprising an indicator end state, indicator in response to toke play control for controlling the state of said indicators, a plurality of tokens each having a first and second state, said tokens arrangable into selected ones of said first and second states comprising a token end state, and token control means for controlling the state of said tokens between said first and second states, said final state of said device comprising said tokens arranged in said token end state and said indicators arranged in said indicator end state.

2. The amusement device of claim 1, wherein said indicator control means comprises at least one memory device.

3. The amusement device of claim 1, wherein said tokens are of at least two different sizes or designations.

4. The amusement device of claim 1, wherein said token control means comprises at least one memory device.

5. The amusement device of claim 1, wherein said first state of said tokens comprising said tokens being available for game play and said second state comprising said tokens being unavailable for game play.

6. The amusement device of claim 1, wherein said indicator control means and said token control means are removable so as to be replaced with another indicator control means and token control means having a different final state form the indicator control means and the token control means being replaced thereby altering the play of said amusement device.

7. An amusement device including color indicators and tokens having a final state, said device comprising a plurality of color indicators each having a plurality of different color states, said color states arrangable into a predetermined pattern comprising a color end state, color indicator control means for controlling the color of said color indicators among said color states in response to token play, a plurality of tokens each having a first and second state, said tokens arrangable into selected ones of said first and second states comprising a token end state, and token control means for controlling the state of said tokens between said first and second states, said final state of said device comprising said tokens being in said token end state and the colors of said color indicators being in said color end state.

8. The amusement device of claim 7, wherein said color indicators comprise a plurality of multi-colored lights.

9. The amusement device of claim 7, wherein said color indicator control means comprises at least one memory device.

10. The amusement device of claim 7, wherein said tokens are of at least two different sizes or designations.

11. The amusement device of claim 7, wherein said token control means comprises at least one memory

12. The amusement device of claim 7, wherein said first state of said tokens comprising said tokens being available for game play and said second state comprising said tokens being unavailable for game play.

13. The amusement device of claim 7, wherein said indicator control means and said token control means are removable so as to be replaced with another indicator control means and said token control means having a different final state from the indicator control means and the token control means being replaced thereby altering the play of said amusement device.

14. An amusement device having a final state, said device comprising a plurality of lights each capable of displaying a plurality of different colors, the color of said lights arrangable into a plurality of color patterns in response to a light function, at least one of said color patterns comprising a color end state, light control means for controlling the color of said lights in response to said light function, a plurality of tokens of at least two different designations playable in a plurality of different paths, said tokens having a first and second state in response to a predetermined token function, said tokens being available for game play when in said first state and unavailable for game play when in said second state, said tokens arrangable into selected ones of said first and second states comprising a token end state, token control means for controlling the state of said tokens in response to said token function, said light function responsive to token play, said final state of said device attainable upon the sequential play of available tokens of selected designations in selected paths to achieve said token and color end states.

15. The amusement device of claim 14, wherein said color and token indicator control means each comprise at least one memory device.

16. The amusement device of claim 15, wherein said memory devices are removable so as to be replaced with memory devices having different light and token functions from those memory devices being replaced thereby altering the play of said amusement device.

17. The amusement device of claim 14, wherein color of said lights, the designation of said tokens and the token path.

18. The amusement device of claim 14, wherein said token control means is responsive to the designation of said token played and the number of tokens unavailable for game play and their respective designation.

19. A method of game play for an amusement device having a plurality of indicators each capable of displaying a plurality of different indicia and a plurality of tokens, said method comprising selecting one of said tokens for game play, arranging said indicia of said indicators in a predetermined pattern in response to said selecting of said token, designating any number of said previously played tokens unavailable for game play and any number of said previously played tokens available for game play, and continuing selecting one of said tokens available for game play until (i) said indicators attain a predetermined indicia pattern and (ii) a predetermined number of said tokens become unavailable for game play.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said indicators comprise color indicators and said indicia comprises a plurality of colors.

21. The method of claim 20, further including playing the selected token in one of a plurality of different paths.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said tokens are provided in a plurality of different sizes.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said changing said colors of said color indicators in a predetermined color pattern is responsive to the token path and token size selected and the current colors of said color indicators.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein said designating any number of said previously played tokens unavailable for game play and any number of said previously played tokens available for game play is responsive to the token size selected for game play and the number and size of said tokens rendered unavailable for game play.