Musical electronic game

• US 5,405,153 A
• Filed: 03/12/1993
• Issued: 04/11/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Lane T. Hauck
• Original Assignee: Lane T. Hauck
• Inventors: Hauck, Lane T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Layno, Benjamin H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Owens, Kerry
• Application Number:
  US08/030,698
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: 273/85 G, 273/138 A, 273/439, 273/429, 273/460, 273/430, 273/432, 434/319, 434/321, 434/322, 84/470 R, 84/600, 84/609, 84/649
• US Class Current: 273/460
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00119 Board games concerning music, theatre, cinema, or art
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0468 Electronic dice; electronic dice simulators
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 15/00 Teaching music metronomes G04F5/02
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/26 for automatically producing a series of tones
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/115 using a random process to generate a musical note, phrase, sequence or structure using a random process to build a rhythm pattern G10H2210/356; random rhythm pattern selection G10H2210/366

Abstract

The game includes a device for randomly selecting a sequence of musical notes for game playing purposes. Another device enables a player to preview a recognition sequence of a portion of the sequence of musical notes prior to game play. A switch device actuated by the player causes a signal to be generated indicative that the player identified the recognition sequence of notes embedded within sequence of musical notes during game play.

Claims

1. An electronic game device, comprising:

melody means for generating a sequence of melody signals indicative of a musical melody having a sequence of N number of musical notes to be generated during game play;

said melody means for generating prior to said game play, a series of preview signals indicative of a preview recognition sequence having a predetermined M number of musical notes, where M is substantially less than N;

said musical melody of N number of musical notes including said preview recognition sequence of M number of musical notes;

note indicating means responsive to said sequence of melody signals for generating a user perceptible indication of individual ones of said sequence of said N number of musical notes to permit user recognition of said preview recognition sequence of M number of musical notes during said sequence of N number of musical notes generated during game play in accordance with game rules;

said note indicating means further responsive to said series of preview signals for generating a user perceptible indication of individual ones of said sequence of said M number of musical notes only to facilitate user recognition of the individual ones of the predetermined M number of musical notes of said preview recognition sequence prior to said game play in accordance with game rules;

user actuation means for causing said melody means to generate said preview recognition sequence to facilitate user memorization of said preview recognition sequence prior to game play in accordance with game rules;

game initiation means for causing said melody means to generate said sequence of melody signals following said preview recognition sequence;

said user actuation means responsive to the user during said sequence of melody signals for generating a stop signal when the user perceives the occurrence of musical notes corresponding to the preview recognition sequence during said musical melody in accordance with game rules; and

means responsive to said stop signal for determining that it occurred substantially concurrently with the generation of M number of musical notes corresponding to the preview recognition sequence of M number of musical notes.

2. An electronic game device according to claim 1, further comprising:

means for generating a user perceptible award signal indicative of user recognition of said preview recognition sequence during said sequence of melody signals.

3. An electronic game device according to claim 1, wherein said note indicating means includes means responsive to said award signal for generating a user perceptible indication of user recognition of said preview recognition sequence within at least one predetermined period of time.

4. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said preview recognition sequence of M number of musical notes is a series of M consecutive musical notes.

5. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said series of M number of consecutive musical notes is a series of M consecutive musical notes selected randomly from said N number of musical notes.

6. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said note indicating means is audible means for generating audible sounds indicative of musical notes.

7. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said note indicating means is visual means for generating a visually perceptible light sequence indicative of musical notes.

8. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said melody means includes memory means for storing X substantially different musical melodies and means for controlling game play.

9. An electronic game according to claim 8, wherein means for controlling is microprocessor means and wherein said melody means is responsive to said microprocessor means for selecting an individual one of the X substantially different musical melodies for game playing purposes.

10. An electronic game according the claim 9, wherein said microprocessor means includes means for generating a fault signal indicative of user failure to recognize said preview recognition sequence within said predetermined period of time.

11. An electronic game according to claim 10, wherein said note indicating means includes:

audible means for generating audible sounds indicative of the N musical notes in said musical melody or the M musical notes in said preview recognition sequence; and

user selectable visual means for generating visually perceptible light sequences indicative of the N number of notes in said musical melody or the M number of notes in said preview recognition sequence.

12. An electronic game according to claim 11, further comprising switch means for selecting whether or not said visual means will be enabled during said sequence of melody signals.

13. An electronic game according to claim 12, further comprising:

scoring means responsive to said award signal, and to said fault signal for generating a score signal indicative of the success or failure of a player to recognize said preview recognition sequence within said predetermined period of time.

14. An electronic game according to claim 13, wherein said note indicating means is responsive to said score signal for generating a player perceptible score indicative of the success or failure to recognize said preview recognition sequence within said predetermined period of time.

15. An electronic game device according to claim 8, wherein said user actuation means is switch means.

16. An electronic game device according to claim 15, wherein said switch means is a single switch.

17. An electronic game device according to claim 15, wherein said switch means includes a set of switches.

18. An electronic game device according to claim 17, wherein said set of switches includes a "PREVIEW switch for causing said melody means to generate said series of preview signal each time said PREVIEW switch is activated within a predetermined time period during each round of play.

19. An electronic game device according to claim 17, wherein said set of switches includes a START switch for causing said microprocessor means to initiate a single round of play whereby said melody means generates said sequence of melody signals once for defining a single round of play.

20. An electronic game device according to claim 17, wherein said set of switches includes a STOP switch for causing said melody means to terminate generating said sequence of melody signals.

21. An electronic game device according to claim 15, wherein said microprocessor means includes melody preview means responsive to said switch means for causing said melody means to select a musical melody having a given tempo and to generate said preview recognition sequence.

22. An electronic game device according to claim 21, wherein said microprocessor means includes round initiation means responsive to said switch means for causing said melody means to generate said sequence of melody signals once, said melody signals being indicative of the selected musical melody having said given tempo.

23. An electronic game according to claim 22, wherein said microprocessor means includes melody termination means responsive to said switch means for causing said melody means to terminate generating said sequence of melody signals and accuracy means responsive to said melody signals for determining whether a player actuated said switch means within said predetermined period of time following said preview recognition sequence.

24. An electronic game according to claim 23, wherein said microprocessor means terminates game play after a predetermined Y number of rounds of play whenever said player fails to actuate said switch means within said predetermined period of time following said preview recognition sequence.

25. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said melody means includes means for generating a melodic sequence of N number of musical notes arranged randomly in a given musical key and having a given tempo.

26. An electronic game according to claim 25, wherein said means for generating includes algorithm means for determining a numerically calculated sequence of random numbers with a spectral density of 1 divided by fⁿ.

27. An electronic game according to claim 26, wherein n equals zero resulting in "white" noise.

28. An electronic game according to claim 26, wherein n equals one resulting in "1/f" noise.

29. An electronic game according to claim 26, wherein n equals two resulting in "Brownian" noise.

30. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said melody means includes tempo means for increasing the tempo of said musical melody from one round of play to the next round of play during game play.

31. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said melody means includes musical key means for increasing the musical key of said musical melody from one round of play to the next round of play by at least one note.

32. An electronic game according to claim 1, wherein said melody means includes means for controlling game play, said means for controlling game play terminating game play after a predetermined Y number of rounds of play.

33. An electronic game according to claim 32, wherein said predetermined Y number is at least 2.

34. A method of using an electronic game device, comprising:

generating a sequence of melody signals indicative of a musical melody having N number of musical notes;

generating a series of preview signals indicative of a preview recognition sequence of M number of musical notes selected from said N number of musical notes;

where M is substantially less than N;

generating a user perceptible indication of individual ones of said N number of musical note and individual ones of the M number of musical notes to facilitate user recognition of said musical melody and said preview recognition sequence;

generating an award signals indicative of user recognition of said preview recognition sequence during said sequence of melody signals; and

generating a user perceptible indication of user recognition of said preview recognition sequence within a predetermined period of time.

35. A method according to claim 34 wherein said step of generating a sequence of melody signals includes determining a numerically calculated sequence of random numbers with a spectral density of 1 divided by Fⁿ to establish a random sequence of melody signals.

36. An electronic game arrangement, comprising:

a plurality of like electronic game units;

each individual one of said plurality of game units including;

communication means to enable said plurality of like electronic game units to transmit and receive data between one another for game playing purposes;

master assertion means for generating randomly prior to game play a master request signal having a master time interval and for causing said communication means to transmit'"'"'said request signal to the other like game units;

master slave means responsive to said request signal for setting a master flag after said master time interval if another master request signal from another like unit is not received and for setting a slave flag if another master request signal from another like unit is received;

said master flag indicative that the unit is the master unit and said slave flag indicative that the unit is a slave unit;

slave determination means responsive to said master flag for generating an arbitration signal to enable the master unit to determine the number of slave units available for game play;

said arbitration Signal being transmitted to all slave units and being indicative of a unique address assignment for a single slave unit only;

slave request means responsive to said arbitration signal for generating randomly prior to game play a slave request signal having a slave time interval;

slave acknowledgement mean for accepting said address assignment and for causing said communication means to transmit an acknowledgement signal indicative that the transmitted address assignment has been assumed if another slave request signal is not received during said slave time interval and for rejecting said address assignment if another slave request signal is received during said slave time interval;

said slave determination means responsive to said acknowledgement signal for generating another arbitration signal having another unique address assignment and for generating a game initialization signal when no acknowledgement signal is received to synchronize said plurality of like game units to enable simultaneous play; and

user perceptible indication means for facilitating user recognition of game playing conditions.

37. An electronic game arrangement according to claim 36, wherein said communication means is wireless communication means.

38. An electronic game arrangement according to claim 36, wherein said communication means includes a single pair of electrical conductors.