Apparatus and method of playing a word composition game where compass direction assigned to each player and the time when the game is played affects game play

• US 5,556,102 A
• Filed: 01/30/1995
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Pingsheng Huang
• Original Assignee: Pingsheng Huang
• Inventors: Huang, Pingsheng
• Primary Examiner(s): LAYNO, BENJAMIN
• Application Number:
  US08/380,818
• Time in Patent Office: 596 Days
• Field of Search: 273/299, 273/272, 434/172, 434/171, 434/167
• US Class Current: 273/299
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0023 indicating a direction, e.g. wind direction
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819

Abstract

A word composition game system is disclosed. The system comprises a set of playing pieces, each having a plurality of wording groups. Each player is assigned a unique compass direction of North, East, South or West. Based on a commonly acknowledged word category and gaming level, players compose words with the received playing pieces. The time of when the game is played and the unique compass direction assigned to each player are incorporated into the game. Certain playing pieces have wording groups representing different periods of time during the calendar year and other playing pieces have wording groups representing different directions defined by a compass. The players that receive playing pieces having the period of time corresponding to the time of when the game is played, and the players that receive playing pieces having the compass direction corresponding to their assigned compass direction, respectively, can use these playing pieces to substitute the missing letters in composing a word. Each play has the equal opportunity to dispose the unwanted pieces for new ones. Therefor strategies in disposing and composing words must be employed in the game.

Claims

1. A playing apparatus for composing words by at least two players, at a playing time, each being assigned an unique direction defined by a compass, the playing apparatus comprising a set of playing pieces, each having a first surface and a second surface, said first surface of each of said playing pieces having a plurality of wording groups, each of said wording groups comprising a plurality of letters, at least one of the wording groups, being identified as an indicative wording for distinction of said playing pieces, comprising a word from a basic group comprising alphabetic letters and combination of at least two of the alphabetic letters, a vowel group comprising a plurality of letters and indicia identifying different periods of time during a calendar year and a space group comprising directional wordings defined by the compass, said playing pieces with the indicative wording from the vowel group and the space group being given a substitution power to substitute missing letters in composing words when the indicative wording matches the playing time and the unique direction assigned to each of the players, respectively, whereby each of the players has an equal chance to the time sensitive playing pieces and advantageous directional playing pieces over others, said second surfaces of said playing pieces having a substantially identical graphics with an inherent orientation therein for undistinction of said playing pieces when said second surfaces of said playing pieces are displayed.

2. A method for a group of players to practice word composition using a set of playing pieces at a playing time, each of the players being assigned to a unique direction defined by a compass, each of said playing pieces having a first and a second surface, each of said first surface having a plurality of wording groups, at least one of the wording groups, being identified as an indicative wording for distinction of said playing pieces, comprising a word from a basic group comprising alphabetic letters and combination of at least two of the alphabetic letters, a vowel group comprising a plurality of letters and indicia identifying different periods of time during a calendar year and a space comprising directional wording defined by the compass, said playing pieces with the indicative wording from the vowel group and the space group being given a substitution power to substitute missing letters in composing words when the indicative wording matches the playing time and the unique direction assigned to each of the players, respectively, whereby each of the players has an equal chance to the time sensitive playing pieces and advantageous directional playing pieces over others, said method comprising the steps of:

(a) mixing said playing pieces with said first surfaces facing downward;

(b) receiving a predefined number of said playing pieces from said mixed playing pieces and keeping said first surface of each received playing piece from the view of the rest of players;

(c) arranging said received playing pieces based on a predetermined number of pieces required to compose a word, said word being from a commonly acknowledged word category and predetermined gaming level;

(d) identifying said received playing pieces with the indicative wordings from the vowel group and space group respectively by recognizing and matching the playing time and each assigned direction, hence said received playing pieces becoming playing pieces;

(e) using said received substituting playing pieces having (the) substitution power to substitute missing letters in composing words; and

(f) declaring a wining if said received playing pieces are all used to compose the predefined number of words.

3. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the following step after element "b":

setting up a public pool of said left-over mixed playing pieces after the predefined number of said playing pieces are taken.

4. The method as recited in claim 2, further comprising the following steps after element "d":

(a) deciding unwanted pieces from said received playing pieces, the unwanted pieces being the ones which can not be used to compose words even with the help of the playing pieces with the substitution power;

(b) disposing one of the unwanted pieces at one time;

(c) receiving a new piece from said public pool; and

(d) rearranging said received playing pieces based on the predetermined number of pieces required to compose a word in the commonly acknowledged word category and predetermined gaming level.

5. The method as recited in claim 2 wherein the step (d) further comprises the steps of:

(a) identifying the assigned direction to each of the players;

(b) using the playing pieces having the indicative wording from the space group, the indicative wording being the same direction as the one assigned, to substitute the missing letters in composing words; and

(c) discarding the playing pieces having the indicative wording from the space group, the indicative wording being the different direction from the one assigned and the discarded playing piece offering no substitution power to the opposing players.