Game with privacy material

• US 6,120,026 A
• Filed: 01/13/1998
• Issued: 09/19/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Original Assignee: 3M Innovative Properties Company (3M Company)
• Inventors: Jordan, Myron K., Whitney, Leland R., Allen, Gregory D., Scanlan, Thomas J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, William M.
• Application Number:
  US09/006,327
• Time in Patent Office: 980 Days
• Field of Search: 273/237, 273/262, 273/265, 273/269, 273/272, 273/273, 273/274, 273/287, 273/148 R, 273/309, 273/150, 273/151, 273/148 A, 273/157 A
• US Class Current: 273/236
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0623 with mirrors
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0638 Polaroid filters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/423 fluorescent
• 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 9/0613 Puzzles or games based on the use of optical filters or elements, e.g. coloured filters, polaroid filters, transparent sheets with opaque parts optical, colour or shadow toys A63H33/22

Abstract

Game with a privacy member. The game includes a play region and a directional viewing screen. The directional viewing screen covers at least a portion of the play region such that said portion of the play region is viewable therethrough at a first player position, but is not viewable therethrough at a second player position. The game with privacy member in accordance with the present invention allows for enhancement of existing games, as well as for the creation of new games or new play patterns of existing games.

Claims

1. A game comprising:

a play region; and

a directional viewing screen;

wherein said directional viewing screen covers at least a portion of said play region,

wherein said directional viewing screen has a major surface that is viewable from a first position, and from an opposed, second position, and wherein said directional viewing screen has light control properties that;

(a) allow the covered portion of said play region to be viewed through said major surface of said directional viewing screen from said first position; and

(b) obstructs the view of the covered portion of said play region through said major surface of said directional viewing screen from said second position.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein said directional viewing screen comprises a directional film including a viewing orientation.

3. The game of claim 2, wherein said directional film includes multiple layers of film.

4. The game of claim 3, wherein said direction viewing screen comprises a polarizer comprising a louvered plastic film comprising a plurality of clear regions separated by louvers wherein each of said louvers has a central region having a first coefficient of extinction and an outer region adjacent said clear region having a second coefficient of extinction.

5. The game of claim 4, wherein said first coefficient of extinction is at least 1.5 times said second coefficient of extinction.

6. The game of claim 1, further comprising:

a second directional viewing screen adjacent said first directional viewing screen, said second directional viewing screen including a different viewing direction from said first directional viewing screen.

7. The game of claim 1, wherein the covered portion of said game play region is viewable through said directional viewing screen in only one direction.

8. The game of claim 1, said game further comprising:

a second play region; and

a second directional viewing screen,

wherein said second directional viewing screen covers at least a portion of said second play region, wherein said second directional viewing screen has a major surface that is viewable from first position and from said second position, wherein said second directional viewing screen has light control properties that;

(a) allow the covered portion of said second play region to be viewed through said major surface of said second directional viewing screen from said second position; and

(b) obstructs the view of the covered portion of said second play region through said major surface of said second directional viewing screen from said first position.

9. The game of claim 8, wherein said second directional viewing screen comprises a polarizer comprising a louvered plastic film comprising a plurality of clear regions separated by louvers, wherein each of said louvers has a central region having a first coefficient of extinction and an outer region adjacent said clear region having a second coefficient of extinction.

10. The game of claim 9, wherein said first coefficient of extinction is at least 1.5 times said second coefficient of extinction.

11. The game of claim 8, wherein the game is a naval combat game.

12. The game of claim 8, wherein said second play region is attached to said first play region.

13. The game of claim 8, wherein said second play region is separate from said first play region.

14. The game of claim 8, further comprising:

a third play region; and

a third directional viewing screen,

wherein said third directional viewing screen covers at least a portion of said third play region, wherein said third directional viewing screen has a major surface that is viewable from said first position, said second position, and from a third position that is 90 degrees with respect to each of said first and second positions, wherein said third directional viewing screen has light control properties that;

(a) allow the covered portion of said third play region to be viewed through said major surface of said third directional viewing screen from said third position; and

(b) obstructs the view of the covered portion of said third play region through said major surface of said third directional viewing screen from said first and second positions,

wherein said major surface of said first directional viewing screen is viewable from said third position,

wherein said first directional viewing screen further includes light control properties that obstructs the view of the covered portion of said first play region through said major surface of said first directional viewing screen from said third position,

wherein said major surface of said second directional viewing screen is viewable from said third position,

wherein said second directional viewing screen further includes light control properties that obstructs the view of the covered portion of said second play region through said major surface of said second directional viewing screen from said third position.

15. The game of claim 14, wherein said third directional viewing screen comprises a polarizer comprising a louvered plastic film comprising a plurality of clear regions separated by louvers, wherein each of said louvers has a central region having a first coefficient of extinction and an outer region adjacent said clear region having a second coefficient of extinction.

16. The game of claim 15, wherein said first coefficient of extinction is at least 1.5 times said second coefficient of extinction.

17. The game of claim 14, wherein the game is a naval combat game.

18. The game of claim 14, further comprising:

a fourth play region; and

a fourth directional viewing screen;

wherein said fourth directional viewing screen covers at least a portion of said fourth play region, wherein said fourth directional viewing screen has a major surface that is viewable from said first position, said second position, said third position, and from a fourth position that is 90 degrees with respect to each of said first and third positions, and which is opposed to said second position, wherein said fourth directional viewing screen has light control properties that;

(a) allow the covered portion of said fourth play region to be viewed through said major surface of said fourth directional viewing screen from said fourth position; and

b) obstructs the view of the covered portion of said fourth play region through said major surface of said fourth directional viewing screen from said first, second, and third positions,

wherein said major surface of said first directional viewing screen is viewable from said fourth position

wherein said first directional viewing screen further includes light control properties that obstructs the view of the covered portion of said first play region through said major surface of said first directional viewing screen from said fourth position,

wherein said major surface of said second directional viewing screen is viewable from said fourth position,

wherein said second directional viewing screen further includes light control properties that obstructs the view of the covered portion of said second play region through said major surface of said second directional viewing screen from said fourth position,

wherein said major surface of said third directional viewing screen is viewable from said fourth position,

wherein said third directional viewing screen further includes light control properties that obstructs the view of the covered portion of said second play region through said major surface of said third directional viewing screen from said fourth position.

19. The game of claim 18, wherein said fourth directional viewing screen comprises a polarizer comprising a louvered plastic film comprising a plurality of clear regions separated by louvers, wherein each of said louvers has a central region having a first coefficient of extinction and an outer region adjacent said clear region having a second coefficient of extinction.

20. The game of claim 19, wherein said first coefficient of extinction is at least 1.5 times said second coefficient of extinction.

21. The game of claim 18, wherein the game is a naval combat game.

22. The game of claim 18, wherein said directional viewing screen includes multiple layers of directional film.

23. The game of claim 22, wherein each of said layers has a viewing direction, and wherein at least some of said adjacent layers are positioned such that the viewing direction of adjacent layers is different.

24. The game of claim 23, wherein the covered portion of said first play region is viewable through said directional viewing screen in only one direction.

25. The game of claim 1, further comprising:

a power source; and

an electroluminescent sheet device coupled to said power source;

wherein said first play region is illuminatable by positioning said first play region adjacent said electroluminescent sheet device.

26. The game of claim 25, further comprising a switch mechanism operably coupled between said power source and said electroluminescent sheet device.

27. The game of claim 1, wherein the game is a code breaker game.

28. The game of claim 1, wherein the game is a crossword game.