Hand-held electronic game

• US 6,142,869 A
• Filed: 05/27/1999
• Issued: 11/07/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 05/27/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hasbro Inc.
• Inventors: Meyer, Karl R., Seifert, Daniel H.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiu, Raleigh W.
• Application Number:
  US09/320,458
• Time in Patent Office: 530 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/7, 273/440, 273/441, 273/447, 273/448, 273/454, 273/455, 273/459, 273/460, 273/461
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0492 Medical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2408 Touch-sensitive buttons
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2458 LCD's
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2494 Battery, e.g. dry cell
• 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

A hand-held electronic game includes a housing shaped like a human body, a display mounted on the housing, an input device mounted within the housing, and a processor positioned in the housing. The processor is connected to the display and the input device. The processor is programmed to cause the display to display a body cavity, one or more hazardous cells in the body cavity, one or more anatomy parts in the body cavity, and a game piece in the body cavity. The game piece moves relative to the body cavity in response to signals from the input device, and, when positioned near an anatomy part, removes the anatomy part from the body cavity.

Claims

1. A hand-held electronic game comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted on the housing;

an input device mounted with the housing; and

a processor positioned in the housing, connected to the display and the input device, and programmed to cause the display to;

display a body cavity;

display one or more hazardous cells in the body cavity;

display one or more anatomy parts in the body cavity; and

display a game piece that moves relative to the body cavity in response to signals from the input device, and, when positioned near an anatomy part, removes the anatomy part from the body cavity.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein the housing is shaped like a human body.

3. The game of claim 1, further comprising a second input device, wherein the processor is programmed to permit the game piece to destroy hazardous cells in response to signals from the second input device.

4. The game of claim 3, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the display to display special cells in the body cavity that replenish, when the game piece is maneuvered over them, an ability for the game piece to destroy hazardous cells.

5. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to permit a hazardous cell to remain stationary relative to the body cavity.

6. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to permit a hazardous cell to move relative to the body cavity.

7. The game of claim 6, wherein the processor is programmed to permit an anatomy part to remain in the body cavity until a hazardous cell overtakes and destroys it.

8. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to permit the body cavity to scroll across the housing.

9. The game of claim 8, wherein the processor is programmed to permit hazardous cells to block movement of the game piece.

10. The game of claim 1, wherein the housing includes a light connected to the processor and controlled by the processor.

11. The game of claim 10, wherein the processor is programmed to flash the light when hazardous cells strike the game piece.

12. The game of claim 10, wherein the light protrudes from the housing.

13. The game of claim 12, wherein the housing comprises a mechanism that permits retraction of the light when the light is pushed.

14. The game of claim 1, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display screen.

15. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to display a game update that provides game information to a player.

16. The game of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to permit the game update to display a time that the player plays the game.

17. The game of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to permit the game update to display a tally of anatomy parts that are removed from the body cavity.

18. The game of claim 15, wherein the processor is programmed to permit the game update to display a number of laser shots that are used by the game piece to destroy hazardous cells in the body cavity.

19. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to permit an anatomy part to remain in the body cavity until a player removes it.

20. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to permit an anatomy part to remain in the body cavity for a predetermined time window.

21. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to display the game piece as tweezers.

22. The game of claim 1, wherein the processor is programmed to remove one of a player'"'"'s lives when a hazardous cell strikes the game piece.

23. The game of claim 22, further comprising a vibrator mounted in the housing, connected to the processor, and controlled by the processor.

24. The game of claim 23, wherein the processor is programmed to vibrate the game using the vibrator when a hazardous cell strikes the game piece.

25. The game of claim 1, further comprising a speaker mounted in the housing, connected to the processor, and controlled by the processor.

26. The game of claim 25, wherein the processor is programmed to play one or more sounds from the speaker when an anatomy part is removed from the body cavity, when the game piece moves through the body cavity, or when all anatomy parts are removed from the body cavity.

27. A hand-held electronic game comprising:

a housing;

a display mounted on the housing;

an input device mounted with the housing;

a vibrator mounted in the housing; and

a processor positioned in the housing, connected to the display and the input device, programmed to cause the display to display a game piece that moves relative to one or more hazardous cells in a body cavity in response to signals from the input device, and programmed to vibrate the game when the game piece strikes a hazardous cell.

28. A hand-held electronic game comprising:

a housing shaped like a human body;

a display mounted on the housing;

an input device mounted with the housing;

a processor positioned in the housing, connected to the display and the input device, and programmed to cause the display to;

display a body cavity;

permit the body cavity to scroll across the housing;

display one or more hazardous cells in the body cavity;

permit the hazardous cells to move through the body cavity;

display one or more anatomy parts in the body cavity;

display a game piece that moves relative to the body cavity in response to signals from the input device, and, when positioned near an anatomy part, removes the anatomy part from the body cavity; and

display one or more special cells in the body cavity;

a second input device, wherein the processor is programmed to permit the game piece to destroy hazardous cells in response to signals from the second input device.