Method and apparatus for an educational game and dynamic message entry and display

• US 6,872,137 B2
• Filed: 12/15/2001
• Issued: 03/29/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Tara Chand Singhal
• Original Assignee: Tara Chand Singhal
• Inventors: Singhal, Tara Chand
• Primary Examiner(s): Banks, Derris H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): COBURN, CORBETT B
• Application Number:
  US10/022,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082068A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,200 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/9, 463 40- 42, 273/153.R
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/303 for displaying additional data, e.g. simulating a Head Up Display
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet

Abstract

An educational video game with a hide and seek game software and a dynamic message entry and display method which can be played among many players in a fixed location or over the Internet is disclosed. The hide and seek game software has functions that enable the display of a landscape, a hide character, a seek character, and enable the movement of a hide character to hide in the features of a landscape and enable the movement of a seek character to seek the hide character. The game software display a central area with a landscape and a surrounding area, which is used as a space for dynamic display of messages based on age, gender and geographic location of the players. The messages may be from a group of types of commercial, school and community events, social messages for cultivating good habits, and personal messages from friends and relatives.

Claims

1. A game comprised of:

a game software operative within a computing device, the game software enabling display of a landscape with a plurality of features, wherein, the landscape is a visual simulated representation of elements from a group of space, earth, and fluid; and

the game software enabling display and movement of a hide character, wherein the hide character moves over the landscape and hides in the features, and only then enabling display and movement of a seek character over the landscape to seek the hide character.

2. The game of claim 1, wherein the hide character and the seek character are from a group of forms representing animal forms, human forms or mythical creature forms.

3. The game of claim 2, wherein the forms have an evolution scale representing hide and seek ability of speed of movement, memory and intelligence.

4. The game of claim 1, wherein the hide character selects from a selection of landscape feature types.

5. The game of claim 1, wherein the hide character deposits clues on the landscape for subsequent use of the seek character.

6. The game of claim 1, wherein the seek character uses a search sensor to aid in seeking the hide character.

7. The game of claim 1, wherein a scoring system is based on time used and distance traveled by the seek character in finding the hide character.

8. The game of claim 1, wherein the landscape is in a central area, surrounded by a surrounding area, wherein the surrounding area has plurality of message spaces and the message spaces are used by a message function to select and display messages from a message database.

9. The game of claim 1, wherein the game software enabling effects from a group of rain, fog, night, day, and clouds to obscure visibility on the landscape.

10. The game of claim 1, wherein the landscape is a visual representation that is selected from a group that includes (i) world-wide-web network overlaid over a world map, (ii) civilizations and their artifacts overlaid over a world map, (iii) universe with features of galaxies, solar systems and planets, (iv) a body of fluid with features of microbes, cell organisms, virus bodies and anti-bodies, (v) a land with features of buildings, trees, water and caves, and (vi) an inside of a building with features of rooms, hallways, furniture, stairs, furnishings, and decorative artifacts.

11. The game of claim 1, wherein the landscape is partitioned in a plurality of hierarchical dimensions, permitting the hide and seek character to move in a hierarchy of the landscape.

12. The game of claim 1, wherein the game software enabling hide and seek characters that are geographically dispersed using separate computing devices connected on a computer network.

13. The game of claim 1, wherein players representing the hide and seek characters sign on to the game software by an identification means embedding age, gender and geographic location of the players.

14. The game of claim 13, additionally comprising:

a message function enabling entry, selection and display of messages based on, the age, the gender and the geographic location of the players.

15. A hide and seek game apparatus comprising:

a setup function, enabling set up of a landscape of a visual simulated representation of elements from a group of space, earth and fluid;

a hide function enabling movement and hiding of a hide character in the landscape; and

a seek function, enabling movement and seeking by a seek character to seek the hide character in the landscape, the hide function being not operative when the seek function is operative.

16. The game apparatus of claim 15, wherein the setup function further comprising a character function enabling the set up of identities of the hide and seek characters.

17. The game apparatus of claim 15, wherein the setup function further comprising a landscape function enabling the set up of the landscape with a variable grid size representing levels of complexity.

18. The game apparatus of claim 15, wherein the landscape is in a central area, surrounded by a surrounding area, whereby the surrounding area is used for placing hide and seek game controls and as a message space.

19. The game apparatus of claim 15, wherein, the hide function further comprising a clue function enabling deposit of clues by the hide character on to the landscape.

20. The game apparatus of claim 15, wherein the seek function further comprising a sub-function enabling the seek character use of a search sensor aiding the seeking of the hide character in the landscape.

21. A hide and seek game on a global computer network comprised of:

a server on the global computer network hosting a hide and seek game software;

the game software sending and receiving program and data files to a plurality of computing devices for enabling display of a hide character, a seek character, and a landscape, with a plurality of features, wherein the landscape is a visual simulated representation of elements from a group of space, earth and fluid;

the program and data files enabling the hide character to move over the landscape and hide in the features, and only then enabling the seek character to move over the landscape and seek the hide character; and

the server enabling the plurality of computing devices to communicate with each other.

22. The game of claim 21, wherein the game software further comprising a message function and a message database, wherein the message function selecting a plurality of messages from the database on a predetermined criterion and sending to the computing device for display around the landscape.

23. The game of claim 22, wherein the message database further comprising a web interface enabling entry of messages in the message database.

24. The game of claim 23, wherein the web interface enabling entry of messages based on age, gender, and geographic region of players representing hide and seek characters.