Interactive water attraction and quest game

• US 7,029,400 B2
• Filed: 08/01/2003
• Issued: 04/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/01/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: MQ Gaming LLC
• Original Assignee: Creative Kingdoms LLC (Great Wolf Resorts Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Briggs, Rick A.
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIEN T
• Application Number:
  US10/632,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20040198517A1
• Time in Patent Office: 991 Days
• Field of Search: 472/116, 472/117, 472/128, 472/129, 472/137, 273/440, 463/1, 463 40- 43
• US Class Current: 472/128
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/205 for being played in the swimming pool, e.g. floatable games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 3/02 with floating seats
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 31/007 involving water
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 33/00 Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for

Abstract

An interactive water attraction and system of game play is provided wherein the gaming is carried out within a pool, water park or water attraction. The game utilizes electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands, tags and/or the like, to provide an interactive game play experience generally simulative of a computer adventure game experience. Play participants are challenged to work and cooperate with other play participants to find identified objects, clues or other information and to use the objects, clues or information to solve various puzzles or problems that present encumbrances inhibiting players'"'"' advancement in the game. Each play participant possesses a unique RFID band, card or the like, that electronically identifies the play participant and enables the play system to award and track points or other rewards to successful play participants individually or working with other play participants as a team. The game in accordance with the invention provides the intellectual challenge and excitement of a computer adventure game, but with tangible interactives, physical challenges, and social interaction.

Claims

1. An interactive water attraction for entertaining one or more play participants comprising:

a pool or other body of water;

a plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags disposed in, on, or around said pool or other body of water;

one or more game consoles distributed in, on, or around said pool or other body of water and being adapted to sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags;

said one or more game consoles being pre-programmed to play one or more games using said electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags;

whereby play participants are challenged to find identified objects, clues or other information and/or to use the objects, clues or other information to solve various puzzles or problems that present encumbrances to advancement in the game.

2. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein said pool or other body of water comprises a swimming pool and one or more associated water slides.

3. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein said pool or other body of water comprises a lazy river water ride.

4. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein said pool or other body of water comprises a lazy river water ride.

5. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects comprises an RFID tag.

6. The interactive water attraction of claim 5 wherein said RFID tag is molded or embedded into a plastic substrate.

7. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein at least one of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects comprises a passive RFID tag having no battery.

8. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein each of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects comprises an RFID tag and wherein each said RFID tag contains an associated unique UOIN for uniquely identifying each of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects.

9. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein at least one of said one or more game consoles comprises an RFID reader adapted to electronically sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags.

10. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein at least one of said one or more game consoles comprises an RFID reader/writer adapted to electronically sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags and to write information for storage therein.

11. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein at least one of said pre-programmed games comrprises a treasure hunt game wherein at least one object of said game is to find one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags.

12. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 wherein at lest one of said pre-programmed games comrprises a quest game wherein at least one object of said game is to find one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags and to use said one or more electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags to solve a mystery or complete a puzzle or quest.

13. The interactive water attraction of claim 1 further comprising electronically identifiable tags adapted to be worn or carried by each play particpant for purposes of identifying and tracking play participants playing said one or more games.

14. The interactive water attraction of claim 13 wherein said electronically identifiable tags worn or carried by each play participant comprise RFID tags adapted to be worn as wristbands.

15. The interactive water attraction of claim 14 wherein each said electronically identifiable RFID tags contains an associated unique UPIN for uniquely identifying each play particpant.

16. An interactive water attraction for entertaining one or more play participants comprising:

a pool or other body of water;

a plurality of electronically identifiable bands or tags adapted to be worn by each said play particpant for uniquely identifying and tracking of each said play particpant;

one or more game consoles distributed in, on, or around said pool or other body of water and being adapted to sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable bands or tags;

said one or more game consoles being pre-programmed to play one or more games using said electronically identifiable bands or tags;

whereby play participants are challenged to play a game, solve puzzles or overcome other challenges that present encumbrances to advancement in the game.

17. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein said pool or other body of water comprises a swimming pool and one or more associated water slides.

18. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein said pool or other body of water comprises a lazy river water ride.

19. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein said pool or other body of water comprises a lazy river water ride.

20. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein at least one of said plurality of electronically identifiable bands or tags comprises an RFID tag.

21. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein at least one of said plurality of electronically identifiable tags or bands comprises a passive RFID tag.

22. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein each of said plurality of electronically identifiable tags or bands comprises an RFID tag and wherein each said RFID tag contains an associated unique UPIN for uniquely identifying each said play participant.

23. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein at least one of said one or more game consoles comprises an RFID reader adapted to electronically sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable bands or tags.

24. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein at least one of said one or more game consoles comprises an RFID reader/writer adapted to electronically sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable bands or tags and to write information for storage therein.

25. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein at least one of said pre-programmed games comprises a treasure hunt game wherein at least one object of said game is to find one or more of a plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags.

26. The interactive water attraction of claim 16 wherein at lest one of said pre-programmed games comprises a quest game wherein at least one object of said game is to find one or more of a plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags and to use said one or more electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags to solve a mystery or complete a puzzle or quest.

27. A method for interactive water play carried out in, on or around a pool or other body of water, said method comprising the following steps:

providing a plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags in, on, or around said pool or other body of water;

mounting one or more game consoles at different locations in or on or around said pool or other body of water, said game consoles being adapted to sense or read one or more of said plurality of electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags;

programming said one or more game consoles to play one or more games using said electronically identifiable objects, cards, bands or tags;

whereby play participants are challenged to find identified objects, clues or other information and/or to use the objects, clues or other information to solve various puzzles or problems that present encumbrances to advancement in the game.