Hand-held musical game

• US 7,044,857 B1
• Filed: 10/15/2002
• Issued: 05/16/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Klitsner Industrial Design, LLC
• Original Assignee: Klitsner Industrial Design, LLC
• Inventors: Klitsner, Daniel B., Clemens, Brian, Levenberg, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, KIM T
• Application Number:
  US10/270,182
• Time in Patent Office: 1,309 Days
• Field of Search: 463/31, 463/35
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/245 specially adapted to a particular type of game, e.g. steering wheels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/28 responding to control signals received from the game device for affecting ambient conditions, e.g. for vibrating players' seats, activating scent dispensers or affecting temperature or light controlling the output signals based on the game progress A63F13/50
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/814 Musical performances, e.g. by evaluating the player's ability to follow a notation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1043 being characterized by constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1062 being specially adapted to a type of game, e.g. steering wheel
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8047 Music games
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/342 for guitar-like instruments with or without strings and with a neck on which switches or string-fret contacts are used to detect the notes being played electric guitars in which the tones are generated by the vibration of strings G10H3/18
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2210/091 for performance evaluation, i.e. judging, grading or scoring the musical qualities or faithfulness of a performance, e.g. with respect to pitch, tempo or other timings of a reference performance
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2220/135 Musical aspects of games or videogames; Musical instrument-shaped game input interfaces game background music G10H2210/026; musical game scoring or performance evaluation G10H2210/091
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 2230/135 Spint guitar, i.e. guitar-like instruments in which the sound is not generated by vibrating strings, e.g. guitar-shaped game interfaces

Abstract

Described is a hand-held musical game apparatus that is adapted to resemble a guitar, and that operates in a manner that facilitates a game played with it. Generally, the apparatus has a housing shaped to resemble a guitar with a body portion and a neck portion. The neck portion is rotatably connected to the body portion and the body portion has a strum bar. A slide element is slidably connected to the neck portion. Electronics are disposed within the housing to provide, as part of the game, audio and/or visual instructions to rotate the neck, slide the slide element, or strum the strum bar. The game entails a player rotating the neck, sliding the slide element, or strumming the strum bar in accordance with the instructions.

Claims

1. A game apparatus comprising:

a housing with a body portion and a neck portion, wherein the neck portion is rotatably connected to the body portion and the body portion has a strum bar;

a slide element slidably connected to the neck portion;

electronics disposed within the housing to provide, as part of a game, audio instructions, visual instructions, or both audio instructions and visual instructions to rotate the neck, slide the slide element, or strum the strum bar; and

wherein the game entails a player rotating the neck, sliding the slide element, or strumming the strum bar in accordance with the provided instructions.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the game has a format in which the player has to perform one rotation, slide, or strum per turn.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the one rotation, slide, or strum has to be performed within a predetermined period of time.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the game has a format in which the player has to perform a sequence of rotations, slides, or strums per turn.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the electronics provide a musical backbeat and the sequence has to be performed within a measure of the backbeat.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronics provide a musical backbeat and the audio instructions are musical sounds.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the electronics comprise:

at least one LED located at a high position of the neck;

at least one LED located at a low position of the neck;

at least one LED located at a transition point between the body portion and the neck portion;

at least one LED located at a strum indicator portion of the body; and

wherein LEDs provide the visual instructions.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the housing is constructed of transparent material at the high position, low position, transition point, and strum indicator portion so that the LEDs can be seen when lit.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 wherein the electronics further comprise:

a speaker;

a microprocessor connected to the speaker and LEDs;

at least one rotation switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the rotation switch is actuated when the neck is rotated, sending a signal to the microprocessor;

at least one strum switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the strum switch is actuated when the strum bar is strummed, sending a signal to the microprocessor;

at least one slide switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the slide switch is actuated when the slide element is slid, sending a signal to the microprocessor; and

wherein the microprocessor controls the speaker and LEDs in response to the signals from the switches, and in accordance with the game.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 wherein the slide element can be slid from a middle position of the neck to either the high position or the low position.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 wherein the at least one slide switch comprises a low slide switch and a high slide switch, the high slide switch being actuated when the slide element is slid to the high position and the low slide switch being actuated when the slide element is slid to the low position.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the microprocessor provides a musical backbeat via the speaker and the audio instructions are musical sounds provided by the microprocessor via the speaker.

13. A method of operating a game apparatus in a manner that facilitates a game played with the apparatus, wherein the apparatus comprises a neck portion rotatably connected to a body portion having a strum bar, wherein the neck portion has a slide element slidably attached thereto, the method comprising:

providing, as part of the game, an audio instruction, a visual instruction, or both an audio instruction and a visual instruction to rotate the neck, slide the slide element, or strum the strum bar; and

determining whether a player has rotated the neck, slid the slide element, or strummed the strum bar in accordance with the provided instruction or instructions.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the game has a format in which the player has to perform one rotation, slide, or strum per turn.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the one rotation, slide, or strum has to be performed within a predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the game has a format in which the player has to perform a sequence of rotations, slides, or strums per turn.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

providing a musical backbeat; and

wherein the sequence has to be performed within a measure of the backbeat.

18. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

providing a musical backbeat; and

wherein the audio instructions are musical sounds.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

at least one LED located at a high position of the neck;

at least one LED located at a low position of the neck;

at least one LED located at a transition point between the body portion and the neck portion;

at least one LED located at a strum indicator portion of the body; and

wherein LEDs provide the visual instructions.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a speaker;

a microprocessor connected to the speaker and LEDs;

at least one rotation switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the rotation switch is actuated when the neck is rotated, sending a signal to the microprocessor;

at least one strum switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the strum switch is actuated when the strum bar is strummed, sending a signal to the microprocessor;

at least one slide switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the slide switch is actuated when the slide element is slid, sending a signal to the microprocessor; and

wherein the microprocessor controls the speaker and LEDs in response to the signals from the switches, and in accordance with the game.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the slide element can be slid from a middle position of the neck to either the high position or the low position.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the at least one slide switch comprises a low slide switch and a high slide switch, the high slide switch being actuated when the slide element is slid to the high position and the low slide switch being actuated when the slide element is slid to the low position.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein the microprocessor provides a musical backbeat via the speaker and the audio instructions are musical sounds provided by the microprocessor via the speaker.

24. A method of using a game apparatus that comprises a neck portion rotatably connected to a body portion having a strum bar, wherein the neck portion has a slide element slidably attached thereto, the method comprising:

receiving from the game apparatus, as part of a game, an audio instruction, a visual instruction, or both an audio instruction and a visual instruction to rotate the neck, slide the slide element, or strum the strum bar; and

rotating the neck, sliding the slide element, or strumming the strum bar in accordance with the received instruction or instructions.

25. The method of claim 24 wherein the game has a format in which a player has to perform one rotation, slide, or strum per turn.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the one rotation, slide, or strum has to be performed within a predetermined period of time.

27. The method of claim 24 wherein the game has a format in which a player has to perform a sequence of rotations, slides, or strums per turn.

28. The method of claim 27 wherein the apparatus provides a musical backbeat and the sequence has to be performed within a measure of the backbeat.

29. The method of claim 24 wherein the apparatus provides a musical backbeat and the audio instructions are musical sounds.

30. The method of claim 24 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

at least one LED located at a high position of the neck;

at least one LED located at a low position of the neck;

at least one LED located at a transition point between the body portion and the neck portion;

at least one LED located at a strum indicator portion of the body; and

wherein LEDs provide the visual instructions.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein the apparatus further comprises:

a speaker;

a microprocessor connected to the speaker and LEDs;

at least one rotation switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the rotation switch is actuated when the neck is rotated, sending a signal to the microprocessor;

at least one strum switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the strum switch is actuated when the strum bar is strummed, sending a signal to the microprocessor;

at least one slide switch connected to the microprocessor, wherein the slide switch is actuated when the slide element is slid, sending a signal to the microprocessor; and

wherein the microprocessor controls the speaker and LEDs in response to the signals from the switches, and in accordance with the game.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein the slide element can be slid from a middle position of the neck to either the high position or the low position.

33. The method of claim 32 wherein the at least one slide switch comprises a low slide switch and a high slide switch, the high slide switch being actuated when the slide element is slid to the high position and the low slide switch being actuated when the slide element is slid to the low position.

34. The method of claim 33 wherein the microprocessor provides a musical backbeat via the speaker and the audio instructions are musical sounds provided by the microprocessor via the speaker.