Mechanical and electronic combinatory game and puzzle

• US 7,785,179 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2003
• Issued: 08/31/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pancu Mihai Ionescu
• Original Assignee: Pancu Mihai Ionescu
• Inventors: Ionescu, Pancu Mihai
• Primary Examiner(s): Vo; Peter DungBa
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCULLOCH JR, WILLIAM H
• Application Number:
  US10/389,606
• Publication Number:
  US 20030232636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,726 Days
• Field of Search: 273/157.R, 463/9
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00917 with pin and hole
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0421 Electric word or number games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0612 Electronic puzzles
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0842 each group consisting of again a central element and a plurality of additional elements rotatable about three orthogonal axes at both ends, the additional elements being rotatable about at least two axes, e.g. Rubik's cube

Abstract

A mechanical and electronic combinatory game and puzzle includes a plurality of cubic game items (2) bearing patterns on the faces, arranged in crossing rows in an overall parallelepiped game structure (1). Pre-designed or new face pattern combinations are to be obtained through sequences of group spinning. Variants of the game may include spinning partial or entire rows (4), as well as translations of game items if the game structure (1) contains empty places. The mechanical embodiment provides an overall parallelepiped game structure (1), an expandable enclosure (7) and handling devices (15). The electronic embodiment provides computer representation (40), control and management of the play.

Claims

1. A method of playing a combinatory game using computer generated graphics representing a game-set, comprising the steps of:

providing a first predetermined number of equal game-items having a cube-like shape;

providing a collection of face-patterns;

reproducing said face-patterns on the faces of said game-items;

arranging said game-items as an overall parallelepiped game-structure comprising crossing rows of aligned said game-items including zero to a second predetermined number of empty-places equal each to the cubic volume occupied by one said game-item;

performing sequences of spinning comprising each;

selecting a spinning group of said game-items in one of said crossing rows, spinning said spinning group around its longitudinal axis by 90 degrees and restoring the initial shape of said game-structure; and

aiming to obtain predetermined face-pattern combinations.

2. The method of playing a combinatory game of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

including at least one said empty-place in said game-structure, in said arranging step; and

performing sequences of translation comprising each;

selecting a translating group formed of contiguous said game-items in a row, adjacent at one end to said one empty-place, and translating said translating group into said one empty-place until a new said empty-place is created behind said translating group.

3. The method of playing a combinatory game of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

selecting a type of said spinning group comprising all said game-items in said one crossing row, in said performing step.

4. The method of playing a combinatory game of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

providing said face-patterns selected from the group consisting of letters, special characters, numbers, colors, pictures, parts of an entire picture, and a combination thereof, in said providing a collection step; and

aiming to obtain said predetermined face-pattern combinations selected respectively from the group consisting of words, numeric values, uniform colors, pictures associations, said entire picture, and a combination thereof, in said aiming step.

5. The method of playing a combinatory game of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

choosing a type of said game-structure comprising only one layer of said game-items, in said arranging step; and

selecting said spinning group having said longitudinal axis parallel to said layer, in said performing step.

6. The method of playing a combinatory game of claim 1, wherein further comprising:

organizing said game in play-rounds comprising each a third predetermined number of said sequences of spinning having parallel spin axes, each said play-round having to use a different direction of said spin axes than the preceding play-round; and

proposing as objective of each said play-round the formation of predetermined said face-pattern combinations comprising said face-patterns in result rows perpendicular on said parallel spin axes.

7. An electronic combinatory game generated on an electronic display of a computer system of a known type, and controlled in response to players'"'"' operations on said computer system, comprising the steps of:

storing a collection of digital images to be used as face-patterns;

storing individual properties of a first predetermined number of equal game-items representing each a material cube-like object having one said face-pattern on each face, wherein said specific properties comprise the position, orientation and appearance of each said face in relationship with the position and the orientation of another said face;

calculating and storing position parameters of said game-items arranging said game-items in crossing rows of aligned said game-items including zero to a second predetermined number of empty-places equal each to the cubic volume occupied by one said game-item;

generating images representing views of said game-items arranged as calculated in the preceding step on the display of said computer system; and

performing sequences of spinning on the display of said computer system comprising each;

selecting a spinning group of said game-items in one of said crossing rows and generating graphics representing said game-items in said spinning group spinning simultaneously around said one row axis and reaching a new stable position at 90 degrees of spin angle.

8. The game of claim 7, wherein further comprising:

including one or several of the following managing steps;

selecting the type of said combinatory game, setting up initial options, shuffling said game-items, organizing said combinatory game in play-turns and play-rounds, counting various play-times, checking the spelling in word dames, evaluating and recording the results and the rankings, and saving the game history in files accessible by other applications.

9. The game of claim 7, wherein further comprising:

including at least one said empty-place in the assembly of said crossing rows; and

performing sequences of translation comprising each;

selecting a translating group of contiguous said game-items in a row, adjacent at one end of said translating group to said one empty-place, and generating graphics representing said game-items in said translating group translating simultaneously into said one empty-place and reaching a new stable position when a new said empty-place is created behind said translating group.