Methods of playing drawing games and electronic game systems adapted to interactively provide the same

• US 7,887,058 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2006
• Issued: 02/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Mattel Incorporated
• Inventors: Collins, Gary, Maciver, Peter, Ritter, Janice, Yu, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Mendiratta; Vishu K.
• Application Number:
  US11/427,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20070018393A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 273/249, 273/272, 273/273, 273/275, 273/432, 463/9
• US Class Current: 273/249
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/0661 Making a drawing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2457 Display screens, e.g. monitors, video displays
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/183 electric

Abstract

Methods of playing drawings games incorporating novel steps and electronic game systems configured for use with a video display and adapted to interactively provide novel methods of playing drawing games. Novel steps of the methods include: providing an award based at least in part on the number of continuous lines used by a player in the drawing of clues; erasing a player'"'"'s drawing after a predetermined time in sequence to how the drawing was sketched; providing an initial image to a player who sketches clues incorporating the initial image to create a drawing; limiting a player'"'"'s sketch to a combination of a predetermined set of shapes; limiting a player'"'"'s sketch to clues not depicting the physical manifestation of the word provided; manipulating a hand, wrist, or arm of a player to sketch clues to a word; requiring the player sketching clues to continuously produce verbal sound; requiring the player sketching clues to continuously keep his/her feet off the floor; and requiring the player sketching the clues to sketch upside-down.

Claims

1. A method of playing a drawing game, comprising:

providing an electronic game system;

playing a plurality of rounds in order to determine a winner of the drawing game, wherein the successful completion of a predetermined amount of rounds of the plurality of rounds determines the winner of the drawing game;

playing at least a first round of the drawing game, the first round comprising the steps of;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer of the electronic game system;

sketching, by the first player after initiation of the timer, clues to the word by providing sequential inputs on a drawing input device of the electronic game system to create portions of a drawing on a display of the electronic game system while a second player by observing the drawing on the display, attempts to identify the word, wherein the electronic game system begins to erase the portions of the drawing on the display corresponding to the sequential inputs in the order in which said sequential inputs were provided, after a first predetermined time period after initiation of the timer; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a second predetermined time period, after initiation of the timer, wherein the first predetermined time period is less than the second predetermined time period, and wherein the award is used to determine if the first round has been successfully completed and therefore one of the predetermined amount of rounds of the plurality of rounds has been successfully completed.

2. A method of playing a drawing game as in claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

playing a second round of the drawing game, the second round comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer of the electronic game system;

sketching, by the first player, upside-down clues to the word by providing inputs on the drawing input device of the electronic game system to create a drawing on the display of the electronic game system while a second player by observing the drawing on the display, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time period after initiation of the timer during the second round, wherein the award is used to determine if the second round has been successfully completed and therefore one of the predetermined amount of rounds of the plurality of rounds has been successfully completed.

3. A method of playing a drawing game as in claim 2, wherein the method further comprises:

playing a third round of the drawing game, the third round comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer of the electronic game system;

sketching, by the first player manipulating a hand, wrist, or arm of a second player, clues to the word by providing inputs on the drawing input device of the electronic game system to create a drawing on the display while the second player or a third player, observing the drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the third player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time period after initiation of the timer during the third round, wherein the award is used to determine if the third round has been successfully completed and therefore one of the predetermined amount of rounds of the plurality of rounds has been successfully completed.

4. A method of playing a drawing game as in claim 3, wherein the method further comprises:

playing a fourth round of the drawing game, the fourth round comprising;

providing a word to a first player;

initiating a timer of the electronic game system;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the word by providing inputs on the drawing input device of the electronic game system to create a first drawing on the display while a second player, observing the first drawing, attempts to identify the word;

sketching, by a third player, additional clues to the word by providing inputs on the drawing input device of the electronic game system to create a second drawing incorporating the first drawing on the display while the second player, observing the second drawing, attempts to identify the word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the timer runs to a predetermined time period after initiation of the timer during the fourth round, wherein the award is used to determine if the fourth round has been successfully completed and therefore one of the predetermined amount of rounds of the plurality of rounds has been successfully completed; and

playing a fifth round of the drawing game, the fifth round comprising;

providing a first word and a second word to a first player;

initiating a timer of the electronic game system;

sketching, by the first player, clues to the first word by providing inputs on the drawing input device of the electronic game system to create a first drawing on the display while a second player, observing the first drawing on the display, attempts to identify the first word wherein and upon the second player correctly identifying the first word, sketching, by the first player, clues to the second word by providing inputs on the drawing input device of the electronic game system to create a second drawing on the display while the second player, observing the second drawing on the display, attempts to identify the second word; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the first word and the second word before the timer runs to a predetermined time period after initiation of the timer during the fifth round, wherein the award is used to determine if the fifth round has been successfully completed and therefore one of the predetermined amount of rounds of the plurality of rounds has been successfully completed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the display is a video display and the drawing input device is configured to convert the inputs on the drawing input device into video signals for display on the video display.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the drawing input device includes a tablet and stylus.

7. The method as in claim 1, further comprising providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before any portion of the drawing is erased.

8. The method as in claim 1, further comprising:

converting the inputs on the drawing input device into a plurality of line segments to be drawn on the display, wherein each of the plurality of line segments are sequentially displayed on the display in the order in which the inputs were converted into the plurality of line segments and each of the plurality of line segments are then sequentially erased from the display in the order in which they were displayed on the display, after expiration of the first predetermined time period.

9. The method as in claim 1, wherein the drawing is erased by the electronic game system at any one of;

a uniform rate with respect to a time period, an increasing rate with respect to a time period, a decreasing rate with respect to a time period or an arbitrarily changing rate with respect to a time period.

10. A method of playing a drawing game, comprising:

initiating a timing device of an electronic game system of the drawing game;

sketching, by a first player after initiating of the timing device, clues to a word previously provided to the first player by providing inputs on a drawing input device of the electronic game system, wherein the inputs are converted into portions of a drawing visually perceivable on a display of the electronic game system, the display being coupled to the drawing input device;

erasing portions of the drawing from the display in sequence to how the drawing was drawn after a first predetermined time period has elapsed after initiation of the timing device, wherein the step of erasing portions of the drawing is performed by the electronic game system; and

providing an award based at least in part on whether a second player observing the display correctly identifies the word before a second predetermined time period elapses after initiation of the timing device, wherein the first predetermined time period is less than the second predetermined time period; and

determining a winner of the drawing game when a predetermined amount of awards have been accumulated by a player of the drawing game.

11. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

converting the inputs on the drawing input device into a plurality of line segments for display on the display, wherein the plurality of line segments depict the drawing displayed on the display and wherein each of the plurality of line segments are each individually erased from the display by the electronic game system after the first predetermined time period has elapsed after initiation of the timing device, wherein a first of the plurality of line segments displayed on the display is erased first when the first predetermined time period elapses.

12. The method as in claim 11, further comprising providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before any portion of the drawing is erased from the display.

13. The method as in claim 11, further comprising providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before the drawing is completely erased from the display.

14. The method as in claim 13, wherein the drawing input device further comprises a tablet and a stylus, the stylus being configured to provide the inputs to the tablet and the award is a number of spaces a game piece may be moved on a game board wherein the winner of the game is determined by moving the game piece a predetermined number of spaces on the game board.

15. The method as in claim 10, wherein the display is a video display and the method further comprises:

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the word before any portion of the drawing is erased from the display.

16. The method as in claim 10, further comprising:

converting the inputs on the drawing input device into a plurality of line segments on the display, wherein the plurality of line segments depict the drawing; and

determining a value of the award based upon the number of the plurality of line segments displayed on the display when the second player correctly identifies the word.

17. The method as in claim 16, further comprising:

determining the number of the plurality of line segments by adding each end point of each of the plurality of line segments to provide a sum and dividing the sum in half.

18. The method as in claim 10, wherein the drawing is erased from the display at any one of;

a uniform rate with respect to a time period, an increasing rate with respect to a time period, a decreasing rate with respect to a time period or an arbitrarily changing rate with respect to a time period.

19. The method as in claim 18, wherein the drawing input device comprises a tablet and stylus.

20. A method of playing a drawing game, comprising:

initiating a timing device of an electronic game system of the drawing game;

sketching, by a first player, after initiating the timing device clues to a first word previously provided to the first player by providing inputs on a drawing input device of the electronic game system, wherein the inputs are converted into portions of a drawing visually perceivable on a display of the electronic game system coupled to the drawing input device;

erasing the portions of the drawing from the display in sequence to how the drawing was drawn after a first predetermined time period has elapsed after initiation of the timing device, and wherein the step of erasing portions of the drawing is performed by the electronic game system;

sketching, by the first player, clues to a second word previously provided to the first player by providing inputs corresponding to the second word on the drawing input device of the electronic game system, wherein the inputs corresponding to the second word are converted into portions a drawing visually perceivable on the display only if the second player correctly identifies the first word before a second predetermined time period after initiation of timing device elapses, the second predetermined time period being greater than the first predetermined time period;

erasing the portions of the drawing relating to the clues of the second word from the display in sequence to how the drawing was drawn after the first predetermined time period has elapsed after initiation of the timing device, wherein the step of erasing the portions of the drawing is performed by the electronic game system;

providing an award based at least in part on whether the second player correctly identifies the first word and the second word before the second predetermined time period elapses; and

determining a winner of the drawing game when a predetermined amount of awards have been accumulated by a player of the drawing game.