Method and apparatus for playing a game

• US 8,727,846 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2011
• Issued: 05/20/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John E.R. Mcgovern, Sarah B. Mcgovern
• Original Assignee: John E.R. Mcgovern, Sarah B. Mcgovern
• Inventors: McGovern, John E. R., McGovern, Sarah B.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US13/300,357
• Publication Number:
  US 20120129599A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 463/9, 463/30, 463/31, 463 40- 42, 273/293, 273/296, 273/208, 273299-302, 273/236, 273/242, 273/243, 273/248, 273/249, 273429-431, 725/133, 725/141, 725/153
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00018 played along an endless track
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00126 using audio equipment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/186 Guessing games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00006 Board games played along a linear track, e.g. game of goose, snakes and ladders, along an endless track A63F3/00028 - A63F3/00157, A63F3/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00643 Electric board games; Electric features of board games electric word or number games A63F3/0421; computer chess G06F; electric raffle games A63F3/081

Abstract

The present invention is a game of verbal charades. In one embodiment, the game is played using a game board, game pieces, a die, a timer, various sets of cards, and an electronic medium containing imitations of people. The game may be played with multiple teams or players or with one person. In another embodiment, the game is played on a portable media device. In another embodiment, the game board includes electronic features allowing the game to be played primarily using the game board. In another embodiment, the game board, cards, timer, and die are represented on a television or other electronic screen.

Claims

1. A method for playing a game comprising:

Providing a game board having a plurality of spaces;

providing game pieces, one for each team, for moving along the plurality of spaces of the game board;

providing a set of imitations via an electronic medium, wherein the set of imitations is performed by a third party where such third party is merely an independent performer of verbal imitations of public figures, where such third party verbal imitations are pre-recorded via video or audio format, where such verbal imitations are accessed by a participating player operating an electronic device, whose imitations comprise a category independent from a set of cards, and whose verbal imitations players must correctly identify before an allotted time expires, but such third party is not a spectator, not a judge ensuring fair play, not a feedback-giving player, not a host, not a computer-voice reader of cards, and not a player in the game,

providing at least three categories, wherein a first category corresponds to a situation;

a second category corresponds to an occupation and a third category corresponds to an imitation, wherein the first category corresponds to a first set of cards, the second category corresponds to a second set of cards and the third category corresponds to the provided set of imitations performed by the third party;

a person describing the contents of a category of the at least three categories according to rules, the rules being specific to a type of the category card, wherein the person describes the at least one situation described on the first set of cards;

the person describes the at least one occupation listed on the second set of cards;

or displaying one of the provided set of imitations via the electronic medium if the type of the category card is imitations; and

a group guessing the contents of the category being described or displayed, the group including at least one person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of spaces of game board are identified by a particular color, each color representing a particular category.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game pieces are distinguished by color.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising a fourth miscellaneous category, wherein at least one miscellaneous person, place, thing, or idea is described on a third set of cards.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the group includes one player and the one player is:

provided at least one imitation performed by the third party;

prompted to correctly identify at least one of the set of imitations; and

scored based on a number of correct identifications.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the game board further includes an electronic display and a device configured to operate the electronic display.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the person describing further includes the person describing the contents of the card via a verbal presentation.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the person describing further includes the person not performing a physical gesturing or acting motion.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of imitations, performed by the third party are provided via audio and video, or via audio.

13. The method of claim 8 further comprising a fourth miscellaneous category, wherein at least one miscellaneous person, place, thing, or idea is described on a third set of cards.

15. The method of claim 8, wherein the game board is displayed on a television or monitor.

16. The method of claim 15, further including a device configured to operate the television or monitor.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the television or monitor includes a touch-screen that allows at least one aspect of the game to be played by touching the touch-screen.

10. A method for playing a game for use in an electronic device, the method comprising:

providing, at the electronic device, a game board having a plurality of spaces;

displaying, at the electronic device, game pieces, one for each team, for moving along the plurality of spaces of the game board;

providing, at the electronic device, a set of imitations, wherein the set of imitations is performed by a third party where such third party is merely an independent performer of verbal imitations of public figures, where such third party verbal imitations are pre-recorded via video or audio format, where such verbal imitation are accessed by a participating player operating an electronic device, whose imitations comprise a category independent from a set of cards, and whose verbal imitations players must correctly identify before an allotted time expires, but such third party is not a spectator, not a judge ensuring fair play, not a feedback-giving player, not a host, not a computer-voice reader of cards, and not a player in the game;

displaying, at the electronic device, at least three categories, wherein a first category corresponds to a situation;

a second category corresponds to an occupation and a third category corresponds to an imitation, wherein the first category corresponds to a first set of cards, the second category corresponds to a second set of cards and the third category corresponds to the provided set of imitations performed by the third party;

prompting, at the electronic device, a person to describe the contents of a category of the at least three categories according to rules, the rules being specific to a type of the category, wherein the person describes the at least one situation described on the first set of cards;

the person describes the at least one occupation listed on the second set of cards;

or displaying one of the provided set of imitations via the electronic device if the type of the category card is imitations; and

prompting, at the electronic device, a group to guess the contents of the category card being described or the one imitation of the provided set of imitations being displayed, the group including at least one person.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the plurality of spaces of the game board are identified by a particular color, each color representing a particular category.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the game pieces are distinguished by color.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the group includes one player and the one player is:

provided at least one imitation performed by the third party;

prompted to correctly identify at least one of the set of imitations; and

scored based on a number of correct identifications.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of imitations performed by the third party, are provided via audio and video, or via audio.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium containing a set of instructions for execution by one or more processors the set of instructions comprising:

a first code segment for providing, via the one or more processors, a game board having a plurality of spaces;

a second code segment for providing, via the one or more processors, game pieces, one for each team, for moving along the plurality of spaces of the game board;

a third code segment for providing, via the one or more processors, a set of imitations, wherein the set of imitations is performed by a third party where such third party is merely an independent performer of verbal imitations of public figures, where such third party verbal imitations are pre-recorded via video or audio format, where such verbal imitations are accessed by a participating player operating an electronic device, whose imitations comprise a category independent from a set of cards, and whose verbal imitations players must correctly identify before an allotted time expires, but such third party is not a spectator, not a judge ensuring fair play, not a feedback-giving, player, not a host not a computer-voice reader of cards, and not a player in the game;

a fourth code segment for providing, via the one or more processors, at least three categories, wherein a first category corresponds to a situation;

a second category corresponds to an occupation and a third category corresponds to an imitation, wherein the first category corresponds to a first set of cards, the second category corresponds to a second set of cards and the third category corresponds to the provided set of imitations wherein the set of imitations is performed by the third party;

a fifth code segment for prompting, via the one or more processors, a person to describe the contents of category of the at least three categories according to rules, the rules being specific to a type of the category, wherein the person describes the at least one situation described on the first set of cards;

the person describes the at least one occupation listed on the second set of cards;

or displaying one of the provided set of imitations via the electronic device if the type of the category is imitations wherein the set of imitations is performed by the third party; and

a sixth code segment for prompting, via the one or more processors, a group to guess the contents of the category being described or the one imitation of the provided set of imitations being displayed, wherein the set of imitations is performed by the third party, the group including at least one person.