Live action multi-track skills game

• US 8,888,575 B2
• Filed: 09/11/2012
• Issued: 11/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boda Borg Corp.
• Original Assignee: Boda Borg Corp.
• Inventors: Spigner, David L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): LEICHLITER, CHASE E
• Application Number:
  US13/609,861
• Publication Number:
  US 20130065657A1
• Time in Patent Office: 798 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/42, 273/440, 273/153.R
• US Class Current: 463/9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00097 Board games with labyrinths, path finding, line forming labyrinths in boxes with small balls A63F7/04; other labyrinth games A63F9/0078
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/04 using balls to be shaken or rolled in small boxes , e.g. comprising labyrinths
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0073 Games for obtaining a particular arrangement of playing pieces in a plane or space A63F9/08 takes precedence; ticktacktoe A63F3/00094; three-dimensional chess-like games A63F3/00214
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/0078 Labyrinth games A63F3/00097, A63F7/04 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/18 Question-and-answer games
• CPC Class Codes: A63G 33/00 Devices allowing competitions between several persons, not otherwise provided for

Abstract

A system and method for operation of a game in which teams of players attempt to negotiate through a track of rooms, or several tracts of rooms. Teams attempt to progress through the track by solving problems presented in each room thereby earning access to a following room, until the team completes a track comprising several rooms. A control system is operable to control flow of teams from room to room, and to control presentation of problem solving activities to the teams, and to interpret data from the rooms to assess the performance of the team, and grant access to a following room or to bar access to a following room and/or eject the team from the room to start over on the track.

Claims

1. A system for game play comprising:

a facility comprising a plurality of rooms accessible by a team of one or more players;

access control means for controlling access to each room;

means for engaging teams in a problem solving activity in a plurality of rooms and creating signals corresponding to team actions;

means for tracking teams;

a control system programmed to control the access control means and engaging means to permit access by a team to a first room, then permit access to an additional room to the team upon successful completion of a problem solving activity in the first room, and bar entry to the additional room upon failure of the team to complete the problem solving activity and instead permit egress from the plurality of rooms and further programmed to determine the proximity of two or more teams, or members of said two or more teams, after barring entry to an additional room, to permit entry to each team to rooms previously accessed by each team, and to reconfigure at least one problem solving activity in at least one of said rooms previously accessed by each team thereby nullifying any information exchanged between said two or more teams for the purpose of resolving the challenge presented in the rooms previously accessed by each team; and

the control system is programmed to track teams and further programmed use the information to control the traffic flow through the facility in conjunction with the configuration of the rooms, the challenges presented in the rooms, and manipulation of the sequence of progress through the rooms.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further programmed to reconfigure a problem solving activity in a room based upon the prior performance of a team in said room.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further programmed to reconfigure a problem solving activity in a room based upon the prior performance of a team in a different room.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the control system is further programmed to demand, as part of a solution in a room of a first track, a token or information that the control system provides in response to successful completion of a task in a room of a second track, where the plurality of rooms is operated by the control system in a plurality of tracks each comprising a plurality of rooms presenting a distinct set of problem solving activities.

5. A method for playing a game comprising:

providing a facility comprising a plurality of rooms accessible by a team of one or more players;

providing access control means for controlling access to each room;

providing a means for engaging teams in a problem solving activity in a plurality of rooms and creating signals corresponding to team actions;

providing a means for tracking teams; and

providing a control system programmed to control the access control means and engaging means to permit access by a team to a first room, then permit access to an additional room to the team upon successful completion of a problem solving activity in the first room, and bar entry to the additional room upon failure of the team to complete the problem solving activity and instead permit egress from the plurality of rooms and further programmed to determine the proximity of two or more teams, or members of said two or more teams, after barring entry to an additional room, to permit entry to each team to rooms previously accessed by each team, and to reconfigure at least one problem solving activity in at least one of said rooms previously accessed by each team thereby nullifying any information exchanged between said two or more teams for the purpose of resolving the challenge presented in the rooms previously accessed by each team.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising programming the control system to reconfigure a problem solving activity in a room based upon the prior performance of a team in said room.

7. The method of claim 5 further comprising programming the control system to reconfigure a problem solving activity in a room based upon the prior performance of a team in a different room.

8. The method of claim 5 further comprising programming the control system to demand, as part of a solution in a room of a first track, a token or information that that the control system provides in response to successful completion of a task in a room of a second track, where the plurality of rooms is operated by the control system in a plurality of tracks each comprising a plurality of rooms presenting a distinct set of problem solving activities.