System and method for calculating values in tile games

• US 9,138,636 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2012
• Issued: 09/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/16/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: EyeCue Vision Technologies LTD
• Original Assignee: EyeCue Vision Technologies LTD
• Inventors: Horovitz, Ronen
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/490,467
• Publication Number:
  US 20120244922A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,202 Days
• Field of Search: 463 2- 6, 463 30- 36, 463 11- 13, 348/143
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 11/0051 Indicators of values, e.g. score counters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/0428 Crosswords
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2435 using a video camera
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2011/0058 using electronic means A63F2011/0053 takes 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
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for capturing images of a game space, detecting word or letter tiles added to the game space by a player, calculating a value of the added words or letters and adding the value to the score of the player during whose turn the letters or words were added.

Claims

1. A system for interactive gaming, comprising:

an imager to capture a series of images of a plurality of configurations of game tiles on a game board;

a memory to store a set of pre-defined values associated with a set of configurations of said plurality of said game tiles; and

a processor to;

detect a first configuration of said plurality of game tiles in a first image of said series of images;

detect a second configuration of said plurality of game tiles in a second image of said series of images;

identify a difference between said first configuration and said second configuration;

calculate a value of said difference in accordance with said set of pre-defined values; and

issue a signal of said value of said difference.

2. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

said imager is to capture said series of images of said plurality of said game tiles, said game tiles on a game board; and

said processor is to identify a position of a first of said plurality of game tiles relative to a first position on said game board, and to identify a position of a second of said plurality of said game tiles relative to a second position on said game board.

3. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

said memory is to store an indication of a plurality of words, and

said processor is to compare said difference between said first configuration and said second configuration with said stored plurality of words; and

issue a signal of a result of said comparison.

4. The system as in claim 1, wherein said processor is to add said value of said difference to a value stored in said memory, and to associate a result of said adding with a user.

5. The system as in claim 1, wherein said imager is to capture an image of an item appearing in an image of said series of images, and said processor is to associate said item with a user, and to associate said value of said difference with a value stored in said memory, said value stored in said memory associated with said user.

6. The system as in claim 1, wherein:

said imager is to capture an image of a second plurality of game tiles, and

said memory is to store an indication of a plurality of words, and

said processor is to;

combine a first of said second plurality of game tiles and said first configuration of said plurality of game tiles;

and compare said combined first of said second plurality of game tiles and said first configuration of said plurality of game tiles to said indication of said plurality of word; and

issue a signal of a match of said comparison.

7. A system to calculate a value of playing tiles on a playing board comprising:

an imager to capture an image of said playing board on which are placed said tiles;

a memory to store a rule of play and an association of a first of a plurality of playing tiles with a first pre-defined value; and

a processor to;

identify a playing tile on said board in said image,

associate said identified playing tile with said first pre-defined value, and

calculate a value of said tile in accordance with said rule of play and in accordance with said first value.

8. The system as in claim 7, wherein said memory is to store a score associated with a user, and wherein said processor is to add said calculated value to said score associated with said user.

9. The system as in claim 7, wherein:

said memory is to store a rule associated with a location on said board and

said processor is to;

determine a location on said board in said image of a first of said tiles in said image; and

calculate said value of said tile under said rule associated with said location on said board.