Games played with robots

• US 9,623,319 B2
• Filed: 10/10/2013
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Miller, Kenneth C.
• Original Assignee: Miller, Kenneth C.
• Inventors: Miller, Kenneth C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Deodhar, Omkar
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hall, Shauna-Kay
• Application Number:
  US14/051,309
• Publication Number:
  US 20140100012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,286 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2007/0047 simulating pool, snooker or billiards
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2442 Sensors or detectors
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0023 played on a table from all sides, e.g. marble games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0058 electric A63F7/027, A63F7/3065 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/307 with a score counter
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/24 Electric games; Games using electronic circuits not otherwise provided for video games A63F13/00; computerized gaming systems G07F17/32

Abstract

A robotic gaming system is provided that includes at least one sensor placed on a playing surface. At least one robot is controlled by a player to navigate on the playing surface and manipulate at least one target towards a gate. The sensor is operative for identifying when the target is moved to a scoring region of the playing surface.

Claims

1. A robotic gaming system comprising:

a plurality of sensors placed on a de novo playing surface constructed in user selected configurations that are reconfigurable based on modular components of gate and wall sections laterally joined to define the playing surface, at least one of said plurality of sensors present in a gate section;

at least one robot controlled by a player with a smart phone and navigating on the playing surface;

at least one target on the playing surface; and

wherein said plurality of sensors are operative for identifying when said at least one target is moved to a scoring region of the playing surface.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said plurality of sensors are a vision system with character recognition that recognizes a number printed on a surface of said at least one target.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the said vision system recognizes a machine readable marking on said at least one target.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one robot is equipped with a weapon.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said at least one sensor is in communication with a central controller or a computing device by wireless or wired connection.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the playing surface is a mat embedded with tracking and identification sensors, the mat dimensioned to fit a billiard table playing surface.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said at least one target is configured with at least one of radio frequency identification (RFID), magnet, or other electronic embedded components.

8. The system of claim 7 wherein said mat is configured to be rolled up.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising a felt finish without any markings, or may have markings related to a game.

10. A robotic game system comprising:

a plurality of master robots, each of the master robots uniquely assigned to a player;

one or more slave targets uniquely assigned to each of the master robots;

a smart phone controller assigned to each player for interactive control of an assigned master robot and corresponding slave targets;

a de novo playing surface constructed in user selected configurations that are reconfigurable based on modular components of gate and wall sections laterally joined to define the playing surface, at least one of said plurality of sensors present in a gate section; and

wherein the game concludes when all of the slave targets of competing players have been eliminated from the playing surface.

11. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one robot is equipped with a weapon.

12. The system of claim 10 wherein said at least one sensor is in communication with a central controller or a computing device by wireless or wired connection.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the playing surface is a mat embedded with tracking and identification sensors, the mat dimensioned to fit a billiard table playing surface.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein said at least one target is configured with at least one of radio frequency identification (RFID), magnet, or other electronic embedded components.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a felt finish without any markings, or may have markings related to a game, such as a robotic game with graphics and indicators for positioning a set of game pieces before play begins.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein said mat is configured to be rolled up for easy transport and storage.

17. A process for playing a robotic game comprising:

electronically coupling at least one first competitor slave target, each of the at least one first competitor slave target having intelligence to a first competitor master robot with a first smart phone controller;

electronically coupling at least one second competitor slave target, each of the at least one second competitor slave target having intelligence to a second competitor master robot with a second smart phone controller;

placing the at least one first competitor slave target, the at least one second competitor, the first competitor master robot, and the second competitor master robot onto a de novo playing field constructed in user selected configurations that are reconfigurable based on modular components of gate and wall sections laterally joined to define the playing surface, at least one of said plurality of sensors present in a gate section; and

reducing or eliminating functionality of the first competitor master robot when the at least one first competitor slave target is removed from the playing field alone or in combination with reducing or eliminating functionality of the second competitor master robot when the at least one second competitor slave target is removed from the playing field.