Multi-dimensional game comprising interactive physical and virtual components

• US 9,808,706 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tweedletech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Tweedletech, LLC
• Inventors: Jaqua, Steve, Maharbiz, Michel Martin, Morichau-Beaucchant, Theodore
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VO V
• Application Number:
  US14/157,459
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135124A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,391 Days
• Field of Search: 463 1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00223 shaped as a container into which playing pieces may enter
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00258 rollable, flexible or deformable board
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00394 with a surface relief
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00662 with an electric sensor for playing pieces A63F2009/2444 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2003/00668 using hall effect
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2419 Optical
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/242 Bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2467 of a slide
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2486 the computer being an accessory to a board game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2489 by radio transmitters, e.g. using RFID
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1093 using visible light
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00003 Types of board games chess A63F3/02; educational board games A63F3/04
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00214 Three-dimensional game boards
• 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 3/00895 Accessories for board games A63F3/00697 takes precedence; game accessories of general use A63F11/00

Abstract

An multi-dimensional game comprises a physical component including a game board and game pieces and a virtual component including a virtual environment displayed on a display device. A user is able to play the game by interacting with the virtual or physical component, wherein in order to complete tasks in the game the user must transition between interacting with the virtual component and the physical component. The physical component comprises game blocks, which are able to couple to each other and form objects that are then represented in the virtual component.

Claims

1. A game system comprising:

a game board including one or more board sensors;

a plurality of game blocks each including one or more block sensors and one or more coupling elements, wherein the game blocks can couple with each other using the coupling elements;

a global virtual environment stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising at least one local avatar, wherein, when the global virtual environment is being executed on a computing device and displayed from a display device, a player of the game system is able to interact with the global virtual environment via the computing device and the display device independent from the game board and the game blocks; and

a projection device for projecting one or more images onto the game board, wherein at least one of the images correspond to the position of the local avatar within the global virtual environment as displayed on the display device separate from the game board such that the images are able to be different than the global virtual environment as displayed on the display device;

wherein the board sensors are configured to sense a position of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the game board.

2. The game system according to claim 1 wherein each game block further comprises game block data having a block type and a block identification.

3. The game system according to claim 2 wherein the board sensors are configured to sense the orientation of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the game board.

4. The game system according to claim 3 wherein the position of the game blocks sensed by the board sensors includes an elevation of the game blocks above the game board.

5. The game system according to claim 4 wherein the board sensors are configured to sense the game block data of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the game board.

6. The game system according to claim 5 further comprising a computing device in communication with the game board, wherein the computing device computes the dimensions of one or more objects formed by the game blocks based on one or more of the position of the game blocks, the game block data and the orientation of the game blocks.

7. The game system according to claim 6 wherein at least one of the one or more objects comprises a plurality of the game blocks coupled together.

8. The game system according to claim 7 wherein the computing device is configured to generate the virtual environment associated with the game, wherein the virtual environment issues a challenge to a user by communicating a target physical object to the user and determines if an object formed by a plurality of the game blocks in response to the challenge structurally matches the target physical object.

9. The game system according to claim 8 wherein the computing device generates virtual representations of the one or more objects based on the computed dimensions and adds the virtual representations to the virtual environment.

10. The game system according to claim 9 further comprising a user interface coupled with the computing device that allows a user to interact with the virtual representations within the virtual environment.

11. The game system according to claim 10 further comprising one or more game pieces, wherein the board sensors and block sensors are configured to detect the position of the game pieces when the game pieces are proximate to the board sensors or block sensors.

12. The game system according to claim 11 wherein the game blocks are configured to couple with at least one of the game board and the game pieces.

13. The game system according to claim 12 wherein the virtual environment further comprises virtual representations of at least one of the game pieces.

14. A game system comprising:

a plurality of game boards each including one or more board sensors;

a plurality of game blocks each including one or more block sensors and one or more coupling elements, wherein the game blocks can couple with each other using the coupling elements;

a global virtual environment stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising at least one local avatar, wherein, when the global virtual environment is being executed on a computing device and displayed from a display device, a player of the game system is able to interact with the global virtual environment via the computing device and the display device independent from the game boards and the game blocks; and

a plurality of projection devices for projecting one or more images onto each of the game boards, wherein at least one of the images correspond to the position of the local avatar within the global virtual environment as displayed on the display device separate from the game board such that the images are able to be different than the global virtual environment as displayed on the display device;

wherein the board sensors are configured to sense a position of the game blocks when the game blocks are on one or more of the game boards.

15. The game system according to claim 14 wherein each game block further comprises game block data having a block type and a block identification.

16. The game system according to claim 15 wherein the board sensors are configured to sense the orientation of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the one or more of the game boards.

17. The game system according to claim 16 wherein the position of the game blocks sensed by the board sensors includes an elevation of the game blocks above the game boards.

18. The game system according to claim 17 wherein the board sensors are configured to sense the game block data of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the one or more of the game boards.

19. The game system according to claim 18 further comprising one or more computing devices in communication with the game boards, wherein the computing devices compute the dimensions of one or more objects formed by the game blocks based on one or more of the position of the game blocks, the game block data and the orientation of the game blocks.

20. The game system according to claim 19 wherein at least one of the one or more objects comprises a plurality of the game blocks coupled together.

21. The game system according to claim 20 wherein at least one of the computing devices is configured to generate the virtual environment associated with the game, wherein the virtual environment issues a challenge to a user by communicating a target physical object to the user and determines if an object formed by a plurality of the game blocks in response to the challenge structurally matches the target physical object.

22. The game system according to claim 21 wherein the computing devices generate virtual representations of the one or more objects based on the computed dimensions and add the virtual representations to the virtual environment.

23. The game system according to claim 22 further comprising one or more user interfaces coupled with each of the computing devices that allows users to interact with the virtual representations within the virtual environment from each of the computing devices.

24. The game system according to claim 23 further comprising one or more game pieces, wherein the board sensors and block sensors are configured to detect the position of the game pieces when the game pieces are proximate to the board sensors or block sensors.

25. The game system according to claim 24 wherein the game blocks are configured to couple with at least one of the game boards and the game pieces.

26. The game system according to claim 25 wherein the virtual environment further comprises virtual representations of at least one of the game pieces.

27. A method of playing a game comprising:

setting up a game board including one or more board sensors;

coupling a plurality of game blocks to each other with one or more coupling elements, wherein each game block includes one or more block sensors and at least one of the one or more coupling elements;

sensing a position of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the game board with the board sensors;

generating a global virtual environment stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium and comprising at least one local avatar, wherein, when the global virtual environment is being executed on a computing device and displayed from a display device, a player of the game system is able to interact with the global virtual environment via the computing device and the display device independent from the game board and the game blocks; and

projecting one or more images onto the game board with a projection device, wherein at least one of the images correspond to the position of the local avatar within the global virtual environment as displayed on the display device separate from the game board such that the images are able to be different than the global virtual environment as displayed on the display device.

28. The method according to claim 27 wherein each game block further comprises game block data having a block type and a block identification.

29. The method according to claim 28 further comprising sensing the orientation of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the game board with the board sensors.

30. The method according to claim 29 wherein the position of the game blocks sensed by the board sensors includes an elevation of the game blocks above the game board.

31. The method according to claim 30 further comprising sensing the game block data of the game blocks when the game blocks are on the game board with the board sensors.

32. The method according to claim 31 further comprising computing the dimensions of one or more objects formed by the game blocks with a computing device in communication with the game board based on one or more of the position of the game blocks, the game block data and the orientation of the game blocks.

33. The method according to claim 32 wherein at least one of the one or more objects comprises a plurality of the game blocks coupled together.

34. The method according to claim 33 further comprising generating the virtual environment associated with the game with the computing device and issuing a challenge to a user with the virtual environment by communicating a target physical object to the user and determines if an object formed by a plurality of the game blocks in response to the challenge structurally matches the target physical object.

35. The method according to claim 34 further comprising generating with the computing device virtual representations of the one or more objects based on the computed dimensions and adding the virtual representations to the virtual environment.

36. The method according to claim 35 further comprising interacting with the virtual representations within the virtual environment with a user interface coupled with the computing device.

37. The method according to claim 36 further comprising detecting the position of one or more game pieces with the board sensors and block sensors when the game pieces are proximate to the board sensors or block sensors.

38. The method according to claim 37 further comprising coupling at least one of the game blocks with at least one of the game board and the game pieces.

39. The method according to claim 38 further comprising generating virtual representations of at least one of the game pieces with the computing device and adding the virtual representations to the virtual environment.