AU714786B2 - Game apparatus - Google Patents

Description

Regulation 3.2

AUSTRALIA

PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT

ORIGINAL

9 Name of Applicant: Actual Inventor: Address for Service: I I .I Anna Kuznetsova ZHU Anna Kuznetsova ZHU SInvention Title: "Game Apparatus" Details of Associated Provisional Application No: PN 9991 dated 21st May, 1996 The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to the applicant.

-1- This invention relates to a game apparatus which may provide entertainment, and in some applications of the invention can also assist in learning by find correct counterpart answers to specific problems.

Hitherto, game apparatus for assisting learning have been varied. One particular problem with known games apparatus for assisting learning is that the user interactivity with the game is minimal and hence the attention span of some players, particularly infants, is short.

The present invention attempts to overcome the aforementioned problem by providing an interactive games apparatus to determine the correct answer to a problem, and thereby assist in providing player attention.

Traditionally, questions have been raised which require memory or other abilities used to provide the answers. Such questions are herein regarded as "visible" information and answers are concealed until revealed by a play piece, which will identify whether the answer is a correct counterpart to the question S 15 or incorrect.

In a broad form, the invention may be said to reside in game apparatus ofo9 for a question and answer game, and have a plurality of play pieces and a plurality of questions (which may but not necessarily be associated with *i •O respective play pieces), a board having a plurality of recesses each containing a counterpart answer to a question, and the answers are covered in the recesses and obscured by the covers. The answers are preferably in code form, for example, numerals.

Each cover has an upper surface and each play piece has a lower surface which when brought into contact with the upper surface comes affixed thereto sufficiently for the play piece to remove any cover and expose an answer, and that will confirm or deny being a counterpart to the question.

There are many areas in which a game of this nature may be played, for example, sporting events and champions, business events and locations, Countries and Heads of State, but in the described embodiment hereunder, the relationship is between Nations (or States) and the Principal or Capital cities -2thereof. Quite clearly the game is applicable to many different areas of endeavour and need not necessarily be of an educational nature.

Preferably, the question is associated with a unique code and each counterpart answer would have the same unique code exposed when the cover is lifted from the relevant recess. In the case of Countries and Capital cities, for example, information given on the board would be a name of a country (for example Belgium), and the correct answer of Brussels and also the numerical code 17. The recess along side Belgium would be provided with the same code 17.

The attracted surfaces of the play piece and cover can for example have magnetic influences; if the material is a plastics material, electrostatic attraction may be utilised; or if the cover is provided with one element of a spigot and socket interconnection and the recess with the other element, frictional 0 engagement can be employed. However, in the described embodiment below, use is made of the well known hook and loop fastener type of interconnection which simplifies the removal of the cover from its recess, but which cover is readily replaced into the recess after being taken off the end of the play piece.

The number of answers could be very considerable, and because of that S. the time taken for each player to answer a question could be excessive. To counter this difficulty, use is made of clue colours. For example both the play pieces and the answers can be divided so that each may have, say, eight matching colours which are either identical or very similar, the player then knowing that he has yellow, for example, on his play piece, he must seek out a yellow answer. Colours may be applied in different ways, and for example the board may have cemented to them discs of the appropriate colours, while the play pieces may themselves be formed from material of the appropriate colours which are similar to the corresponding colours on the board.

An embodiment of the invention is described hereunder with reference to and is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which: Fig 1 shows a stack of cards, each of which would have a different numeral on one of its faces; -3-

S-I

Fig 2 illustrates a dice which may be used in this invention wherein only three numerals, 1, 2 and 3, are shown on the faces of the dice, but each is shown twice; Fig 3 shows a spinning disc type of selector for different colours; Fig 4 shows a play piece withdrawing a cover from a recess; Fig 5a is a perspective view of a board, in this embodiment having 48 parts; and Fig 5b shows each of six colours which may be used, and how they are designated on the board of Fig In this embodiment, Fig 1 illustrates a stack of cards, as shown, six in number, although that number may be increased even as high as twenty. Cards Sare designated 10 and each card has a numeral on one side only, the numerals ranging from 1 through to 6.

0 Fig 2 illustrates a dice showing three faces with the numerals 1, 2 and 3 thereon, and each of those faces is identified further by the numbers 30, and 60, respectively, all representing time. The other three faces of the dice, which are not visible, are similarly marked.

In order for a game to commence, use is made of the spinning wheel type selector showing in Fig 3, wherein the segments of the spinning wheel are marked off in colours. If the selector terminates, for example, on the colour marked blue, the player first to play will then be associated with blue clues both on the board and on the play pieces.

The function of the play pieces is to withdraw the covers selectively from the board, and Fig 4 illustrates a play piece 13 lifting a cover 14 from a recess 15 of a board 16.

In this embodiment, use is made of the game to find counterpart answers to the names appearing on the play piece 13. The concealed codes are intended to identify the countries corresponding to a respective capital or major city marked on the play piece, and for example, the word "Brussels" will indicate the capital of a country, and that country is Belgium. The colour appearing on the board and the colour of the play piece need to be -4approximately the same, so that for example a player need only make a selection of one of eight alternatives.

On the board the colour can be applied in any one of a number ways, but as illustrated, the colour comprises a plurality of discs 20, in this embodiment arranged in six groups of eight, and Fig 5b shows the discs before being applied to the face of the board 16. Each disc 20 is associated with the name of a country or state in the column marked 21, each recess 15 is marked with a number which matches with the code 22 on the question, which may be on play piece 13. It should be noted in Fig 4 that the depth of the recess 15 is much greater than the depth of the cover 14, so that the cover 14 lies entirely below the face of the board 16, and therefore the cover cannot be readily withdrawn other than with the use of a play piece 13. The arrangement S°shown in Fig 4 utilises the hook and loop arrangement for temporary affixing of S° the cover 14 to the play piece 13.

The following is a set of rules which govern use of the invention.

OVERVIEW

The game can be for self entertainment and/or for two or more players.

There are cards each marked with a number from 1 to 20. An additional card is marked 'WATCHDOG'.

A player's question choice selector wheel is provided and is marked with six colours referring to question types: Brown North America Green Africa Red Europe Blue Asia Orange South America White -Australia and Oceania There is provided a dice which is marked with the usual numbers 1, 2 and 3, plus additional smaller size numbers 30, 45, 60, representing time periods. Rolling the dice to show a number 2 means that a player has two question choices and must obtain the answers within a 45 second period. If a player should roll number 3 then a player must solve three questions within a second period. Corresponding numbers of questions and answers and time period apply for other rolled numbers. The game also requires a timer which may be a normal clock which can readily display time in seconds.

The game also has a number of covers which can be used for covering over the clue colours adjacent the correct answers.

DETAILED RULES First Part of the Game 1. If there are two or more players then cards marked 1 to 6 (if there are six players) are selected as well as the card marked "WATCHDOG". The *cards are shuffled and then given as a group to each player with the cards facing down. A player then selects a card and keeps it face down *and passes the remaining group to the next player who then selects a S. card. The process is repeated until all cards have been selected. All •0 players will then turn their cards face up. If a player has a card marked "WATCHDOG" then that player is the supervisor of the game. The cards determine the order of players in the game play. Preferably the first player sits on the right-hand side of the 'WATCHDOG' player. The cards can then be put aside as they are no longer needed for the game play.

2. The first player will roll the dice to see how many questions the player can choose and answer and the time limit involved.

3. The player will then spin the wheel of the player question choice selector to see which colour group of questions can be chosen. Each time the player draws a playing piece the player must then spin the wheel again for the next question choice.

4. The "WATCHDOG" player sets a timer according to the display on the rolled dice.

The player then has to match the questions with the correct answers within the time limit.

-6- 6. After the questions are matched with answers the "WATCHDOG" player will then check the correct answer by displacing the covers over the unique codes.

7. If the answer is correct the "WATCHDOG" player will then apply a cover over the clue colour in the clue colour areas 20 grouped with the answer of the question to show that the question has already been answered.

8. Points can be attributed as follows: Dice Number Points Awarded 1 3 points for correct answer 2 2 points for each correct answer 3 1 point for first correct answer and 2 points for each remaining correct answer 9. All the player pieces put into wrong positions can then be removed from the playing board. Playing pieces for questions answered correctly will be put to one side. Any playing pieces for incorrect answers to questions will be put to another side in a group for a second part of the game.

10. Each subsequent player plays the game according to the above rules.

Second Part of the Game 11. When all the playing pieces have been used then all the incorrect answer playing pieces can be pooled for all players. The next player in turn, rolls the dice and ignores the actual number rolled on the dice but observes the time limit display for the rolled number. In other words, if the number 2 were rolled it would indicate a time period of 45 seconds.

The player would then choose as many questions as possible from the pool of incorrectly answered questions and match them with answers within the 45 second time period. The "WATCHDOG" player will check the correct answers, and scoring will be according to the same rules for scoring as previously set out under Rule No 8.

12. The game will continue to be played until all the playing pieces have been matched with correct answers.

-7- 13. At the end of the game the "WATCHDOG" player will tally-up the points of all players and the player with the highest points will be the winner.

In order to change the questions and answers, eg one game is for capitals, another game is for history and there is another one for science, etc there may be a series of pre-printed substrates or sheets with questions and answers and a supervisor such as an adult would be able to appropriately place questions onto the playing pieces 13 and match the correct counterpart answers with the unique codes 22 in the recess a.

a a -8-

Claims (3)

1. Game apparatus for a question and answer game comprising a plurality of play pieces and a plurality of questions, a board having surfaces defining a plurality of recesses each containing a counterpart answer to a said question, and a plurality of covers in said recesses obscuring said answers, each cover having an upper surface and each play piece having a lower surface, which when brought into contact with a said cover upper surface, becomes releasably affixed thereto such that any play piece can remove any cover and expose an answer which will confirm or deny being a counterpart to ;the question on the play piece which removes the cover.

2. Game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein each said question has a unique code and each said counterpart answer comprises the

9. 9 same said unique code, each said unique code being in a respective said recess and on a corresponding play piece. 3. Game apparatus according to claim 2 wherein each said unique code is numerical. 4. Game apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein o *each said play piece lower surface becomes affixed to each respective said 9990 cover upper surface by one of the following: hook and loop fastener, magnetic attraction, electrostatic attraction, and frictional engagement. Game apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein all said board answers are associated with several clue colours, one colour to each of several said answers, and said play pieces are also so associated with colours that each question and its counterpart answer are associated with similar colours. 6. Game apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a plurality of cards each numerically marked on one side but not on the other side, which, in use are selected by players to establish a sequence of play. -9- I I I 7. Game apparatus according to any preceding claim wherein each said question appears on a respective said play piece. 8. Game apparatus according to claim 7 wherein a code unique to said question appears also on each respective said play piece. 9. Game apparatus according to any preceding claim further comprising a dice having six surfaces of which two are marked with the numeral 1, two with the numeral 2, and two with the numeral 3, and are also separately marked to identify time in seconds which each said numeral represents, so that, in use, a player may have a corresponding number of play pieces but is required to complete his use thereof within the time identified by said dice. **DATED this 2 0 th day of May, 1997 Anna Kuznetsova ZHU 'B ,y her Patent Attorney KEN MADDERN .Oro r 2210 2) SS o