GB2114011A - Electronic board game - Google Patents

Abstract

An electronic board game including: a game board divided into a number of locations, a means for representing a reference location on the game board; and an electronic control unit 10 including means 130 for selecting a location for hidden treasure; means 140 for storing the location; means 142 for comparing the location in which the treasure is hidden with the reference location; means 144, responsive to the means for comparing, for indicating the position of the treasure location relative to the reference location for providing a clue to the position of a hidden treasure on the board. Means are also provided for determining the depth at which treasure is hidden underwater and for simulating a drive to recover such hidden treasure, with monitoring of the time and air supply during the simulated dive. <IMAGE>

Description

SPECIFICATION Electronic board game This invention relates to an electronic board game, and more particularly to such a game in which the goals and conduct of the game are controlled by an electronic device in conjunction with chance and risk undertaken by the players.

Conventional electronic games may be thought of as falling into four general categories: games in which the play occurs on a T.V. screen; games in which the electronic device is an opponent; games in which the electronic device judges human play; and games in which the electronic device functions to conceal from the players facts and conditions which are affecting the play.

One observation regarding such games, especially the fourth category, is that the human player is reduced to merely reacting to the electronically established conditions. There is no opportunity to boldly set forth in one's own chosen direction. One must choose from the options provided by the machine. This lack of selfdetermination can be disillusioning and cause the players to lose interest.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide an improved, novel electronic board game in which part of the activity is controlled by an electronic device and part is controlled by the players' independent actions and choices.

The invention features an electronic board game including a game board divided into a number of locations, means for representing a reference location on the game board, and an electronic control unit. The electronic control unit includes means for selecting a location for hidden treasure and means for storing that location. There are means for comparing the locations in which the treasure is hidden with the reference location. Means responsive to the means for comparing, indicate the position of the treasure location relative to the reference location to provide a clue to the position of the hidden treasure on the board.

In a preferred embodiment, there are means for initiating a simulated dive in a selected location, and means, responsive to the means for initiating, for assigning a period of time in which the dive must be completed, and means for monitoring the passing of that period of time. Each location on the game board may be divided into a plurality of sectors.

There may be further included means for establishing a depth for each sector in the location in which the treasure is hidden and means for selecting the number of sectors in which treasure is hidden. There are also means for determining the specific ones of the sectors in which treasure is hidden and means for setting the value of the treasure hidden in each specific sector.

Further, there are means for designating for exploration for the treasure a sector of the location containing the hidden treasure. Means, responsive to the means for designating, monitoring, and establishing, detect whether a treasure is in the designated sector upon the simulated dive reaching the depth established by that sector; other means, responsive to the value of the treasure set for the specific sector, stores the value of the treasure found. There are means for redetermining the sector in which a treasure is hidden when the means for monitoring indicates that the period of time has expired with the simulated dive still occurring in that sector. There may also be means for ending the dive in the particular location and means for displaying the total value of the treasure recovered in the location during a simulated dive.The means for representing a reference location may include a token. The means for indicating may include means for defining in which of two directions the treasure location is relative to the reference location. The means for defining may include marker means for delimiting the area in which the treasure may be found by a line through the reference location and the perimeter of the board.

An embodiment of the present invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig. 1 is a plan view illustrating a board, play money and dice for a board game according to this invention; Fig. 2 is a view of the front panel of an electronic dive control center according to this invention; Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of four players tokens according to this invention; Fig. 4 is an axomometric view of six treasure chests according to this invention; Fig. 5 is a side elevational view of four gold and four silver treasure marker buoys according to this invention; Fig. 6 is a graphic illustration of sector depth level and treasure deployment in a specific location; Fig. 7 is a functional block diagram of the dive control center of this invention;; Fig. 8 is a detailed schematic diagram of a dive control center employing a microprocessor according to this invention; Fig. 9 is a simplified system flow chart showing the software which drives the microprocessor of Fig. 8; Fig. 10 is a more detailed flow chart of the Executive Routine of Fig. 9; Fig. 11 is a more detailed flow chart of the Executive Key Decode Routine of Fig. 9; Fig. 1 2 is a more detailed flow chart of the Value Routine of Fig. 9; Fig. 1 3 is a more detailed flow chart of the Scan Routine of Fig. 9; Fig. 14 is a more detailed flow chart of the Numeric Key Handler Routine of Fig. 9; Fig. 1 5 is a more detailed flow chart of the Locate Routine of Fig. 9; Figs. 16, 17, 18, 1 9 and 20 are more detailed flow charts of the Dive Routine of Fig. 9; and Fig. 21 is a block diagram of a structure which may be used to implement the microprocessor of Fig. 8.

The electronic board game of this invention may be accomplished using the board game 1 including play money 9a and dice 9b, Fig. 1 and electronic dive control center 10, Fig. 2. Board 1 is divided into a number of locations 2, each of which is identified by a location number arranged in an 8 x 8 matrix to provide 64 separate locations. Each location is identified by a two-digit number indicating the row and column in which it is located. For example, in the first row the locations are identified as 11, 12, 13, 14, 1 5, 1 6, 1 7 and 18; in the second row they are identified as 21,22. 23; 24, 25, 26, 27 and 28; and so on until the last row, where they are identified as 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87 and 88.Each location is formed of nine sectors 3, arranged in a 3 x 3 square with the identifying location number in the center sector. Board 1 depicts a plan view of the ocean, which contains a plurality of islands 4. The board is marked on its four sides with indicators of North, South, East and West. Starting positions or ports 5 are indicated by circles in selected sectors on the board.

The game is begun by each player placing a token 6, Fig, 3, on a port 5 on board 1. The first player rolls dice 9b and may move any number of moves up to the number shown on the dice. A player may move in any direction, but may not move in or through a sector which is occupied by land 4. At each turn a player may inquire of electronic dive control center 10 as to the position with respect to that player's token of two independent hidden treasures in this specific embodiment, a gold treasure or a silver treasure.

Any time a player deduces a treasure location from positional clues that he or others have obtained from center 10, he may during his turn initiate a dive in that location by paying a fee in money 9a provided with the game and begin a dive. If no treasure is found the player continues as before. If treasure is found, the player is given one or more treasure chests 7, Fig. 4, depending upon the value of the treasure found, e.g., the chests may represent $50,000 of treasure. In subsequent moves the player attempts to return to a port 5, where he can exchange the treasure chests for money. Until the player arrives at a port with the chests he is subject to piracy. Any other player who wishes to pirate the treasure may, as the rolls of the dice permit, move to intercept the player with the treasure.The pirate risks whatever treasure he may have in the process; if the pirating player lands on a sector adjacent a player with treasure, the two players roll the dice, the highest roll of the dice between the two players wins, and all of the treasure of both players is awarded to the winner. The game is won when one of the players reaches a goal,for example $1,000,000 Four gold marker buoys 8, Fig. 5, are also provided to indicate on the board positional information that a player obtains from center 12 regarding the relative position of the treasure. For example, if a player whose token is located on location 53 had inquired as to whether the gold treasure was east or west of him and the center answered "east", then the four gold markers 8 would be placed at the locations indicated in Fig. 1.Since there is a silver treasure as well as a gold treasure in this embodiment, four silver buoys 8a are also provided with the game.

Electronic dive control center 10 includes a row of six lights 12, which selectively indicate either air supply or treasure value, and compass rose 14 which has five lights, one in the center, 1 6, and one each representing north and south, 1 6, 20, east and west, 22, 24. A first keyboard 25 includes two keys 26, 28 which ask the question whether the gold treasure is north or south, or east or west, respectively, of the position of the token on board 1. A similar pair of keys 32, 34 ask the same north-south, east-west questions, respectively, for a second, silver treasure.Nine-key keyboard 36 is used to enter two digits to indicate the identifying number of the location of a player's token in a first, search mode and in a second, dive mode during a dive to indicate in which of the nine sectors in a particular location the player wishes to dive. Keyboard 38 includes an "air" key 40 which begins a dive sequence, an "up" key 42 which ends a dive sequence, a "value" key 44 which, if treasure has been found, causes lights 12 to indicate the value of the treasure, and a "clear" key 46. "Clear" key 46 clears one or both entries on keyboard 36 made in the search mode to indicate a number identifying a location, or in the dive mode to indicate one of the nine sectors chosen for a dive to occur.

Electronic dive control center 10 is turned on by means of switch 50. At that point a short beep is provided through speaker 52 to indicate that the system is operating and is in the search mode.

Once the players have begun to move, a player may at any time ask the question as to the whereabouts of the treasure with respect to his own location. This is done by entering a location number on keyboard 36 and then pressing one of the four keys on keyboard 25 to ask whether the treasure is north or south, or whether it is east or west, of the token location. Unknown to the players, at the time that the first digit of the location identifying number is entered by the first player making such an inquiry, center 10 acts to "hide" the silver treasure, and upon entering the second digit the gold treasure is hidden. The response to the inquiry is provided by the compass rose indicator 14. Immediately center light 1 6 lights up and the peripheral lights light up in the sequence 18, 22, 20, 24. Light 18 lights first, accompanied by a beep sound. It stays on for a quarter of a second, then goes off while light 22 comes on accompanied by a beep; it stays on for a quarter of a second and then goes off, and so on. If the answer is "North", when the light returns to the north position it stops. Center light 1 6 is extinguished and the north light 1 8 blinks and beeps five times. If the answer is "East", the same thing occurs with respect to light 22; if it is "South" the same thing occurs with respect to light 20; and if it is "West" the same thing occurs with respect to light 24.If the location about which the inquiry is made happens to be on a line with the treasure, then after two complete cycles of lights and beeps beginning and ending at north, light 18, all the lights are extinguished and the center light 16, instead of going off, remains on and blinks and beeps five times.

The game continues in this way until someone decides he is in a location containing treasure and wishes to make a dive. At that point the player enters the location of his token on keyboard 36 by pressing the two relevant digits and then presses the "air" key 40 to place the game in the dive mode. If there is no treasure, a foghorn-like sound occurs and the turn is over. If there is treasure within one or more of the nine sectors of that location, the "air" lights 12 begin to light up, one at a time, from 1 2a-1 2f. As each light lights a bell clangs twice. Each successive light stays on and then the next light lights, until all of the lights are lit. The air tanks are now full and remain full until the player pushes one of the keys on keyboard 36, which keys now, in the dive mode, represent the nine sectors in the chosen location where he wishes to dive.As soon as he pushes a key indicating in which sector he wishes to dive first, the air starts to be used and the lights extinguish one at a time. There is no sound accompanying the depletion of air. When the player presses one of keys 36 there is heard a descending series of notes repeated a number of times, the number of repetitions indicates generally how deep he is going. When the diver gets to the bottom there is heard either a sound that indicates hitting the bottom, or a sound that indicates the tinkling of coins or finding of treasure. If the sound heard is the one of hitting bottom then there is no treasure in that sector. If the noise heard is the one of the tinkling of coins then there is treasure.In either case, after he hits bottom, if the player thinks there is enough air left as indicated by lights 12, the player can press any one of the remaining eight sector keys 6 on keyboard 36 and he will rise or drop to the level of the ocean floor in that new sector, and once again will hear either the bottom sound, indicating no treasure, or the tinkling sound, indicating that there is treasure. Play continues until the air runs out. If the surface is not reached before the air has run out the treasure is dropped and lost in that sector and his turn is over. If the surface is reached before the air is used up, the treasure value is indicated by lights 12. If the diver, uponing coming up with treasure, has cleaned out all the treasure in that location, when he reaches the surface there is a sound similar to a bosun's whistle.Also, when the "value" key is pushed and the lights light up to the level of the dollar value of the treasure, the bosun's whistle sound again is heard following the lighting of the last light, to indicate again that all the treasure has been recovered from that location. At any time that the bottom of a sector is reached the player may choose not to go on to another sector because of a fear of insufficient air left and he may press the "up" button 42, which moves the simulated diver directly up to the surface and ends the dive mode. If the surface is not reached before the air runs out there is a sirenlike sound indicating that the diver failed to make it. If the top is reached there are heard two sets of double clangs of a bell, indicating arrival at the surface.When the diver reaches the surface, if treasure has been recovered the value of that treasure is immediately indicated by the proper ones of lights 12 being lit. If, for example, $150,000 is the value of the treasure, then lights 12a, 12b and 1 2c are lit. If the player wants to see the value again, the may press the "value" key 44 and the value is repeated. The "value" key 44 may be pressed repeatedly up until the next dive has begun, and it will always show the total value of treasure recovered in the previous dive. When the "clear" button is pushed, or when any one of the keys of keyboard 36 is pushed, either to indicate a sector for a dive or a location, a clicking sound is provided to reassure the player that the key entry has been received by the system.All of the other keys except the nine keys 36 and the "clear" key 46 extract some sort of audio or visual response and so do not have a separate noise associated with them.

After the electronic dive control center system 10, Fig. 2, is energized by means of switch 50, the first entry of a digit on keyboard 36 causes the system to hide a treasure. This involves a number of choices that are made randomly. The location 2, Fig. 1 , in which the treasure is to be hidden is selected. The number of sectors 3, from one through five, in which the treasure is to be hidden in that location is also chosen. For example, it may be decided that the treasure is to be hidden in either one, two, three, four or five sectors out of the nine, so that the treasure is broken into one, two, three, four or five parts. Assume the random selection establishes that the treasure in the particular location is in three sectors.Then there is made the selection of specifically which three sectors shall contain the treasure, and then the amount of treasure in each of those three sectors is selected. Finally, the depth of all nine sectors in that location is set.

Such an operation is shown graphically in Fig.

6, where the nine sectors 3 are shown across the top, and the maximum depth below sea level is indicated to be one through seven units 62 down the left side. The system thus first decides in how many of the sectors 3 there will be located treasure. Assuming three, the system next determines in which three of the nine sectors the treasure will be located. In this case sector 2, sector 4, and sector 7 are set, as indicated by the X's in those columns. Next, the system establishes the value of the treasure in each of those sectors.

For example, in sector 2, 2 X's valued at $50,000 each indicates $100,000 value of treasure in that sector; sector 4 includes $50,000 worth of treasure, and sector 7 also includes $50,000 worth of treasure. Finally, the bottom contour of the nine sectors of this specific location are set.

They can be at anywhere from one unit to seven units below sea level, as shown by the horizontal bars 64 in each sector 3, Fig. 6. When playing the game a series of beeps going from a high pitch to a low pitch is repeated: once to indicate having gone down one level, twice to indicate having gone down two levels, and so on. For example, holding the "1" key in keyboard 36 designates a dive in sector 1; after two repetitions of the increasing pitch cycle there is heard a "hitting bottom" sound, which indicates that there is no treasure there. If then the key marked 2 on keyboard 36 is held there would be heard two more cycles of decreasing pitch, the "diver" moves from the second, to the third, and finally to the fourth level, which is where the bottom is located in sector 2.At that point, instead of a crash there is heard the tinkling sound indicating treasure. There is no difference in the sound for one treasure or two or more treasures. There can be only one or two treasures per sector. As the "diver" moves along from sector 2 to sector 3 there is heard one cycle of a rising series of pitches since the fourth level is higher than the third level, where again there is heard the "hitting bottom" sound since there is no treasure in sector 3. If the player moves his finger from the key marked three to the key marked four on keyboard 36, there is heard one cycle of a rising pitch sequence, whereupon the treasure noise is heard again since a treasure X is in sector 4.If at any time a player moves from a sector at one level to another sector at exactly the same level, there is heard a cycle of sounds which is increasing or decreasing in pitch, duplicating the last cycle during which the "diver" reached the bottom in the previous sector, In sector 6 the last series of signals heard was a decreasing cycle as the bottom was hit at level 4. Thus when the player moves from sector 6 to sector 7 there is heard a cycle of decreasing pitch, indicating the diver is going down another level, when in fact the diver is actually going laterally. If the diver has risen to sector 6 before moving to sector 7 there is heard a rising set of pitches. The only reason an up or down sound is made is because a lateral sound, one which would have the same tonal quality for all the signals, would be uninteresting.To keep the changing sound this approach is used of following the last pattern of ups or downs. Although a sound is made, it does not actually change the level: when the diver moves from sector 7 into sector 8 the diver moves down from the fourth level to the seventh level hearing only three descending tone cycles, which is the correct drop from 4 to 7 in depth, even though it appears from the previous sound that the diver had already dropped one level. Although the sector keys have been selected in sequence in the foregoing discussion, this is not required. Normally the player would select patterns he felt would give the best return and try to keep the pattern random to confuse other players.

In actual practice, the selection of the number of sectors in which treasure would be hidden, in what particular sectors it would be hidden, the value of the treasures hidden in each sector, and the bottom contours, need not be wholly randomly selected. Rather, each of the 64 locations designated by the numbers 11 through 88 may have only four different combinations of bottom patterns and treasure placement which can occur there, giving a total of 256 different such patterns for the entire board. This would conserve memory space which might be better used for other purposes. Four different sets of conditions for each treasure location are more than ample because the system is not transparent to the players and the randomness appears to be complete.

Since the system provides for the placement of treasure in up to five different sectors of the nine sectors, and since each such treasure deposit can have up to two $50,000 value treasures, it is clear that there could be ten different treasures totalling $500,000, but lights 12 can only indicate a total of $300,000. This can be accomplished because the system is not transparent to the user. If a diver recovered all the treasures, or any subpart of the treasures in a location, and made it to the surface, the treasures are valued by the device, which cannot set a value of more than $300,000. For example, if $450,000 were brought up by one diver, he would only be credited with $300,000.

However, two different divers could bring up amounts on two different dives in the same location, each of which amounts was less than $300,000 but the total of which was more.

Typically, the full amount of air given a diver is sufficient to move a diver through approximately eighteen units of depth. Thus, for example, a diver who went down in sector 9, Fig. 3, would use fourteen of the eighteen units of air just going down and coming up again, and would have only three or four units to explore further sectors.

The invention is not limited to the construction shown. For example, the game board need not be a flat board but could be on the face of a video screen. The means for representing the reference or player location need not be implemented with tokens. Indicia on a video screen or marks on paper could also be used. The marker buoys, too, might be indicia on a screen or marks on paper.

The information learned from the dive control center regarding the relative position of the treasure need not be shared with other players.

Any or all of the reference location, directionquestion, answer-clue, and marker buoy positions may be hidden from others. The game can be played by one person simply to find and accumulate treasure. Two or more players increase the excitement and challenge by competing in the race to discover the treasure and by resorting to piracy.

A simplified functional block diagram implementing the electronic dive control center 10 of this invention is shown in Fig. 7. When play begins, the first entry of a digit in the search mode on keyboard 36 in treasure hiding circuit 1 30 enables sector number select circuit 132 to select the number of sectors in which treasure will be hidden, and also enable sector depth circuit 134 to set the depth of each of the nine sectors. After the number of sectors to be provided with treasure is chosen by circuit 1 32 the actual sectors which will have the treasure are selected by sector determining circuit 136 and the values of the treasure located in each of those sectors is determined by sector treasure value circuit 138.

This information is provided to the treasure location storage circuit 140, which also receives the depth settings for each of the nine sectors from circuit 1 34. Upon entry of the second digit of a location on keyboard 36, the cycle repeats itself to store a second treasure. The first treasure is referred to as the silver treasure, the second one as the gold treasure. In the dive mode, when a token location is entered, token-treasure location comparator circuit 142 compares the token location with the treasure location and provides an output representing relative token position to indicator circuit 144, which includes the compass rose 14 of lights, Fig. 2.

The dive mode is initiated by actuating air key 40 in dive initiator circuit 146. Circuit 146 enables time assigning circuit 148 to set the amount of time for a dive by setting the air level available, and also energizes a time-monitoring circuit 1 50 which will monitor depletion of the air. The player strikes and holds a key on keyboard 36 in sector designator circuit 1 52 indicating the desired sector for a dive, and through treasure detector circuit 1 54 compares the sector number from circuit 1 52 with that stored in treasure location storage circuit 1 40.If there is treasure in that sector, and if time monitoring circuit 1 50 does not indicate that the time has expired, then treasure is detected and circuit 1 54 provides the value of that treasure to treasure storage circuit 1 56. At the end of the dive, the total amount of treasure recovered from all the sectors in that location will be displayed using lights 12 or a similar set of lights or other indicators, included in recovered treasure value circuit 158.If circuit 1 50 indicates that the dive time has expired before the diver has returned to the surface, the dive is ended and all the treasure recovered so far as indicated by circuit 1 56 will now be relocated in the sector where the dive was aborted by sector treasure redetermining circuit 160, and the new treasure information will be delivered to treasure location storage circuit 140. At any time that a player decides that there is not enough air left to complete an exploration, dive ending circuit 1 62 initiated by the stroking of "up" key 42 will indicate the end of the dive, cutting off the time period and causing the dive to end retaining whatever treasure has thus far been recovered.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is implemented using a microprocessor 100, Fig. 8, such as the Texas Instrument TMS 1100.

Microprocessor 100 includes ten outputs, RO--R 10, which feed directly through resistors R1-R11 to LEDs D1D11. The first six LEDs are the lights 1 2a-1 2f. The next five are the compass rose lights 18, 20, 22, 24 and 1 6.

Outputs 04-07 of microprocessor 100 each connect through a separate resistor R12--R15 in parallel to coil 102 of speaker 104. A diode 106 is connected across the input to coil 102. The various frequencies generated by microprocessor 100 at ports 04, 05, 06 and 07 are fed through one or more of the resistors R12-R15, depending upon the volume desired at the output of speaker 1 04. Power supply 105 includes a 9-volt battery 106 connected through spring contacts 108, 110, in series with capacitor 112 and on-off switch 114. When switch 114 is closed (in the "on" position), VSS is provided at input 20 of microprocessor 100 and at terminal 116. VDD ground, is provided from the other side of decoupling capacitor 112 to input 4 of microprocessor 100.Reset circuit 120 includes capacitor 1 22 and diode 124, which are supplied with VSS at terminal 11 6a to develop a reset pulse to input 9 of microprocessor 100 immediately after the system is powered up.

Power supply 104 also provides VSS at terminal 11 6b to capacitor 126, which is coupled with grounding resistor 128 to inputs 18 and 19 of microprocessor 100 to drive the main system clock.

The sets of keys 25, 36 and 38 are shown in Fig. 8 by the matrix of switches established by the intersection of lines 00--03 intersecting with lines K0-K8 from microprocessor 100. There is but a single switch shown for both the "air" key 40 and "up" key 42 because they provide but a single input to the system. It is as if a single key were there pushed once to indicate the need for air in the beginning of a dive, pushed a second time to end the dive, pushed a third time to indicate again the need for air at the beginning of a dive, and so on. The keys of keyboard 36 are indicated by numbers from 1-9 in a circle corresponding to the number with which they are marked on the keyboard.The key marked 9 is not active in the search mode, only in the dive mode, where the position of those keys, not their numbers, are relevant to replicating the nine sectors of a location.

The detailed flow chart of the software which operated microprocessor 100 is illustrated in Figs.

9-20. The functional simplified flow chart in Fig.

9 indicates that immediately after power up and reset, Step 200, the system executes the Executive Routine A, and then the Executive Key Decode Routine B. Subsequently, depending upon the conditions in the system, any one of the following programs may be invoked: Value Routine C, Scan Routine D, Numeric Key Handler Routine E, Locate Routine F and the Dive Routine G1-G4. In Executive Routine A, Step 202, Fig.

10, the LEDs are all cleared, Step 204, to make sure that none are inadvertently left on.

Subsequently, the random number generator is operated, Step 206, and the question is asked, "Are the keys clear?",208. If they are not, the system is returned to Step 206 and random number generation continues. If the keys are clear in Step 208, then an Idle Routine is inaugurated, Step 21 0. This routine provides a beep tone and a flashing of light 1 6 every ten seconds if the keyboard has not been manipulated for a period of two minutes. Random number generation 206 is repeated in Step 212, and the system is switched to a standard keyboard routine, Step 214. Such a keyboard routine strobes the keys with the question "Has a key been pressed7" After the keyboard routine is complete, the inquiry is made as to whether a key has been pressed in Step 21 6.

If the answer is "No" the system returns to the random number generation Step 212. If a key has been pressed the system then moves to the Executive Key Decode Routine B, Fig. 11.

The Executive Key Decode Routine B is one that supervises the operation of the keys throughout the playing of the game, not just at initia!ization.

Therefore the first step each time this routine is executed is to clear all the LEDs, Step 21 8. In the Executive Key Decode Routine B, after all LEDs are cleared, 218, the inquiry is made, "Is the new key a scan key?" in Step 220. If the answer is Yes, the next inquiry is, "Has the player entered the location yet?", Step 222. If he has not, then the system is directed back to the bad clock input 224 of the Executive Routine A, Fig.10, which generates a bad key sound. A scan key is one of the keys marked 1-8 on keyboard 36 used in the search mode.

If, alternatively, the player has entered a location, the next inquiry in Step 228 is "Was the previous scan saver empty?" If it was not, the inquiry is then made in Step 230 as to whether.

the player is scanning the same location but in a new direction. If he is, the system is returned to the bad clock entry 224 to the Executive Routine A, Fig. 10. If he is not scanning a new location the system then understands that a rescan is being done following junction 232. If in Step 228 the previous scan saver is empty, then it is understood that this is the first request in this location and the current key stroke is stored in the previous-scan saver in Step 234. The output of Step 234 also moves through junction 232. The key entry is now used to set the scan for either the silver or the gold treasure in Step 236, and the inquiry is made in Step 238 as to whether this is an inquiry regarding north-south or east-west position. If it is an east-west inquiry, the system is referred to the east-west entry to the Scan Routine D, Fig. 13.If it is a north-south inquiry it is referred to the northsouth entry of Routine D, Fig. 13.

When the initial inquiry is made as to whether the new key is a scan key in Step 220, if the answer is "no" the inquiry is then made in Step 240 as to whether the key is a value key. If it is, the system is transferred to the Value Routine C, Fig. 12. If it is not, the further inquiry is made as to whether or not the key pressed was a "dive" key in Step 242. If it is, the question is asked as to whether the diving location has been entered, Step 244. If it is not, the system is returned to the bad clock entry 224 of the Executive Routine A, Fig. 10. If the diving location has been entered, then the question is asked in Step 246 as to whether a scan was just done.If it was, then the system transfers to the bad clock entry 224 to the Executive Routine A, Fig. 1 0. A "yes" decision from Step 246 has indicated that the player thinks he has entered a diving location but in fact has not: after entering a diving location there was a scan, which means that that location was actually a scan location, not a diving location. Now the location must be entered again for the dive sequence. If a scan was not just performed, then the system moves to the Dive Routine G 1, Fig. 1 6.

In Step 242, if it is not a "dive" key, the question is then asked whether the key is a "clear" key in Step 248. If it is, then in Step 250 the current location is set to Empty and the system is returned to the OK Clock entry 252 of the Executive Routine A, Fig.10, which after clearing the last key numeric and providing a beep at Step 254, re-enters the Executive Routine A. If the key is not the "clear" key, then in Step 256 the question is asked "ls it the 9 key?" If it is the 9 key the system returns through the bad entry 258 to the Executive Routine A, Fig.10, where it enters the executive loop after initiating the bad key sound 226. If in Step 256 it is established that the key pressed is not the 9 key, then the system moves to the Numeric Key Handler Routine E, Fig. 14.

In Value Routine C, Fig. 12, the inquiry is first made, Step 260, as to whether both the gold and the silver last dive value is equal to zero. If it is, that means the player has no business hitting the value key and so the system returns, via the bad clock entry 224, to the Executive Routine A, Fig.

10. If both the gold and the silver values are not zero, then one has a value and from one to six of the lights 12 are lit up in Step 262 to indicate the value of the treasure found. Following the lighting of the last light the "treasure found" sound is made in Step 264. After a short delay 266, the inquiry is -made as to whether this was the last treasure at that location in Step 268. If it was, the bosun's whistle is heard again in Step 270. After that, or alternatively, if this was not the last treasure, the value routine ends and the system returns to the Executive Routine A, Fig. 10, via the "clear" entry 272, which in Step 274 clears the current dive location.

The Scan Routine D, Fig.13, is entered through the east-west entry 280 or the north-south entry 283. Through the east-west entry 280 the current treasure location is retrieved in Step 282 and the inquiry is made in Step 284 as to whether the treasure is located east, west, or center of the player's token location. Three outputs are fed to junction 286. North-south entry 283 has a similar step where the current treasure location is retrieved, Step 288, and the question is asked, "ls the treasure located north, south or center of the token location in Step 290?" Each one of those three outputs is also fed to junction 286. In Step 292 there is an initialization of the vector of lights for a scan showing, that is, the vector that rotates around the face of the compass rose 14. That rotating vector is represented by the fixed energization of the center light and the sequential energization of the four surrounding lights representing north, south, east and west. In this mode the light addresses are loaded in the register in the order in which they are to be energized. Also in Step 292 the center light is turned on and the show counter is loaded with the address of the lights and the sequence in which they are to be energized. Then in Step 294 the next show light, that is the next one of lights 1 8, 20, 22 and 24, is lit, and the beep sound is issued simultaneously in Steps 296. After a short delay 298, during which time that light is left energized, the inquiry is made in Step 300 as to whether this is a second revolution around the four peripheral lights.If it is not, the beep sound of Step 296 is made softer in Step 302 and the system is cycled back to light the next light, Step 294. If this is the second revolution of the energization of the lights 1 8, 20, 22 and 24, then the inquiry is made, Step 304, as to whether the current location of the lit light is equal to the target location which has been indicated by one of the three outputs of Step 284 or one of the three outputs of Step 290. If the answer is no the system is cycled back through Step 302. If the answer is "yes" then all of the LEDs are turned off in Step 306 and after a short delay 308, the one LED which indicates the correct direction is turned on in Step 310 and a beep sound is provided in Step 312.After a delay 314 the inquiry is made in Step 31 6 as to whether the target LED has been turned on and off five consecutive times in Step 31 0. If it has not the system loops back to Step 306 where all the LEDs are turned off. If it has flashed five times then the system returns to the Executive Routine A, Fig.10, at "clear" entry 272.

The Numeric Key Handler Routine E, Fig. 14, begins by setting the previous-scan saver to "empty" in Step 320 and then making an inquiry in Step 322 as to whether the last key entry was a numeric. If the answer is "yes" then there must have been at least one previous numeric key struck, and so in Step 324 the question is asked: "Do we already have the most significant digit and the least significant digit?" If the answer is "Yes", which would mean that the present bit would be the third one struck, the system returns through the bad entry 258 to the Executive Routine A, Fig.

10. If there is not already a most significant bit and a least significant bit then from Step 324 the system stores the new numeric LSD in Step 325, and then goes to the Locate Routine F, Fig. 1 5. At this point in Step 326 it is also indicated that the treasure being hidden is gold.

If the last key entry was not a numeric, as ascertained in Step 322, then the new numeric is the most significant digit and is stored in Step 328, and an indication is made that the last key set is a numeric in Step 330, after which the system transfers to the Locate Routine F, Fig. 1 5.

Simultaneously, in Step 332 an indication is made that the current treasure being hidden is silver.

Step 332 and Step 326 are placed here so that any time after the game is turned on, either initially, when there is no treasure hidden, and subsequently, when the hidden treasure may be depleted, the indication on the striking of the first digit identifies a silver treasure to be hidden and at the striking of the second digit in Step 326 there is identified the gold treasure to be hidden. The treasures are not actually hidden at this time but the system points to the Locate Routine F, Fig.15, which, if there is no treasure hidden at that time, undertakes to hide one.

Locate Routine F, Fig.15, begins with the inquiry "Is the current treasure type empty in Step 340?" The treasure will be empty if a dive has taken all the treasure or if this is an initial start-up of the game and the treasure has not yet been hidden or dropped. The question insofar as it refers to the treasure type points back to Steps 332 and 326 in the Numeric Key Handler Routine E, Fig. 1 4. which is determining whether the current treasure is silver or gold. If the current treasure type is not empty in Step 340, the locating of the treasure is aborted directly by exiting the Locate Routine F, Fig.15, and returning to the Executive Routine A, Fig. 10, through the OK entry 342.

If the current treasure type, be it gold or silver, is empty, then at Step 344 the current treasure type location is made equal to the current random number, and then the question is asked, Step 346, "Is this treasure type in the same location as the other treasure type?" If the answer is yes, the system loops back to Step 344 to find a new location for this treasure type. If the current treasure type is not in the same location as the other treasure type, then each of the nine sectors is assigned a depth level of 1-7, randomly chosen in Step 348. Following this in Step 350, the next random number is chosen to obtain the number of treasures from one through five that will be dropped in the nine sectors of this particular location, Step 350. The random generator generates a number from 0--1 5, step 352.In step 354, if the number 0 is chosen then only one treasure is secreted in those nine sectors. If the numbers 1 or 2 are chosen, two treasures will be secreted; if the numbers 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 are chosen three treasures will be secreted; if the numbers 8, 9, 10 or 11 are chosen four treasures will be secreted; and if the numbers 12, 13, 14 or 1 5 are chosen five treasures will be secreted.

The number of treasures dropped, 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, is stored in Step 356, and in Step 358 the next random number is chosen to determine the address of one of the nine sectors in which the treasure will be deposited. First the chosen random number is checked to see if it is 9 or less in Step 360. If it is not, the routine is looped back to Step 358. If it is, the inquiry is made as to whether there is treasure already in that sector, Step 362. If there is, the system again loops back to Step 358. If there is not, the random number generator is used again to determine how many chests of treasure or units of treasure are to be deposited in that sector in Step 364. After that selection is made, the one or two units of treasure are stored in that sector, Step 366, and the number of treasures to be deposited is decremented in Step 368.Now the inquiry is made in Step 370 as to whether all the treasure has been dropped. If it has not the system loops back again to Step 358 to find another sector to hide another unit or units of treasure. If all of the treasure has been hidden then the routine exits with the OK entry 342 to the Executive Routine A, Fig. 10.

In the Dive Routine G1, Fig. 16, the dive begins with the inquiry "Is the user entered treasure location equal to that of silver or gold in Step 400?" if it's equal to neither the current location has no treasure and the system transfers back to Executive Routine A through bad entry 258. If the user entered treasure location is equal to either the silver or gold treasure location, then the current treasure is set to that of the matched location in Step 402. This step points to either the silver or the gold as being the treasure, which has just been recognized as the one at this location. In Step 404 the six pairs of diving bell signals are generated as the six air fill lights are energized one at a time in sequence. Next, the keyboard is scanned in Step 406 and the determination is made as to whether any keys are down.If they are not, the routine loops back to Step 406 and the keyboard is scanned again. If a key is down, then the inquiry is made as to whether the key is a numeric key or an air/up key, Step 410. If it is not, then the wrong key has been pushed and a bad key sound is emitted in Step 412. This is an independent generation of the bad key sound, apart from the one at Step 226 in the Executive Routine A. After a brief waiting period 414, waiting for all the keys to be cleared, the system loops back to Step 406, where the keyboard is once again scanned.

If the key is a numeric or an air/up key, the routine moves to Dive Routine G2, Fig.17, where the inquiry is made at Step 41 6 as to whether this key is the air/up key. if it is not, then in Step 41 8 a new address is set for the sector dive indicating that the player has his finger on one of the numbers 1-9 indicating which sector he wishes to dive in in that location. Following this, the sector depth for that particular sector is determined in Step 420. If in Step 416 it is determined that this is the up or the air key, then the target depth is set to equal zero, or sea level, Step 422. At this point the dive is underway so that if the up key is hit the understanding is that the diver wants to surface. When the air key is stroked at the beginning of the dive cycle that indicates that the diver is about to descend.

Following Step 420 or 422, the inquiry is made as to whether the current depth is equal to the target depth in Step 424. If it is equal to the target depth then the diver is moving laterally and the depth adjustment is set equal to zero in Step 426. If the current depth is not equal to the target, then the inquiry is made as to whether the current depth is larger than or smaller than the target in Step 427.

If the current depth is larger than the target the diver is going up, so the next step 428 is to set the note or pitch adjust to the up frequency sequence.

In contrast, if the current depth is smaller than the target then it is understood that the diver is going down and the note or pitch is set to the down frequency sequence in Step 430. The output of either Step 430 or 428 sets the initial dive sound frequency which occurs in Step 432. If the diver is going neither up nor down, but is staying at the same depth as indicated by Step 426, then the initial dive sound frequency in Step 432 is set to either the down or the up series of notes, whichever was last employed.

From Step 432 on Dive Routine G2, Fig.17, the system moves to Dive Routine G3, Fig. 18, Step 434, where the inquiry is made "Is the dive still in progress?" If the answer is yes, the next inquiry in Step 436 is "Is the same dive key still being held down?" That is, is the same sector key number 1-9 being held down? If the answer is yes, then the question is asked, "Is the on-the-bottom flag set equal to 1 in Step 438?" This flat is set by Dive Depth Routine G4, Fig. 19. If the anser is no, that is, the on-bottom flag is not set to 1, then the next note of the diving sound is made in Step 440. The diving sound is a series of notes which either go up in pitch or down in pitch, depending on whether the diver is going up or down in the water.This step and the following one is putting out those notes one at a time and counting them to determine whether a cycle of notes have been completed. Each time a cycle of notes has been completed the diver has moved one of the seven units of depth either up or down. After the next note of the diving sound is set at Step 440, the note frequency is adjusted to either a higher pitch or a lower pitch in Step 442. Following this the note counter is incremented in Step 444.Thus if there are four notes which either rise or fall in pitch, the increment counter in Step 444 is counting from 1-8. The question is then asked in Step 446, "Have we counted enough notes for depth change?" If the total number of notes is eight and we have counted eight, then the answer is "yes" and the system moves off to the Depth Routine G4, Fig. 1 9. If not enough notes have been counted the system is routed through Step 446. In either case the next occurrence is a depletion of the air time or depletion of the air in Step 448.

Following this the program loops back up to the initial step 434. If the on-the-bottom flag has been set to 1 in Step 438, then in Step 450 a dead timer is decremented to expend air time. The dead timer, so-called, is used to deplete the air during a dive but while no sound is being made, that is, while a diver is not actually moving up or down.

For example, the diver has reached the bottom but the player has held his finger down on the same sector key, immobilizing the diver in that sector and wasting time. After the time or air is depleted, Step 450, the question is again asked, "Is the onthe-bottom flag equal to 1?", Step 452. If the answer is yes the system loops back to the initial step 434. This mode continues with the loop returning from Step 452 to 434 until the sector key is released for the sector in which the dive has been completed by the diver reaching the bottom.

Viewing again Step 436, eventually the player releases the sector key so that the same sector key is not held down. At this point the release 454 of the key is indicated in Step 438, and with the key no longer pressed the on-the-bottom flag is reset to 0 in Step 456. Following Step 456, the dead timer is decremented in Step 450 and the inquiry is again made as to whether the on-thebottom flag is equal to 1 in Step 452. At this point it is not equal to 1, and so the routine moves to a keyboard scan in Step 458. Then the inquiry as to whether any keys are down is made in Step 460.

If the answer is no, the routine returns to Step 434. If the answer is yes, the inquiry is made in Step 462 as to whether the pressed key is a numeric key. If it is not, a bad key sound is made in Step 464. If the key is numeric, then the inquiry is made as to whether the diving is taking place in a new sector before completion of the diving in the last sector in Step 466. If the answer is yes, a bad key sound is generated again in Step 464. If the answer is no the system moves back to Step 41 6 the beginning of the Dive Routine G2, Fig. 1 7.

Finally, if upon the inquiry as to whether a dive is in progress, Step 434, the response is no, the routine jumps directly to decrement timer 450 and follows the routine from there on.

Dive Routine G3, Fig.19, generally covers all the possibilities that can occur when a change of one unit in depth occurs. The maximum depth of any sector is 7 units in depth. The Dive Routine G3, Fig. 20, controls the end of dive operation.

In Dive Routine G3, Fig. 19, the first step 470 follows on Step 446 in Dive Routine G3, Fig. 1 8.

That is it has been determined that a change in depth has occurred. In Step 470 the new depth will be equal to the old depth plus one increment of depth, which has just been determined to have occurred. The depth adjustment is either in the plus or minus direction; that is the depth is either increased or decreased in accordance with the indication provided by Steps 428 and 430 in Dive Routine G2, Fig. 17. Following this in Step 472 the start frequency of the next cycle of dive sounds will be set. For example, if each cycle of sound includes eight notes which must be cycled through for each unit of depth that is traversed, then within that eight-note set the notes will either rise or fall, depending upon whether the diver is going up or down.In addition, the beginning note will be either higher or lower than the beginning note of the last cycle in order to continue the illusion of rising or falling. Again, whether the starting note should be increased in pitch or frequency or decreased in pitch or frequency is obtained from the information in Steps 428 and 430. Next the determination is made as to whether the target depth has been reached, Step 474. If it has not, then the air supply is depleted by one measure. The diver may traverse two or more units of depth to use up the measure of air supply. The air supply is incremently depleted in Step 476.Step 476 also blinks the highest lit light to indicate that the air is almost depleted at that level, then turns off that light and maintains all the lower lights in the series in the "on" condition, and after a brief interval the highest light in the series will begin to blink once again. Then it too will be extinguished and the next light will be left on solid for a period before it starts to blink. Following this the inquiry is made as to whether the air/time is completely depleted, Step 478. If it is not, the routine returns to Step 434. If the air is depleted, then an out-of-air alarm is sounded in Step 480, followed by an inquiry as to whether any treasure was obtained on this. dive, Step 482.If no treasure was obtained the routine ends with a "clear" entry 272 to the Executive Routine A, Fig. 1 0. if treasure was found on this dive, then it is all lost in Step 484 in the last dive sector, and a treasure drop sound is emitted in Step 486.

If in Step 474 target depth has been reached, the on-the-bottom flag is set equal to 1, in Step 488, and the inquiry is made in Step 490 as to whether the depth is equal to 0. If it is, the routine is directed to Dive Routine G4, Fig. 20. If the depth is not equal to zero then the inquiry is made in Step 492 as to whether the current treasure location is empty. If it is, then the hit bottom sound is made in Step 494 and the routine returns to Step 476 for an incremented depletion of the air supply. Alternatively, if the current treasure location is not empty, then since the diver has reached there that treasure will now be taken and so the treasure location has to be zeroed out in Step 496, following which that treasure will be added to the diver's total for the dive in Step 498 and the treasure found sound will be emitted in Step 500.

The sea level Dive Routine G4, Fig. 20, provides an end-of-dive sound in Step 502 as a result of the depth being found to be zero in Step 490.

which indicates that the diver has returned to sea level safely. Then the inquiry is made in Step 504 as to whether the dive in this sector yielded treasure. If the answer is no, the system returns to clear entry 272. If the answer is yes, the inquiry is made, Step 506, "Is there any treasure left in this location?" If the answer is no, then in Step 508 it is indicated that this was the last treasure taken from that location. The routine then moves to Value Routine C, Fig. 12.

The structure of microprocessor 100 implemented with a Texas Instrument TNS 1100 includes ROM array 600 and RAM array 602.

Inputs K1-K8 are provided through external inputs 604 to constant and K input logic 606. This drives write MUX 608 as well as P-MUX 610 and N-MUX 612. Write MUX 608 provides inputs to RAM array 602, as does X register 614 through X decoder 616 and RAM Y decoder 618. R output register 620 provides outputs RO--R15. P-MUX 610 and N-MUX 612 provide outputs through adder comparator 622 to AU select 624 and status logic 626. Status logic 626 drives status latch 628, which provides one input to output register 630, the other output of which is derived from accumulator register 632 driven by AU select 624. Output PLA 634 drives outputs 00--07. AU select 624 also drives Y register 636, which supplied RAM Y decoder 618. Instruction bus 638 directly drives instruction PLA, 640, and fixed instruction decoder 642. In addition, through branch address bus 644, it drives buffer register 646 and in turn page address register 648 and page decoder 650, which inputs to ROM array 600. Branch address bus 644 also interfaces with program counter 652, which interconnects with ROM PC and chapter decoder 654 at ROM array 600, and with subroutine register 656. Call latch 658, CA-CS-CB block 660, registers 646, 648 and 656, and program counter 652 are all driven via line 662 from status logic to 626.

Claims (20)

1. An electronic board game comprising: a game board divided into a number of locations; means for representing a reference location on said game board; and an electronic control unit including means for selecting a said location for hidden treasure; means for storing said location; means for comparing said location in which the treasure is hidden with the reference location; means, responsive to said means for comparing, for indicating the position of the treasure location relative to said reference location for providing a clue to the position of the hidden treasure on the board.

2. The electronic board game of claim 1 further including means for initiating a simulated dive in a selected said location, means, responsive to said means for initiating, for assigning a period of time in which the dive must be completed, and means for monitoring the passing of that period.

3. The electronic board game of claim 2 in which each said location on said game board is divided into a plurality of sectors.

4. The electronic board game of claim 3 further including means for establishing a depth for each said sector in the said location in which the treasure is hidden.

5. The electronic board game of claim 4 further including means for selecting the number of said sectors in which said treasure is hidden.

6. The electronic board game of claim 5 further including means for determining the specific ones of said sectors in which the treasure is hidden.

7. The electronic board game of claim 6 further including means for setting the value of the treasure hidden in each specific said sector.

8. The electronic board game of claim 7 further including means for designating a sector of said location containing said hidden treasure for exploration for said treasure.

9. The electronic board game of claim 8 further including means, responsive to said means for designating, said means for monitoring and said means for establishing, for detecting whether a treasure is in the designated sector upon the simulated dive reaching the depth set for that sector, and means, responsive to said means for setting, for storing the value of that treasure.

10. The electronic board game of claim 9 further including means for redetermining the sector in which a treasure is hidden when the means for monitoring indicates that said period of time has expired with the simulated dive still occurring in that sector.

11. The electronic board game of claim 9 further including means for ending the dive in said location.

1 2. The electronic board game of claim 9 further including means for displaying the total value of the treasure recovered in a location during a simulated dive.

13. The electronic board game of claim 1 in which said means for representing a reference location is a token.

14. The electronic board game of claim 1 in which said means for indicating includes means for defining in which of two directions the treasure location is relative to the reference location.

1 5. The electronic board game of claim 14 in which said means for defining includes marker means for delimiting the area in which the treasure may be found by a line through the reference location and the perimeter of the board.

1 6. An electronic board game comprising: a game board divided into a number of locations, each said location on said game board being divided into a plurality of sectors; means for representing a reference location on said game board; and an electronic control unit including means for selecting a said location for hidden treasure; means for storing said location; means for comparing said location in which the treasure is hidden with the reference location; means, responsive to said means for comparing, for indicating the position of the treasure location relative to said reference location for providing a clue to the position of the hidden treasure on the board; means for initiating a simulated dive in a selected said location; means, responsive to said means for initiating, for assigning a period of time in which the dive must be completed; and means for monitoring the passing of that period.

1 7. An electronic board game comprising: a game board divided into a number of locations, each said location on said game board being divided into a plurality of sectors; means for representing a reference location on said game board; and an electronic control unit including means for selecting a said location for hidden treasure; means for storing said location; means for comparing said location in which the treasure is hidden with the reference location: means, responsive to said means for comparing, for indicating the position of the treasure location relative to said reference location for providing a clue to the position of the hidden treasure on the board; means for initiating a simulated dive in a selected said location; means, responsive to said means for initiating, for assigning a period of time in which the dive must be completed; means for monitoring the passing of that period; means for establishing a depth for each said sector in the said location in which the treasure is hidden; means for selecting the number of said sectors in which said treasure is hidden; means for determining the specific ones of said sectors in which the treasure is hidden; and means for setting the value of the treasure hidden in each specific said sector.

1 8. An electronic board game comprising: a game board divided into a number of locations, each said location on said game board being divided into a plurality of sectors; means for representing a reference location on said game board; and an electronic control unit including means for selecting a said location for hidden treasure; means for storing said location; means for comparing said location in which the treasure is hidden with the reference location; means, responsive to said means for comparing, for indicating the position of the treasure location relative to said reference location for providing a clue to the position of the hidden treasure on the board; means for initiating a simulated dive in a selected said location; means, responsive to said means for initiating, for assigning a period of time in which the dive must be completed; means for monitoring the passing of that period; means for establishing a depth for each said sector in the said location in which the treasure is hidden; means for selecting the number of said sectors in which said treasure is hidden; means for determining the specific ones of said sectors in which the treasure is hidden; means for setting the value of the treasure hidden in each specific said sector; means for designating a sector of said location containing said hidden treasure for exploration for said treasure; means, responsive to said means for designating, said means for monitoring and said means for establishing, for detecting whether a treasure is in the designated sector upon the simulated dive reaching the depth set for that sector; and means, responsive to said means for setting, for storing the value of that treasure.

1 9. An electronic treasure hunt game comprising means for displaying an area, means for dividing the area into a plurality of different locations, means for selecting a location as to represent hidden treasure, memory means for storing the location, means for inputting a reference location, means for comparing the reference location with the selected location and means for indicating a particular relationship between the reference location and the selected location.

20. An electronic game substantially as hereinbefore described with reference to and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.