GB2470718A

GB2470718A - Driving test board game

Info

Publication number: GB2470718A
Application number: GB0909083A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Kenneth Tointon
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2009-05-27
Filing date: 2009-05-27
Publication date: 2010-12-08
Also published as: GB0909083D0

Abstract

A driving test themed game comprises game board 1 bearing card placement markings, and sets of cards 5, 6, 7,8 for placing on the markings. At least one set of cards (not shown) comprises questions relating to driver education, and at least one other set of cards 5, 6, 7, 8 comprises item cards to be collected during game play. Several sets of question cards and item cards may be provided. The question card sets may be colour coded by difficulty level, with a colour selector 3 provided for selecting which set of cards a card should be selected from during play. The collection cards 5, 6, 7, 8 may be colour coded in a manner relating to traffic signals, with a selector for randomly selecting a traffic signal colour being provided. Preferably the selector comprises an electronic device 2 for randomly generating a traffic signal colour. The collection cards may include penalty cards 9, 12 which, when drawn, result in a penalty counter being awarded, and may also include penalty mitigation cards 10, 11 allowing any such penalty to be mitigated. An electronic device for randomly generating a traffic signal colour is also claimed.

Description

Method & Apparatus for a Game

Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for a game, particularly one for S educating a person to the requirements of a driving test.

Background to the Invention

The use of educational games is known in the prior art. More specifically, educational games are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art that have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.

The UK driving test, like many countries, comprises both a theoretical part and practical part. The theoretical part requires learners to sit a test in which they are asked a subset of questions (currently fifty) drawn randomly from a larger bank of officially sanctioned questions; the test is against the clock and the required pass mark is quite high (currently 43 out of 50). Learner drivers can purchase various publications that help them prepare for the test but these are not considered to be particularly engaging or enjoyable.

Summary of the Invention

It is an aim of the present invention to provide a game, particularly an apparatus for a game, that helps learner drivers prepare for the theoretical part of a driving test in an enjoyable and engaging way. It is also an aim to provide a method and apparatus that helps drivers understand the various legal requirements pertaining to vehic!e ownership and driving, for example the various legal documents required for driving and the possible sanctions imposed by the law for inappropriate behavior on the road.

According to the invention, there is provided apparatus for an educational game for preparing for a driving test, the apparatus comprising a game board having a playing surface with a plurality of card placement markings printed thereon; and a plurality of sets of cards for placement on a respective placement marking, wherein at least one set of cards comprises questions pertaining to driver education and at least one other set of cards comprises collection cards which include cards pertaining to items to be collected in order to advance in the game.

In the preferred embodiment, a plurality of sets of question cards are provided for placement on a respective placement markings on the board, and the apparatus further comprises selection apparatus for indicating, during use of the game, one of the sets of questions cards from which a question is to be drawn.

Each of the sets of question cards can be colour coded and the selection apparatus operates to indicate the set by indicating a colour. The different sets of question cards can comprise questions having different respective difficulty levels.

A plurality of sets of collection cards can be provided for placement on respective placement markings of the board, and the apparatus further comprises selection apparatus for indicating, during use of the game, one of the sets of question cards from which a collection card is to be drawn. As with the questions cards, each of the sets of collection cards can be colour coded and the selection apparatus operates to indicate the set by indicating a colour.

The colour coding might relate to the colours of a real-life traffic signal and in which the selection apparatus operates in accordance with such a traffic signal to indicate a colour.

For example, the colour coding could relate to the colours of a traffic light signal and the selection apparatus operates to generate, randomly, a colour from the traffic light signal.

In the first case to be described, the traffic signal comprises an electronic device comprising a random colour generator. In a second case to be described, the traffic signal comprises a mechanical spinner device having four traffic light combinations.

The collection cards can comprise, in addition to cards pertaining to items to be collected in order to advance in the game, penalty cards pertaining to inappropriate driving behavior. The apparatus can further comprise a set of penalty counters awarded to players in accordance with them drawing penalty cards. The collection cards might further comprise information cards providing mitigation against penalty cards.

As an alternative to the colour coding mentioned above, alternative coding systems might be used to distinguish different sets of question and collection cards, e.g. using number or pictorial labels. In this case, a suitably alternative selection apparatus is required.

According to a second aspect, there is provided selection apparatus for use in an educational game for preparing for a driving test, comprising an electronic device arranged generally to resemble a traffic signal and arranged to randomly generate a colour of the traffic signal in response to user action. The device may be arranged generally to resemble a three colour traffic light and to randomly generate one or more of a red, amber or green colour in response to user action As will be appreciated, the general purpose of the present invention, which will be described subsequently in greater detail, is to provide a new educational board game for learning to drive safely, with an apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the educational games mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a new educational board game for learning to drive safely which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art educational games, either alone or in any combination thereof.

There has thus been outlined the more important features of the invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of the invention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

It is preferable also to provide a new educational board game for learning to drive safely that may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

It is preferable also to provide a new educational board game for learning to drive safely that is of a durable and reliable construction.

It is preferable also to provide a new educational board game for learning to drive safely which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labour, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such educational board game for learning to drive safely economically available to the buying public.

It is preferable also to provide a new educational board game for learning to drive safely for teaching proper safe driving rules and educating a person to the requirements of a driving test.

Brief Description of the Drawings

The invention will now be described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a perspective view of a game box for storing a game apparatus; Figure 2 is a plan view of various objects comprising a driver education board game in accordance with a first embodiment; Figure 3 is a plan view showing the board shown in Figure 2 in greater detail; Figure 4 is a plan view of a board for use in a second embodiment; and Figure 5 is a plan view of a spinner traffic light selector for use in the second embodiment.

Detailed Description of a Preferred Embodiment

Referring to Figures 1 and 2, a multiplayer educational game for driving test preparation comprises multiple items (Figure 2) housed within a display/storage box I with S instructions. The game is, in this example, designed to be played by up to six people and so the number of cards and counters indicated below are appropriate to this arrangement. Alternative numbers can be employed.

The game items comprise a playing board 1, a traffic light selector 2, a spinning wheel selector 3, a set of six car cards 4, a set of ten insurance policy cards 5, a set of ten provisional driving licence cards 6, a set of ten log book cards 7, a set of ten road fund licence cards 8, a set of forty warning cards 9, a set of forty information cards 10, a set of thirty circular information cards 11, a set of thirty triangular warning cards 12 and a set of twenty four endorsement point counters 13. Also provided, but not shown, are six sets of theory test questions taken from the official drivers theory test. Each set is colour coded to indicate different degrees of difficulty.

The aim of the game is to collect, from the cards, a car and complete set of collection cards comprising an insurance policy, provisional driving licence, log book and road fund licence. To achieve this, player must answer questions from the theory test cards.

Referring to Figure 2, the game board 1 comprises a number of marked areas onto which the various types of cards are laid. At the top of the board I are printed six colour- coded areas 15 onto which the six decks of theory test question cards are laid face-down. A spinner marker 17 to the left hand side of the board I is where the spinning wheel selector 3 is positioned. The spinning wheel selector 3 is used to select one of the six decks of theory test questions according to their colour.

At the bottom of the board 1 are printed four colour-coded areas 20, 21, 22, 23 corresponding to the four light sequences used in UK traffic signals, namely red, red- amber, green and amber. Each area 20-23 corresponds with a different set of non-question cards according to corresponding traffic light colours shown on the reverse of each card. The non-question cards comprise the collection cards (insurance policy, provisional driving licence, log book and road fund licence) 5, 6, 7, 8 shuffled together with warning and information cards 9, 19 with the same colour coding on their reverse side. For example, the insurance policy cards 5, which have a red traffic light backing, are shuffled together with those warning and information cards having a same backing, the shuffled pack being placed on the red traffic signal marker 20 face-down. Towards the right hand side of the board 1 are provided respective markers 25, 26 for the circular information cards 11 and the triangular warning cards 12. In the centre of the board 1 is a region 27 on which the traffic light selector 2 is laid, this selector being an electronic device for selecting one of the traffic signal decks on markers 5-8. The selector 2 is in this case arranged to generally resemble a set of traffic lights and includes a random number generator which results in generation of the available traffic light sequences in response to user action.

The general rules and operation of the game, using the above-described apparatus will now be described.

Players take turns in a particular direction, e.g. clockwise. A dice is used to decide who starts. The game cannot be completed until each player has played the same number of rounds.

Each player chooses one of the car cards 4 with which to start the game. The player who throws the highest number with the dice gets to choose first. A player may not hold more than one car card 4 at a time. Players cannot proceed unless they have a car card 4.

On the player's next turn, they must spin the spinning wheel 3 which identifies a colour indicating the coloured deck 15 from which a question is taken. The player takes a card from the top of the selected deck and reads aloud the question, the multiple choice options and their selected answer.

If the player answers correctly, they then press a button on the traffic light selector 2 which activates internal electronic circuitry for generating a random light or light combination, i.e. one of red, red-amber, green or amber. The result indicates from which of the non-question card decks 20-23 a card is taken. The taken card will be one of a collection card 5, 6, 7, 8 (e.g. an insurance policy card 5 if a card from the red pile 20 is taken) a warning card 9 or an information card 10. If the card is a collection card, it is kept by the player towards attaining their goal of collecting all four collections cards. If it is a warning card 9 or information card 10, the player takes the corresponding shaped card 12, 11 from the appropriate deck 25, 26.

The triangular warning cards 12 include situations relating to inappropriate or dangerous driving or road use. Examples are set out in the following table. Each has an associated penalty, for example "Invalid Insurance" will result in the insurance policy collection card, if held, being returned to the bottom of the appropriate deck 20-23. If no such collection card is held, the player escapes without penalty. Alternative penalties include the player losing their car, missing a turn or receiving a specified number of endorsement points. If the car is lost (returned to compound) the player must spin the spinning wheel 3 on their next turn and receives the coloured car card 4 so indicated; if that colour car is already taken, the player must try again on their next turn. In the case of endorsement points, the player receives the specified number of endorsement counters 13; if a player receives a cumulative total of twelve endorsement counters 13, they must return their provisional driving licence card 5, if held, to the appropriate deck 20. If the player holds no licence card 5, the twelve endorsement points are kept until a licence card 6 is won at a later turn at which point the card is surrendered to the bottom of the deck 23. The endorsement counters 13 are returned upon surrendering the licence card 5 and the player starts again with zero counters.

In the case where a question is answered incorrectly, the player must also take a triangular warning card 12 for which the above rules apply.

The circular information cards 11 include cards that mitigate certain ones of the warning cards 12 as indicated in the table below. When used, both the information card 11 and its corresponding warning card 12 are returned to the bottom of their respective decks 25, 26. If the player has no corresponding warning card 12 against which the information card 11 can be used, the information card can be saved until a warning card is drawn.

A player may only hold one collection card 5-8 of the same type at any time. If a player draws a duplicate collection card 5-8, it must be returned to the bottom of the appropriate deck 20-23. Play then passes to the next player.

When a single player has collected a car card 4 and each of the four collection cards 5-8 and each player has played the same number of rounds, the game ends. If more than one player owns all five cards 4-8, the player with the least number of endorsement points wins. If the result is still tied, the tied players take turns to answer questions selected using the spinning wheel 3. At the end of each additional question round, the player with the best position wins. If it is clear that no other player can at least tie the game, this round may not be necessary.

Table 1 -Warning & Information Cards Warning Cards Information Cards Road Fund Licence out of date Road Fund Licence Card Your car has broken down Roadside service card Worn tyres New tyres card Your car has been involved in an accident Insurance claim card Your car has been written off Insurance claim card Brakes found faulty Brakes repair card Guilty of driving without due care and attention No mitigation Invalid insurance No mitigation Guilty of driving under the influence of alcohol No mitigation Guilty of speeding No mitigation A second embodiment wil! now be described with reference to Figures 4 and 5. The main difference is that, rather than using the electronic traffic light selector 2, a mechanical spinner 32 is employed for users to spin a rotatable arrow which identifies one of the available traffic light sequences, i.e. red 33, red-amber 34, green 35 and amber 36. Otherwise, the game is played in essentially the same way as described previously. With particular reference to Figure 4, it will be seen that the board has been modified to locate the information and warning card markers 25, 26 in the central region of the board, with a new marker 30 being positioned to the right hand side for locating the mechanical traffic light spinner 32.

The second embodiment has the advantage of being less expensive and complex in terms of manufacture and therefore enables the retail price to be reduced.

S

Claims

Claims I Apparatus for an educational game for preparing for a driving test, the apparatus comprising a game board having a playing surface with a plurality of card placement markings printed thereon; and a plurality of sets of cards for placement on a respective placement marking, wherein at least one set of cards comprises questions pertaining to driver education and at least one other set of cards comprises collection cards which include cards pertaining to items to be collected in order to advance in the game.
2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of sets of question cards are provided for placement on a respective placement markings on the board, the apparatus further comprising selection apparatus for indicating, during use of the game, one of the sets of questions cards from which a question is to be drawn.
3. Apparatus according to claim 2, wherein each of the sets of question cards is colour coded and the selection apparatus operates to indicate the set by indicating a colour.
4. Apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, in which the different sets of question cards comprise questions having different respective difficulty levels.
5. Apparatus according to any preceding claims, wherein a plurality of sets of collection cards are provided for placement on respective placement markings of the board, the apparatus further comprising selection apparatus for indicating, during use of the game, one of the sets of question cards from which a collection card is to be drawn.
6. Apparatus according to claim 5, wherein each of the sets of collection cards is colour coded and the selection apparatus operates to indicate the set by indicating a colour.
7. Apparatus according to claim 6, in which the colour coding relates to the colours of a real-life traffic signal and in which the selection apparatus operates in accordance with such a traffic signal to indicate a colour.
8. Apparatus according to claim 7, in which the colour coding relates to the colours of a traffic light signal and the selection apparatus operates to generate, randomly, a colour from the traffic light signal.
9. Apparatus according to claim 7 or 8 in which the traffic signal comprises an electronic device comprising a random colour generator.
10. Apparatus according to any preceding claim, wherein the collection cards comprise, in addition to cards pertaining to items to be collected in order to advance in the game, penalty cards pertaining to inappropriate driving behavior.
11. Apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising a set of penalty counters awarded to players in accordance with them drawing penalty cards.
12. Apparatus according to claim 10 or claim 11, wherein the collection cards further comprise information cards providing mitigation against penalty cards.
13. Selection apparatus for use in an educational game for preparing for a driving test, comprising an electronic device arranged generally to resemble a traffic signal and arranged to randomly generate a colour of the traffic signal in response to user action.
14. Selection apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the device is arranged generally to resemble a three colour traffic light and to randomly generate one or more of a red, amber or green colour in response to user action.
15. Apparatus constructed and arranged substantially as shown and described with reference to the accompanying drawings.