US20070164510A1

US20070164510A1 - Game table with sounds and lights coordinated to game action

Info

Publication number: US20070164510A1
Application number: US11/332,327
Authority: US
Inventors: Chien-Yeh Chen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-01-17
Filing date: 2006-01-17
Publication date: 2007-07-19

Abstract

A game table with sounds and lights coordinated to game action has a tabletop, a sidewall assembly, a skirt, at least one scoring receptacle, a game action sensing device and a sound and light generating device. The tabletop has a top surface, two long edges, two short edges, four corners and at least two scoring notches. The sidewall assembly has two sidewalls, two end walls and four connectors. The game action sensing device has a micro-controller, an oscillator, sensor modules and switch circuits. Each sensor module is mounted in and exposed through the sidewall assembly and has a resistor, an optical signal emitting diode and a phototransistor. Switch circuits are connected to the micro-controller and respectively to the sensor modules. The sound and light generating device is connected to the micro-controller.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a game table, and more particularly to a game table generating sounds and emitting lights when game pieces hit sidewall assembly.
2. Description of Related Art
Air hockey tables with a device to provide sounds and lights are well known in the art. However, sounds and lights are not coordinated with actions of the air hockey game. Therefore, the device only drives the sounds and lights in a preprogrammed sequence and provides limited contributions to the entertainment of the game.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a game table with sounds and lights coordinated to game action to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The main objective of the invention is to provide a game table with sounds and lights coordinated to game action of a game such as air hockey, billiards and the like.
A game table with sounds and lights coordinated to game action in accordance with the present invention comprises a tabletop, a sidewall assembly, a skirt, at least one scoring receptacle, a game action sensing device and a sound and light generating device. The tabletop is rectangular, has a top surface, two long edges, two short edges, four comers and at least two scoring notches. The sidewall assembly comprises two sidewalls, two end walls and four connectors. The sidewalls are mounted respectively along the long edges of the tabletop. The end walls are mounted respectively along the short edges of the tabletop. The connectors are mounted on the top surface of the tabletop respectively at the comers between adjacent sidewalls and end walls. The skirt is connected to and extends down from the sidewall assembly. The game action sensing device comprises a micro-controller, an oscillator, sensor modules and switch circuits. Each sensor module is mounted in and exposed through the sidewall assembly and comprises a resistor, an optical signal emitting diode and a phototransistor. Switch circuits are connected to the micro-controller and respectively to the sensor modules, and each switch circuit comprises resistors and a transistor. The sound and light generating device is connected to and driven by the micro-controller and comprises a sound module and a light module.
Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an air hockey table in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is a circuit diagram of a micro-controller, an oscillator, a sound module and a light module for an air hockey table in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram of sensor modules and switch circuits for an air hockey table in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a first embodiment of an air hockey table in accordance with the present invention with two sensor modules;
FIG. 5 is a top view of a second embodiment of an air hockey table in accordance with the present invention with four sensor modules;
FIG. 6 is a front view in partial section of the air hockey table in FIG. 5; and
FIG. 7 is an end view of the air hockey table in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

With reference to FIG. 1, game tables (10) in accordance with the present invention are used with game pieces such as scoring disks, balls and the like, may be air hockey tables, billiard tables, soccer tables and the like, and the game table (10) comprises a tabletop (11), a sidewall assembly, a skirt (17), at least one scoring receptacle (16), optional legs (18), a game action sensing device and a sound and light generating device.
The tabletop (11) of the game table (10) is rectangular, may be perforated and has a top surface, two long edges, two short edges, four comers, at least two scoring notches and multiple optional perforations. Each short edge of the tabletop (11) has a center. At least two scoring notches may be formed respectively at the centers of the two short edges of the tabletop (11). The perforations emit jets of air to cause a scoring disk to float on the jets of air.
The sidewall assembly is mounted on the top surface of the tabletop (11) and comprises two sidewalls (12), two end walls (13) and four connectors (14). The sidewalls (12) are mounted respectively along the long edges of the tabletop (11), and each sidewall (12) has an optional scoring recess. The end walls (13) are mounted respectively along the short edges of the tabletop (11), and each end wall (13) has an optional scoring recess, a center and an optional tab (15). The scoring recess is formed at the center of the end wall (13). The tabs (15) are mounted respectively at the centers of the end walls (13) and above the scoring notches on the tabletop (11) when scoring notches are formed at the centers of the two short edges of the tabletop (11).
The connectors (14) are mounted on the top surface of the tabletop (11) respectively at the comers between adjacent sidewalls (12) and end walls (13), and each connector (14) may have a scoring recess.
The skirt (17) is connected to and extends down from the sidewall assembly.
At least one scoring receptacle (16) is formed under the tabletop (11) and on the skirt (17) and may correspond to scoring notches in the tabletop (11).
Optional legs (18) are mounted under the skirt (17) to make the game table (10) self-standing.
With further reference to FIGS. 2 and 3, the game action sensing device comprises a micro-controller (21), an oscillator (22), sensor modules (23) and switch circuits (24).
The micro-controller (21) is mounted under the tabletop (11) and is a processor chip.
The oscillator (22) is mounted under the tabletop (11) and is connected to the micro-controller (21) to provide an operating frequency to the micro-controller (21).
Each sensor module (23) is mounted in and exposed through the sidewall assembly and comprises a resistor (R3), an optical signal emitting diode (D1) and a phototransistor (Q2).
With further reference to FIGS. 4 to 6, the optical signal emitting diodes (D1) are mounted respectively in and exposed through the connectors (14), respectively face other connectors (14) at an adjacent comer, are connected to a power source respectively through the resistors (R3) to emit light beams and may be an infrared emitting diode or a laser emitting diode.
The phototransistors (Q2) are mounted respectively in and exposed through one of the connectors (14) and face corresponding optical signal emitting diodes (D1) in adjacent connectors (14). Each phototransistor (Q2) has a collector to receive a light beam emitted by the corresponding optical signal emitting diode (D1).
The switch circuits (24) are connected to the micro-controller (21) and respectively correspond and are connected to the sensor modules (23). Each switch circuit (24) comprises resistors (R1)(R2) and a transistor (Q1).
The transistor (Q1) is a NPN type transistor and has a base and a collector. The base of the transistor (Q1) is connected in parallel to the power source through one resistor (R2) and the collector of the phototransistor (Q2) in the corresponding sensor module (23). The collector of the transistor (Q1) is connected in parallel to the power source through another resistor (R1) and the micro-controller (21).
With further reference to FIG. 7, the sound and light generating device is connected to the micro-controller (21) and comprises a sound module (31) and a light module (32) to generate sounds and emit light.
The sound module (31) is mounted under the tabletop (11), is connected to the micro-controller (21) and comprises a sound generator (311), a transistor (Q3) and a speaker (312).
The sound generator (311) is connected to the micro-controller (21) and may be a sound generating integrated circuit (IC).
The transistor (Q3) is connected to the sound generator (31) and has a base and a collector. The base of the transistor (Q3) is connected to the sound generator (31).
The speaker (312) is connected to the collector of the transistor (Q3) to emit sound.
The light module (32) is connected to the micro-controller (21) and is implemented with multiple resistors (R4) and multiple LEDs (321).
The LEDs (321) are mounted in and exposed through the sidewall assembly at equal intervals and are connected to the micro-controller (21) respectively through the resistors (R4).
When the phototransistors (Q2) receive the light beams emitted by the corresponding optical signal emitting diodes (D1), the transistors (Q1) output a high-level signal to the micro-controller (21). When a scoring disk or ball hits and ricochets off the sidewall assembly, the scoring disk or the ball interrupts the light beam transmitted from a particular optical signal emitting diode (D1) to the corresponding phototransistor (Q2), and the transistor (Q1) in the corresponding switch circuit (24) switches and outputs a low-level signal. Thus the micro-controller (21) commands the sound module (31) and the light module (32) to generate sounds and emit lights. Therefore, sounds and lights of the game table (10) respond to the game action and contribute much more to the entertainment of the game than the lights and sounds of a conventional game table.
Even though numerous characteristics and advantages of the present invention have been set forth in the foregoing description, together with details of the structure and function of the invention, the disclosure is illustrative only. Changes may be made in detail, especially in matters of shape, size, and arrangement of parts within the principles of the invention to the full extent indicated by the broad general meaning of the terms in which the appended claims are expressed.

Claims

1. A game table with sounds and lights coordinated to game action comprising:

a tabletop being rectangular and having a top surface, two long edges, two short edges having a center, four comers and at least two scoring notches;

a sidewall assembly mounted on the top surface of the tabletop and having

two sidewalls mounted respectively along the long edges of the tabletop;

two end walls mounted respectively along the short edges of the tabletop and having a center; and

four connectors mounted on the top surface of the tabletop respectively at the comers between adjacent sidewalls and end walls;

a skirt connected to and extending down from the sidewall assembly;

at least one scoring receptacle formed under the tabletop and on the skirt;

a game action sensing device having

a micro-controller mounted under the tabletop;

an oscillator mounted under the tabletop and connected to the micro-controller;

sensor modules mounted in and exposed through the sidewall assembly and each having

a resistor;

an optical signal emitting diode mounted in and exposed through one of the connectors, facing another corresponding connector at an adjacent corner and connected to the resistor; and

a phototransistor mounted in and exposed through one of the connectors, facing the optical signal emitting diode in an adjacent connector and having a collector; and

switch circuits connected to the micro-controller and respectively corresponding and connected to the sensor modules, and each switch circuit having

resistors; and

a transistor being an NPN type transistor and having

a base connected in parallel to one of the resistors and the collector of the phototransistor in a corresponding sensor module; and

a collector connected in parallel to another resistor of the resistors and the micro-controller; and

a sound and light generating device connected to the micro-controller and having

a sound module mounted under the tabletop, connected to the micro-controller-and having

a sound generator connected to the micro-controller;

a transistor connected to the sound generator and having

a base connected to the sound generator; and

a collector; and

a speaker connected to the collector of the transistor; and

a light module connected to the micro-controller and having

multiple resistors; and

multiple LEDs mounted in and exposed through the sidewall assembly at equal intervals and connected to the micro-controller respectively through the resistors in the light module.

2. The game table as claimed in claim 1 is an air hockey table.

3. The game table as claimed in claim 1 further comprises legs mounted under the skirt.

4. The game table as claimed in claim 2, wherein

the tabletop is perforated and has multiple perforations defined through the tabletop for emitting jets of air;

two scoring notches are formed respectively at the centers of the two short edges of the tabletop;

two scoring receptacles respectively correspond to scoring notches in the tabletop; and

each end wall has a scoring recess formed at the center of the end wall.

5. The game table as claimed in claim 4, wherein each end wall further has a tab mounted at the center of the end wall and above a corresponding one of the scoring notches in the tabletop.

6. The game table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical signal emitting diode is an infrared emitting diode.

7. The game table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the optical signal emitting diode is a laser emitting diode.

8. The game table as claimed in claim 1, wherein the sound generator is a sound generating integrated circuit (IC).