US3760404A - Chess game progress demonstration device - Google Patents

Abstract

A chess game progress demonstration device which comprises a chessboard with pieces; a demonstration panel with 64 actuating units; a pulse shaper; a pulse counter; a check trigger with separated inputs and a control unit, every chessman being provided with an oscillating circuit tuned to the frequency allocated to a particular category of chessmen, while placed under every square of the chessboard is an inductance coil coupled with the output of the pulse generator feeding excitation pulses in succession to all inductance coils. The pulse shaper has its input connected to the outputs of all inductance coils and its output connected, according to signals from the control unit, first to the complementing input of the pulse counter for a calibrated time interval starting at the moment an excitation pulse arrives to the subsequent inductance coil and then, to one of the inputs of the check trigger.

Description

ite States v Patent 1 Klilehutin 1 Sept. 18, 1973 4] CHESS GAM-E PROGRESS 571 DEMONSTRATION DEVICE Gleb Sergeevicli Khlehutin, ul. Bolsheviststskaya, 200, kv. 30, Perm, U.S.S.R.

Filed: July 7, 1972 Appl. No.: 269,586

Inventor:

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 7/1957 Lyons 340/323 9/1970 Booker, Jr. et al... 178/18 4/1972 Beinhockerw 340/323 8/1972 Khlebutin 340/323 Primary Examiner-John W. Caldwell AssistantExaminer-Robert J. Mooney Attorney--Eric H. Waters et a1.

ABSTRACT A chess game progress demonstration device which comprises a chessboard with pieces; a demonstration panel with 64 actuating units; a pulse shaper; a pulse counter; a check trigger with separated inputs and a control unit, every chessman being provided with an oscillating circuit tuned to the frequency allocated to a particular category of chessmen, while placed under every square of the chessboard is an inductance coil coupled with the output of the pulse generator feeding excitation pulses in succession to all inductance coils. The pulse shaper has its input connected to the outputs of all inductance coils and its output connected, according to signals from the control unit, first to the complementing input of the pulse counter for a calibrated time interval starting at the moment an excitation pulse arrives to the subsequent inductance coil and then, to one of the inputs of the check trigger.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PAT SEP [amen 1 3.760.404

sumaurs PATENTED SEP] 8 I975 SHEET 3 BF 3 MC A XXX/ XXX g xxx x @xxx xxx i XX X CHESS GAME PROGRESS DEMONSTRATION DEVICE The invention relates to output devices used to transfer data to demonstration panels and in particular, to devices for presenting the progress of a chess game.

Known'in the art is a chess game progress demonstration device comprising: a chessboard with pieces; a demonstration panel with 64 actuating units; oscillating circuits placed inside the chessmen and tuned to frequencies allocated individually to similar pieces; inductance coils, each coil being placed under a respective square of the chessboard; a pulse generator the output of which is connected to the inputs of all inductance coils to feed them in succession with excitation pulses; a filter unit the input of which is connected to the outputs of all inductance coils and which controls the operation of the actuating units in the demonstration panel.

A drawback of this device is that it comprises a rather bulky and complex filter unit. The complexity of the filter unit is due to the fact that, in addition to useful signals (series of damped oscillations), its input also receives impact pulses of much higher amplitudes and broad frequency spectra. Components of these impact pulses can cause wrong operation of the filter unit, to avoid which the latter uses negative and positive feedback loops. It is evident that these loops tend to increase the complexity of the filter unit and to reduce its reliability. Besides, complex filters with feedback loops limit the speed of operation of the device. Thus, the device that is being discussed can interrogate all 64 squares of the chessboard only three times per second.

The object of the present invention is to provide a chess game progress demonstration device in which the functions of a filter unit would be performed by a device of a simpler design having a higher speed of operation and being more reliable in service.

This object is achieved by means of designing a chess game progress demonstration device comprising: a chessboard with pieces and a demonstration panel with 64 actuating units in which every chessman is provided with an oscillating circuit tuned to a frequency allocated individually to similar pieces, while every square of the chessboard has an inductance coil located under it and connected to the output of a pulse generator feeding excitation pulses to all coils in succession, and which, according to the invention,.is provided with a pulse shaper, a pulse counter, a check trigger with separated inputs and a control unit, the input of the pulse shaper being connected to the outputs of all inductance coils and the output being connected, in accordance with commands from the control unit, first to the complementing input of the pulse counter for a calibrated time interval starting at the moment an excitation pulse arrives to the subsequent inductance coil, and then, to one of the inputs of the check trigger.

It is preferable that the control unit should comprise a crystal oscillator having its output connected to a ring pulse distributor. The first output of the distributor is coupled with the reset input of the pulse counter and with the second input of the check trigger. The second output of the pulse distributor is coupled with the input of the pulse generator and with the complementing input of the pulse counter via a delay element and a coincidence circuit, the-other input of which is connected to the output of the pulse shaper. The third output of the pulse distributor is coupled with the first input of the check trigger via another coincidence circuit, the second input of which is connected to the output of the pulse shaper. The fourth output of the pulse distributor is coupled with control inputs of the actuating units of the demonstration panel, with the second input of the check trigger and with the reset input of the pulse counter via the third coincidence circuit, the second input of which is connected to the output of the check trigger.

This design makes it possible to drastically simplify the device, to increase its speed by the factor of three and to reduce the number of impact pulses applied to the oscillating circuits of chessmen, since now, during the time required to interrogate one square of the chessboard, the respective oscillating circuit will no longer receive a series, but only one impact excitation pulse. All these factors tend to increase considerably the reliability of the device.

The invention will be better understood from the description of its embodiments given by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 presents the circuit diagram of the chess game progress demonstration defice according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is the schematic diagram of the chessboard according to the invention;

FIG. 3 is the schematic diagram of an actuating unit of the demonstration panel according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is the schematic diagram of the pulse counter with a decoder according to the invention;

F IG. 5 is the schematic diagram of the pulse counter provided with another version of the decoder according to the invention.

The chess game progress demonstration device, the circuit diagram of which is shown in FIG. 1 comprises: a chessboard 1 with 64 cells 2 (FIG. 1 shows only three cells), every cell corresponding to a definite square of the chessbord l and having three inputs; a demonstration panel 3 with 64 actuating units 4, every unit corresponding to a definite square of the chessboard l and having two inputs; a crystal oscillator 5; a ring pulse distributor 6 having ten outputs; a two-dimensional switchboard using two ring pulse distributors 7 and 8, each having eight outputs, while every output of the distributor 7 is connected, via a conductor 9, to one of. the coordinates (first input) of the cells 2 in one horizontal row of squares of the chessboard l and of the actuating units of the demonstration panel, and every output of the distributor d is connected, via a conductor 10, to the other coordinate (second input) of the cells 2 in one vertical row of squares of the chessboard l and, via one of eight double-input coincidence circuits AND-to-NOT It and a conductor 12, to the other coordinate (second input) of the actuating unit 4 of the demonstration panel 3; a voltage amplifier 13 the input of which is connected, via a conductor 14, to the outputs of all cells 2 of the chessboard l; a pulse shaper the input of which is connected via a conductor 16, to the output of the amplifier 13; a delay element 17; a trigger 18; an excitation pulse generator 19; a pulse counter 20 with a decoder; a check trigger 21 with separated inputs; as well as other logical elements that will be referred to in what follows when the interconnections between the components of the device are described. The functions of the delay element 17 can be performed,

for instance, by a single flip-flop oscillator. The distributors 7 and 8 can be arranged around ring shift registers.

The first output of the ring distributor 6 is connected to the input of the distributor 7. Besides, via a logical element 22 OR-to-NOT and a conductor 23, it is coupled with the reset input of the pulse counter 20 having a decoder and with the second input of the check trigger 21. The second output 6 is connected, via a conductor 24, to the input of the excitation pulse generator 19, to one of the inputs of a double-input coincidence circuit 25 and, via a logical element 26 OR-to-NOT, to the input of the delay element 17. The output of the delay element 17 is connected to the second inputs of the double-input coincidence circuits 25 and 27 whose outputs are connected to the first and to the second input of the trigger 18 respectively. Both outputs of the trigger 18 are connected to the inputs of coincidence circuits 28 and 29 AND-to-NOT. The output of the coincidence circuit 28 is connected, via a conductor 30, to the complementing input of the pulse counter 20 having a decoder, while the output of the coincidence circuit 29 is connected to the first input of the check trigger 21. The outputs of the decoder of the counter 20 are connected, via thirteen conductors 31, to all sixty four actuating units 4 of the demonstration panel 3, while the output of the check trigger 21 is connected to one of the inputs of a double-input coincidence circuit 32. The other three outputs of the distributor 6 are vacant. (The distributor 6 is designed as a scale-of-ten device to make the output of the distributor 8 produce pulses at a frequency convenient for their subsequent use in the demonstration chess time-piece. Since the crystal oscillator is designed to operate at 6.4 kHz, the pulse repetition frequency at the output of the distributor 8, will be Hz (provided the distributor 6 is a scale-of-ten device).

The last four outputs of the distributor 6 are coupled, via a logical element 33 OR, with the inputs of the eight double-input coincidence circuits l1 and with the second input of the double-input coincidence circuit 32.

Every cell 2 (FIG. 2) of the chessboard is designed as a three-input coincidence circuit AND-to-NOT using diodes 34 and a transistor 32 whose load contains an inductance coil 36. Each of the sixty four inductance coils 36 is placed under the respective square of the chessboard. As it has been stated above, two inputs of every cell 2 are connected to respective outputs of the pulse distributors 7 (FIG. 1) and 8. The third input of all these sixty four coincidence circuits is connected, via a conductor 37 (FIG. 2), to the output of the excitation pulse generator 19. This circuit arrangement makes it possible to feed each of all 64 coils 36 with one excitation pulse from the generator 19 during a single interrogation cycle in accoradnce with the signals from the pulse distributors. All coils 36 are connected, via decoupling diodes 38 and the conductor 14, to the input of the amplifier 13.

Every chessman has a built-in oscillating circuit 39 which is tuned to the frequency allocated to the given category of the chessmen. The device uses 12 different frequency values corresponding to the twelve names of chessmen. Every frequency value is a multipe of the frequency of the crystal oscillator FIG. 1).

The version of the device being described uses the following multiples of the crystal frequency: 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14 andv 15, which permits to have the counter 20 of the simplest design possible. Thus, the counter 20 comprises four in-series triggers with complementing inputs and a diode decoder to identify thirteen positions (twelve names of chessmen plus one position to indicate that the square is unoccupied) of the counter. The operating positions of the counter are 0,4,5,6, 7,8,9,10,1 1,12,13,14 and 15, the 0-position indicating the absense of a chessman on the square of the chessboard 1. Positions 1,2, and 3 are vacant.

Due to this arrangement, a whole number of cycles of the frequency produced by an oscillating circuit 39 (FIG. 2) and pertaining to any of the twelve chessman categories will occupy the calibrated time interval determined by the crystal oscillator 5.

Every actuating unit of the demonstration panel comprises: a switching transistor 40 (FIG.3) serving as a double-input coincidence circuit; emitter follower 41 whose base is connected, via a capacitor 42, to the collector of a switching transistor 40; a trnsistor 43 connected to the output of the emitter follower 41; 13 (12 for dark squares) projection lamps 44 operated through keys using triode thyristors 45, the control electrodes of which are coupled, via decoupling transistors 46 and a conductor 31, with the outputs of the decoder of the counter 20 (FIG.1). Besides, every actuating unit 4 is provided with 13 (12 for dark squares) condensers having images of chessmen applied to them and with 13 objectives (condensers and objectives are not shown in FIG.3). All 64 actuating units 4 have a common semi-transparent screen onto which images of chessmen are projected in accordance with their respective positions on the chessboard l.

The counter 20 (FIGJ) comprises four in-series triggers 47 (FIG.4) which have complementing inputs and reset inputs, the reset inputs being interconnected via diodes 48 to form the reset input of the counter 20 (FIG.1). The outputs of every trigger 47 (F104) are coupled, via diodes 49, with respective conductors 31 which are connected, via resistors 50, to the negative pole of a power source (not shown in FIG.4).

The decoder of the counter 20 (FIG!) uses fifty two diodes 49 and thirteen resistors 50. Conductors 31 serve as the outputs of the decoder which produces a signal in the respective conductor 31 (one of the thirteen) in accordance with the number of pulses registered by the counter 20.

FIG.5 shows a diagram of the counter 20 with another version of the decoder intended to operate in conjunction with an actuating unit which uses statorrotor mechanisms. A certain pattern of operation of these mechanisms insures that a disc bearing images of chessmen occupies required positions with respect to the condenser and the objective. This decoder version uses only 10 diodes 49 and six resistors 50 and has six outputs to comply with design features of actuating units which use stator-rotor mechanisms. The decoder produces combinations of signals in six conductors 31 in accordance with the number of pulses registered by the counter 20 (FIGJ).

The device operates in the following way.

The output of the 6.4 kHz crystal oscillator 5 is fed to the input of the pulse distributor 6 which produces negative rectangular pulses of 156.25 microsecs. duration. The first output of the distributor 6 produces pulses at a repetition frequency of 640 Hz which are fed to the input of the distributor 7. The eight outputs of the distributor 7 produce in succession negative rectangular pulses l.5225 msec long. The first output of the distributor 7 produces pulses at a repetition frequency of 80 Hz which are fed to the input of the distributor 8. The eight outputs of the distributor 8 produce in succession negative rectangular pulses 12.5 msec long. During the 12.5 msec time interval every output of all the coincidence circuits 11 will produce in succession a series of eight (according to the number of cells 2 connected to the output of every coincidence circuit 11 AND-to-NOT) positive pulses, each 625 msec long. As it has been mentioned above, the distributors 7 and 8 serve as the elements of the two-dimensional switchboard to energize in succession all 64 cells 2 of the chessboard 1 and all 64 actuating units 4 of the demonstration panel 3, the outputs of the distributor 8 fed via conductors 10 being used to energize the cells 2 along the second coordinate and the outputs of the eight coincidence circuits 11 AND-to-NOT fed via conductors 12 being used to energize the actuating units 4 of the demonstration panel 3.

The time interval required to energize in succession all cells 2 of the chessboard 1 and the respective actuating units of the demonstration panel 3 is 100 msec. Hence, when the device is operating, every square of the chessboard 1 will be interrogated 10 times per second. Damped oscillations produced by oscillating circuits 39 (F162) of chessmen are received by the inductance coils 36 located under every square of the chessboard. These oscillations are fed, via the voltage amplifier 13 which is common for all 64 coils 36, to the pulse shaper 15 (F161) and from the latter, via the double-input coincidence circuit 28 which serves as a time gate, to the input of the pulse counter which registers the number of cycles of damped oscillations produced by oscillating circuits 39 during the calibrated time interval. In addition to producing steep edge pulses, the shaper 15 also serves as a threshold element and will not generate pulses if the amplitude of oscillations arriving from the oscillating circuit of a particular chessman is below a definite level. On the one hand, this feature of the arrangement tends to make the device more immune to noise effects but, on the other hand, it increases the probability of false operation of the counter 21 In fact, no matter how low the threshold is, there will always be instances when the players may put chessmen on the board (e.g., between two or more squares, so that a certain number of cycles of the oscillations produced by the oscillating circuit 39 (1 16.2) of the given chessman will not be converted into rectangular pulses during the calibrated time interval due to the fact that their amplitudes will quickly fade out (due to insufficient inductive coupling between the oscillating circuit 39 of the chessman and the inductance coil 36). It means that the pulse counter 20 (F161) will produce false information. It is much more advantageous that under these conditions the pulse counter 20 would not register the presence of a chesmman on the given square. To do this the device uses the check trigger 21 one of the inputs of which becomes connected to the output of the pulse shaper 15 just after the end of the calibrated time interval. If this input of the check trigger 21 receives at least one pulse it will mean that during the calibrated time interval the pulse counter 20 has registered all cycles of the oscillationsproduced by the circuit 39 (1 16.2) of the given chessman. The fact that there are no pulses at the input of the check trigger 21 (F161) indicates a rather high degree of probability that during the calibated time interval the pulse counter 20 has failed to register all cycles of oscillations produced by the oscillating circuit 39 (F162) of the given chessman. In this case the check trigger 21 will reset the pulse counter 20 to its initial position corresponding to the absence of a chessman on the given square of the chessboard before the respective actuating unit 4 of the demonstration panel 3 starts reading the information from the decoder of the pulse counter 20 (F161).

Consider the performance of the device during one operation cycle of the distributor 6. This cycle pertains to events taking place at one square of the chessboard 1. At the moment a pulse appears at the first output of the distributor 6, the distributor 7 is switched over (to energize the subsequent cell 2 of the chessboard 1) while the counter 20 and the check trigger 21 are reset to initial (zero-state) positions via the logical element 22 OR-to-NOT. Then, 156.25 microsecs later a pulse appears at the second output of the distributor 6. At the same time the generator 19 produces a rectangular pulse whose duration is 8 microsecs. This pulse passes through the coincidence circuit AND-to-NOT of the respective cell 2 (F162) of the chessboard and excites the coil 36 of the given cell 2. If, at this particular moment, the square above the given coil 36 is occupied by a chessman the oscillating circuit 39 of the latter will receive an impact excitation pulse and the circuit 39 will start generating damped oscillations at its proper frequency, i.e. at the frequency to which it is tuned and which is allocated to the category of a given chessman. After the excitation pulse passes through the inductance coil 36 the latter will start receiving damped oscillations produced by the oscillating circuit 39. These oscillations will be fed via the decoupling diode 38 to the input of the amplifier 13. After amplification they are applied to the shaper 15 (F161) which converts them into peaked pulses fed via the double-input coin cidence circuit 28 AND-to-NOT to the complementing input of the counter 211, the input of the counter 20 being in the state of conduction during the calibrated time interval (156.25 microsecs). This time interval accommodates a whole number of cycles of oscillations produced by any of the 12 oscillating circuits 39 (F162) in the chessmen. The time interval during which the coincidence circuit 22 (1 16.1) can conduct pulses from the shaper 15 to the counter 20 is determined by the time interval during which the trigger 18 is in the-l-state position. This time interval, in its turn, depends on the length of the pulse appearing at the second output of the distributor 6 (l56.25 microsecs). But the moments of the start and finish of the l-state in the trigger 18 are, however, shifted with respect to those of the leading and trailing edges of the pulse appearing at the second output of the distributor 6. This time shift is determined by the delay element 17 and is selected to be 14 microsecs so as to prevent the excitation pulse produced by the pulse generator 19 from reaching the input of the counter 26.

' When 14 microsecs later (due to the delay element 17) a pulse appears at the third output of the distributor 6 the trigger 18 will be reset to the O-state. At the same time the input of the counter 20 becomes blocked by the double input coincidence circuit 28 AND-to- NOT while the input of the check trigger 21 becomes unblocked by the three-input coincidence circuit 28 AND-to-NOT and remains in this state until the end of the pulse at the third output of the distributor 6. The fact that during this time interval the input of the check trigger 21 receives no pulses from the shaper l indicates a high degree of probability that the counter has failed to register all cycles of the oscillations from the oscillating circuit 39 (FIG.2) due to insufficient inductive coupling between the oscillating circuit 39 and the coil 36 (the chessman has been placed far from the center of the square on the chessboard). In order to make it impossible for the image of another chessman (whose category has been alloted another, i.e., lower frequency) to appear on the respective square of the demonstration panel 3 (F161) the counter 20 will be driven to the O-state as soon as the seventh output of the distributor 6 receives a pulse arriving via the logical element 22 OR-to-NOT and the coincidence circuit 32. The respective actuating unit 4 of the demonstration panel 3 will receive information that there is no chessman on the given square of the chessboard. In case the input of the check trigger 21 receives at least one pulse from the shaper 15, the trigger 21 will switch over the l-state, thus blocking the reset input of the counter 20 via the coincidence circuit 32, and the name of the respective chessman will be transferred to the corresponding actuating unit of the demonstration panel 3. As it has been pointed out above, pulses appearing at the fourth, the fifth and the sixth outputs of the distributor 6 are not used in the device. When a pulse appears at the seventh output of the distributor 6 the output of the respective coincidence circuit 11 AND-to-NOT will produce a positive pulse 625 microsecs long which arrives to the emitter of the switching transistor 40 (FIG.3) of the respective actuating unit 4 (FIG.1) of the demonstration panel 3 and, since its base has already been fed with a negative signal from the output of the distributor 7, the transistor (FIG.3) will start conducting. Thus, transistors 46 of the given actuating unit 4 (FIG.1) appear to be prepared for operation. Here it must be noted that it is only now that the signal from one of the thirteen outputs of the decoder of the counter 20 can bring the respective thyristor 45 to conduction arriving to it via the corresponding transistor 46 (F163). But at the moment when the counter 20 (FIG.1) performs the actual counting and when its outputs produce in succession negative signals, the latter can not reach the control electrodes of the thyristors 45 (FlG.3) since the transistor 40 is cut-off. However, the arrival of a positive pulse to the emitter of the transistor 40 will not drive the respective thyristor 45 to conduction immediately, since it is necessary to cut-off one of the thyristors 45 which has earlier been conducting. This is accomplished with the help of an RC-network having a time constant of 250-300 microsecs which is connected to the input of the emitter follower 41 and comprises a capacitor 42 and the resistance of the cathode follower. When fed with a positive pulse from the transistor 40 the RC-network differentiates it and drives the emitter follower 41 to cut-off which, in its turn, brings the transistor 43 to cut-off. Thus, the current that has been flowing through the conducting thyristor 45 is discontinued and the thyristor is cut-off. Driven to cut-off after the emitter follower 41 are the transistor 43 and the respective thyristor 45 (one out of thirteen) which 250-300 microsecs later start conducting again. The thyristor in this case will be either the one that corresponds to another chessman (if the chessman on the respective square of the chessboard has been replaced by another piece within the time interval between the previous and the present interrogation), or it will be the same device (if the chess play situation on the given square of the board has remained unchanged).

In case the chessman is replaced on any square of the chessboard the respective image will appear on the demonstration panel within msec.

The pulse counter 20 (F 10.1) having a decoder operates as follows.

The pulse appearing at the first output of the pulse distributor 6 is applied to the reset input of the pulse counter 20 driving all its four triggers 47 (FlG.4) to the 0-state (initial) positions, one of the conductors appearing to be under a potential which is practically equal to that of the negative pole of the power source. The other 12 conductors 31 will have potentials practically equal to that of the positive pole of the power source. The actuating units 4 will operate only under the effect of negative signals. Thus, the conductor 31 which has a negative potential at O-state positions of all triggers 47 of the counter 20 (FIGJ) will notify the actuating units 4 that there are no chessmen on the respective squares of the chessboard l. A pulse appearing at the second output of the distributor 6 will trigger (with a time lag of 14 microsecs due to the delay element 17) the pulse shaper 15 which will start generating pulses applied to the complementing input of the counter 20 via the coincidence circuit 28 AND-to- NOT. The first of these pulses will switch over the first trigger 47 (F164) to the I-state and remove the negative potential from the conductor 31 which would appear when the counter 20 (FIG.1) is in the O-state. The second pulse will reset the first trigger (FIG.4) to the O-state and drive the second trigger 47 to the l-state. The third pulse will again bring the first trigger 47 to the l-state. Nevertheless, the negative potential will not appear in any of the conductors 31 since the positions 1,2 and 3 of the counter 20 (FIGJ) are not used in the device.

It is only after the fourth pulse when the first and the second triggers 47 (FIG.4) are reset to the O-state while the third trigger 47 is in the l-state, that the respective conductor 31 will receive a negative potential. In the course of subsequent cycles of operation with pulses continuing to arrive to the complementing input of the counter 20 (F161), the conductors 31 (FIG.4) will in succession receive negative potentials until the coincidence circuit 28 AND-to-NOT (FIGJ) blocks the complementing input of the counter 20, Le. until the pulse counting procedure is discontinued.

During the subsequent phase of operation the signal from the output of the conductor 31 at which the counting procedure is over and which has not been eliminated by the reset of the counter 20 (FIG.1) under the effect of the check trigger 21 (as it has already been described) will drive to conduction the respective thyristor 45 (F163) of the corresponding actuating unit 4.

The operation of the counter 20 in conjunction with a version of the decoder shown in FIG.5 differs from that described above only in that signals to the actuating units 4 are not transmitted necessarily via one conductor 31 but can be transmitted via one, two or three conductors 31 depending upon the number of pulses registered by the counter 20. This is caused by the design peculiarities of the actuating units 4 using statorrotor mechanisms in which the required position of a disc bearing the images of chessmen is obtained ,by means of combining, respectively the voltages fed to stator and rotor windings.

The present invention is intended to monitor the progress of a chess game. But, if required, it can also be used to present the progress of other games, such as draughts, skittles, roulette, etc.

When used to monitor the progress of a roulette or similar games the devicecan also indicate the stakes and other game conditions.

What is claimed is:

]l. A chess game progress demonstration device comprising a chessboard; chessmen; a demonstration panel; 64 actuating units of said demonstration panel; oscillating circuits placed inside said chessmen and tuned to frequencies allocated individually to similar chessmen; inductance coils, each said coil being placed under a respective square of said chessboard; a pulse generator the output of which is connected to the inputs of all in ductance coils to feed them in succession with excitation pulses; a pulse counter; a check trigger with separated inputs; a control unit; a pulse shaper whose input is connected to the outputs of all inductance coils and whose output is connected, according to signals of said control unit, first to the complementing input of said pulse counter for a calibrated time interval starting at the moment an excitation pulse arrives to the subsequent inductance coil, and then, to one of the inputs of said check trigger.

2. A chess game progress demonstration device as claimed in claim 1 in which said control unit comprises a crystal oscillator having its output connected to a ring pulse distributor, the first output of which is coupled with the reset input of said pulse counter and with the second input of said check trigger; the second output is coupled with the input of saidpulse generator as well as with the complementing input of said pulse counter via a delay element and a coincidence circuit whose other input is connected to the output of said pulse shaper; the third output is coupled, with the first input of said check trigger via another coincidence circuit whose second input is connected to the output of said pulse shaper, and the fourth output is coupled with the control inputs of said actuating units of the demonstration panel as well as as with, the second input of this check trigger and the resetinput of said pulse counter via the third coincidence circuit whose second input is connected to the output of said check trigger.

Claims (2)

1. A chess game progress demonstration device comprising a chessboard; chessmen; a demonstration panel; 64 actuating units of said demonstration panel; oscillating circuits placed inside said chessmen and tuned to frequencies allocated individually to similar chessmen; inductance coils, each said coil being placed under a respective square of said chessboard; a pulse generator the output of which is connected to the inputs of all inductance coils to feed them in succession with excitation pulses; a pulse counter; a check trigger with separated inputs; a control unit; a pulse shaper whose input is connected to the outputs of all inductance coils and whose output is connected, according to signals of said control unit, first to the complementing input of said pulse counter for a calibrated time interval starting at the moment an excitation pulse arrives to the subsequent inductance coil, and then, to one of the inputs of said check trigger.

2. A chess game progress demonstration device as claimed in claim 1 in which said control unit comprises a crystal oscillator having its output connected to a ring pulse distributor, the first output of which is coupled with the reset input of said pulse counter and with the second input of said check trigger; the second output is coupled with the input of said pulse generator as well as with the complementing input of said pulse counter via a delay element and a coincidence circuit whose other input is connected to the output of said pulse shaper; the third output is coupled, with the first input of said check trigger via another coincidence circuit whose second input is connected to the output of said pulse shaper, and the fourth output is coupled with the control inputs of said actuating units of the demonstration panel as well as as with, the second input of this check trigger and the reset input of said pulse counter via the third coincidence circuit whose second input is connected to the output of said check trigger.

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