HANDHELD ELECTRONIC BUBBLE GAME
A handheld electronic game includes a housing assembly; resilient domes protruding from the housing assembly; and a programmable, interactive system and at least one light emitting diode mounted within the housing, electrically connected to the programmable, interactive system. The housing assembly has a front housing portion and a rear housing portion. Each of the domes has a first surface and a second surface. The domes can transition from a first position where the first surface is convex to a second position where the second surface is convex. The programmable, interactive system includes a microprocessor and a sensor. The sensor is electrically connected to the microprocessor and senses when one or more of the domes transitions from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position. The domes can be returned to their first position with a reset mechanism or manually.
This application claims the benefit of priority of U.S. provisional application No. 63/369,700, filed Jul. 28, 2022, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to games and, more particularly, to a handheld electronic bubble game.
People appear to have been involved in the playing of games since the beginning of recorded history. The almost universal interest in games seems to be due to the excitement engendered by competition and chance. Competitive games are probably more exciting, other factors being equal; but they normally require that several persons be involved in each such game. Many competitive games are complex and require many players, large fields, and a substantial amount of equipment.
Recently, various improvements in electronic circuitry have allowed the reduction in size and cost of data processing circuitry. Handheld electronic games enable a player to compete with criteria set by the game software. Even so, a novel game has a distinct attractiveness to a player.
As can be seen, there is a need for a novel, simple, handheld electronic game.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONIn one aspect of the present invention, a handheld electronic game includes a housing assembly having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion; resilient domes protruding from the housing assembly, each of the resilient domes having a first surface and a second surface transitionable from a first position wherein the first surface is a convex surface of the dome to a second position wherein the second surface is the convex surface of the dome; a programmable, interactive system including a microprocessor and a sensor mounted within the housing, wherein the sensor is electrically connected to the microprocessor and is operative to sense when one or more of the elastomeric domes transitions from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position; and at least one light emitting diode mounted within the housing, electrically connected to the programmable, interactive system.
In another aspect of the present invention,
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description, and claims.
The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplated modes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. The description is not to be taken in a limiting sense but is made merely for the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention, since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.
Broadly, one embodiment of the present invention is a handheld electronic game having a sheet of “bubbles”, i.e., convex domes, protruding from a housing. The bubbles may be “popped” by pressing down on them, which inverts them to concave.
The number of bubbles is not particularly limited and may be, for example, about 5 to about 10 bubbles.
In some embodiments, a light emitting diode (LED) and a touch or pressure sensitive input component are located directly under each of the bubbles, such that the bubbles are individually illuminated when the corresponding LED is activated. For example, in an embodiment having 10 bubbles, the game may also have 10 LEDs and 10 input sensors. The sensors may include, but are not limited to, proximity sensors, including capacitive sensors, or any other type of sensor operative to sense when a bubble has been depressed.
As used herein, the terms “pop” or “popped” refer to depressing a convex dome to a concave condition. The terms “unpop” or “unpopped” refer to resetting a dome from concave to convex condition.
The game may have a programmable and interactive system for illuminating and extinguishing LEDs for individual bubbles, detecting when they are popped, and detecting when they are reset. The system may comprise electronics including components selected from but not limited to a microprocessor, batteries to power the device, a speaker to produce sound, and a printed circuit board assembly (PCBA). The PCBA may be electrically connected to, among other components, the LEDs and the touch sensitive (e.g., capacitive) inputs. The inputs may alternatively be mechanical switches, activated by the bubble. The microprocessor may illuminate a pattern or sequence of LEDs and may track the player's success in successfully popping the bubbles according to the pattern or sequence. The microprocessor may provide increasingly difficult games for the player, which may include increasing the number of bubbles that must be popped and/or decreasing a predetermined amount of time in which the game may be played.
When a bubble is popped, the input under the bubble may sense pressure from the user's finger and sends a signal to the microprocessor, so the microprocessor knows the bubble has been popped. The microprocessor may perform an action based on this input, such as turning the LEDs on or off and playing sounds.
The game may comprise a reset mechanism that allows a player to “reset” or unpop some or all the popped bubbles. For example, a plastic reset button may be pressed or squeezed to activate electronic switches on the PCBA. Those inputs send a signal to the microprocessor, letting it know the user has reset the bubbles. The bubbles are physically reset (pushed into their original convex state) by plastic pins, one for each bubble, that move through the PCBA and push the bubbles upward. Preferably, the reset button is large, having a size sufficient so that the player may easily reset the bubbles. The reset button may be positioned on the back of the unit, opposite the bubbles.
The game may be powered by rechargeable or disposable batteries, such as AA, AAA, and the like.
In some embodiments, the device may comprise a sheet of 26 bubbles, each corresponding to a letter of the alphabet. In these embodiments, the player may be guided to spell a word by popping a predetermined set of bubbles in a predetermined sequence.
A method of playing the game may include a player “popping” illuminated bubbles to turn off or extinguish lights and/or play sounds.
The materials of manufacture are not particularly limited. The game may have a plastic housing. The sheet of bubbles may be manufactured from rubber, silicone, or resilient plastic. The reset button may be a resilient plastic or rigid plastic.
The method of manufacture is not particularly limited. The housing may be molded and/or tooled, for example.
The components may be fastened together using any suitable attachment means, such as attachment hardware. A non-limiting example may include screws.
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The game 10 may be used as shown in the flowchart in
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The method of operation, illustrated in
In some embodiments, the LEDs may emit multiple colors in a pattern. The printed circuit board 134 may be configured to operate multiple games, such as a game that illuminates a predetermined pattern of colors which may be randomly reset from use to use and monitors whether the user depresses the bubbles 32 associated with colors predetermined to be correct in the predetermined pattern, while avoiding bubbles associated with colors predetermined to be incorrect, such as red.
As shown in
The housing assembly 212 houses a microprocessor having a printed circuit board 234 electronically connected to the sensors (not shown), the LED (not shown), the speaker 250, and the battery compartment 221.
The game 210 may be operated as described in
As shown in
It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates to exemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims.
Claims
1. A handheld electronic game comprising:
- a housing assembly having a front housing portion and a rear housing portion;
- resilient domes protruding from the housing assembly, each of the resilient domes having a first surface and a second surface transitionable from a first position wherein the first surface is a convex surface of the resilient dome to a second position wherein the second surface is the convex surface of the resilient dome;
- a programmable, interactive system including a microprocessor and a sensor mounted within the housing assembly, wherein the sensor is electrically connected to the microprocessor and is operative to sense when one or more of the elastomeric domes transitions from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position; and
- at least one light emitting diode mounted within the housing, electrically connected to the programmable, interactive system.
2. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the programmable, interactive system further comprises electronic components, electrically connected to the microprocessor, selected from the group consisting of a battery compartment, batteries, a speaker, a printed circuit board assembly, and any combination thereof.
3. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the resilient domes are integrally formed in an elastomeric panel mounted within an aperture in the front housing portion.
4. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode is one of a plurality of light emitting diodes located directly behind each of the resilient domes that are each operative to individually illuminate the respective one of the resilient domes.
5. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the sensor is one of a plurality of proximity sensors located proximal to each of the resilient domes, such that the sensor is directly behind one of the resilient domes or is adjacent to a perimeter of the one of the resilient domes.
6. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the microprocessor is operative to track a player's success in transitioning the first position to the second position of a series of the resilient domes according to a predetermined sequential pattern.
7. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein each of the resilient domes has indicia for a discrete letter of the English alphabet.
8. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein an aperture is formed between edges of the front and rear housing portions that accommodates a speaker; and wherein the speaker electrically communicates with the microprocessor.
9. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the programmable, interactive system activates the light emitting diode when any of the resilient domes transitions from the first position to the second position.
10. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly further comprises a handle, a front portion of which is integrally formed in the front housing portion, and a rear portion of which is integrally formed in the rear housing portion.
11. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the light emitting diode is operative to emit multiple colors in a pattern determined by the programmable, interactive system.
12. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the housing assembly has a lobed circumference, with an aperture formed through each lobe to form a circular frame; and one of the resilient domes is mounted in each aperture; and wherein each of the resilient domes has discrete indicia on each of the first surface and the second surface.
13. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein a control panel is formed in the front housing portion, having game operation switches laterally slidable therein, wherein the game operation switches electronically communicate with the microprocessor.
14. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein the front housing portion and the rear housing portion have a centrally located window with the light emitting diode mounted therebetween.
15. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, wherein each of the resilient domes has a protrusion extending from its second surface operative to activate the sensor when the respective resilient dome transitions from the first position to the second position or from the second position to the first position.
16. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, further comprising an orientation sensor mounted within the housing assembly operative to detect inversion of the housing assembly and electrically connected to the microprocessor.
17. The handheld electronic game of claim 1, further comprising a spring biased reset mechanism having integrally formed pins slidably mounted within an aperture in the rear housing portion and slidably accommodated by an element of the programmable, interactive system, wherein the spring biased reset mechanism is operative to urge the resilient domes into the first position when the spring biased reset mechanism is urged into the housing assembly, and wherein the first position is a default position in which the resilient domes protrude convexly from the housing assembly.
18. The handheld electronic game of claim 17, wherein programmable, interactive system further comprises electronic switches operative to send a signal to the microprocessor indicating reset of the resilient domes to the first position upon activation by the spring biased reset mechanism.
19. The handheld electronic game of claim 17, wherein the spring biased reset mechanism has a battery compartment formed therein with a cover screwably secured to the spring biased reset mechanism; and where the battery compartment electrically communicates with the programmable, interactive system.
Type: Application
Filed: Jul 28, 2023
Publication Date: Feb 1, 2024
Inventors: Dan Klitsner (Larkspur, CA), Gary Levenberg (San Francisco, CA), Brian Clemens (Solana Beach, CA)
Application Number: 18/361,739