SEARCH PUZZLE WITH VARIED SYMBOL ORIENTATIONS

Abstract

An improved search puzzle and an improved method for making a search puzzle are disclosed, in which letters or other symbols in a search field are oriented at a plurality of angles, thereby increasing the challenge of finding search strings embedded therein. In preferred embodiments, the symbols are arranged in an array that can be rectangular or square. The puzzle can include an answer bank that lists the hidden search strings or gives indications thereof. In some embodiments, each symbol is oriented at an angle that is a multiple of 45 or 90 degrees. In other embodiments, the symbols are either upright or inverted. The orientations of the symbols in the search strings can be irrelevant, or necessary to the search. The search strings can be words, and/or can include rebus symbol strings.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to puzzle games, and more particularly to search puzzles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Search puzzles are well known and are popular among people of all ages, due to the enjoyment of searching through an arrangement of symbols and recognizing patterns. Children as well as adults can participate in recreational puzzle games, thereby challenging their searching skills. Search puzzles generally include a set of pre-defined symbol strings embedded within a search field, the search field being a set of symbols organized in a pattern, such as a grid. The symbols may be letters, numbers, and/or other characters, for example.

In current search puzzles, all the symbols in a search field are oriented in the same direction, and they are arranged together on two-dimensional or three-dimensional surfaces. While these word search puzzles provide a certain level of entertainment, they can become tiresome or predictable. After having performed a number of search puzzles over time, the challenge may be reduced, and a user may not gain as much enjoyment or mental stimulation as he or she once did. Therefore, the sense of challenge and the recreational value of such search puzzles may decline, and the search puzzles may become less appealing.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An improved search puzzle is claimed for enhancing the recreational value of puzzle games. The claimed search puzzle includes symbols that are oriented in different directions, so as to increase the challenge of performing a search within the search puzzle. The symbols are arranged within a search field, the search field being the set of symbols through which a user of the search puzzle searches. Preferably, the symbols in the search field are oriented at 90 degree angles relative to each other. The search puzzle can also include an answer bank, which displays the symbol strings that the user is meant to find within the search field, or at least presents indications of the strings to be found.

One general aspect of the present invention is a search puzzle that includes a search field containing a plurality of symbols, each symbol being oriented at one of a plurality of angles, at least some of the plurality of symbols being located so as to form a plurality of findable symbol strings embedded within the search field.

In preferred embodiments, the symbols contained in the search field are arranged as a two-dimensional array. In some of these embodiments the two-dimensional array a rectangular array or a square array.

In some preferred embodiments the plurality of findable symbol strings embedded within the search field includes at least one rebus symbol string. Other preferred embodiments further include an answer bank that presents and/or gives indications of findable symbol strings that are embedded within the search field. In some of these embodiments the answer bank at least indicates an orientation for each symbol in each findable symbol string to be found in the search field.

In various preferred embodiments at least some of the symbols contained in the search field are letters. And in certain preferred embodiments at least some of the findable symbol strings embedded within the search field are words.

In some preferred embodiments the symbols contained in the search field are oriented at angles that are multiples of 90 degrees. In other preferred embodiments the symbols contained in the search field are oriented at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees. And in still other preferred embodiments, for each symbol contained in the search field, the orientation of the symbol is one of right-side-up and upside-down.

Another general aspect of the present invention is a method for preparing a search puzzle. The method includes selecting a plurality of findable symbol strings to be found within a search field, placing a plurality of symbols within the search field, so as to form the plurality of findable symbol strings, orienting each of the plurality of symbols at one of a plurality of angles, and populating unoccupied portions of the search field with additional symbols, each of the additional symbols being oriented at one of the plurality of angles.

In preferred embodiments, the symbols contained in the search field are arranged as a two-dimensional array. In some of these embodiments the two-dimensional array is a rectangular array or a square array.

In some preferred embodiments the plurality of findable symbol strings embedded within the search field includes at least one rebus symbol string. Other preferred embodiments further include an answer bank that presents and/or gives indications of findable symbol strings that are embedded within the search field. And in some of these embodiments the answer bank at least indicates an orientation for each symbol in each findable symbol string to be found in the search field.

In certain embodiments at least some of the symbols contained in the search field are letters. And in various embodiments at least some of the findable symbol strings embedded within the search field are words. And in other preferred embodiments the symbols contained in the search field are oriented at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be more fully understood by reference to the detailed description, in conjunction with the following figures, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein a search field contains pictorial symbols oriented relative to each other at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein a search field contains letters oriented relative to each other at angles that are multiples of 90 degrees;

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram detailing the method of use of the embodiment of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram detailing the method of use of an embodiment similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, but in which the orientations of the letters must be matched to orientations presented in the word bank; and

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram detailing an embodiment of the method of creating a search puzzle of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein a search puzzle contains pictorial symbols oriented relative to each other at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees. In FIG. 1, a search field 100 of a search puzzle is shown. The search field 100 is made up of sixteen pictorial symbols 102 organized in a square array, including four rows and four columns. The pictorial symbols are oriented relative to each other at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees. A rebus symbol string 104 is embedded within the search field. The object of the search puzzle is to find this symbol string 104. An answer bank 106 is provided below the search field 100, comprising a phrase which indicates the content of the hidden rebus symbol string 104.

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a preferred embodiment of the invention, wherein a search puzzle contains letters oriented relative to each other at angles that are multiples of 90 degrees. In FIG. 2, a search field 200 of a search puzzle is shown. The search field 200 is made up of four hundred letters 202 organized in a square grid, including twenty rows and twenty columns. The letters 202 are oriented relative to each other at angles that are multiples of 90 degrees. An answer bank 204 is provided below the search field, which lists the hidden words 206 embedded in the search field 200. The object of the search puzzle 200 is to find these words 206. In FIG. 2, a user has located and circled the first word listed in the answer bank 204.

FIG. 3 is a flow diagram detailing the method of use of the preferred embodiment of FIG. 2. First, a user takes note of the words that are listed in the word bank of the search puzzle 300. Next, the user scans the search field, looking for the words listed in the word bank 302. As the user searches the search field, the user disregards the varying orientation of the letters, 304, and looks for the proper ordering of the letters to form the words listed in the word bank 306. As the user finds the words embedded in the search field, the user circles the words 308.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram detailing the method of use of a preferred embodiment similar to the embodiment of FIG. 2, except that words must be found in the search field in specific orientations given in the word bank. When using this embodiment, the user begins 400 by taking note of both the words and the letter orientations give in the word bank. While scanning the search field 402 in search of the hidden words, the user takes note 404 of the varying orientations of the letters and looks for the proper ordering and orientations of the letters 406 so as to match the words and letter orientations provided in the search bank. The user then circles the words 408 as they are found.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram detailing a preferred embodiment of the method for preparing search puzzles of the present invention. The method embodiment of FIG. 5 begins with the selecting a list of words 500 to be found in the search. The words are then embedded 502 in the search field in varying letter arrangements, and the remainder of the search field is filled 504 with randomly selected letters. The orientations of all of the letters in the search field are then randomly varied 506. Finally, a list of the words to be found is displayed as a word bank 508. In some embodiments, the orientations of the characters that make up the words presented in the word bank match the orientations of the words embedded in the search field.

Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as claimed. Accordingly, the above description is not intended to limit the invention except as indicated in the following claims.

Claims

1. A search puzzle, comprising:

a search field disposed on a flat, two-dimensional surface, the search field containing a plurality of symbols, each symbol being independently orientable, the plurality of symbols including at least two symbols oriented differently with respect to each other; and at least some of the plurality of symbols being located so as to form a plurality of findable symbol strings embedded within the search field.

2. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein the symbols contained in the search field are arranged as a two-dimensional array.

3. The search puzzle of claim 2, wherein the two-dimensional array is one, of:

a rectangular array; and

a square array.

4. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of findable symbol strings embedded within the search field includes at least one rebus symbol string.

5. The search puzzle of claim 1, further comprising an answer bank, the answer bank at least one of presenting, and giving indications of, findable symbol strings that are embedded within the search field.

6. The search puzzle of claim 5, wherein the answer bank at least indicates an orientation for each symbol in each findable symbol string to be found in the search field.

7. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein at least some of the symbols contained in the search field are letters.

8. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein at least some of the findable symbol, strings embedded within the search field are words.

9. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein the symbols contained in, the search field are oriented with respect to each other at angles that are multiples of 90 degrees.

10. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein the symbols contained in the search field are oriented with respect to each other at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees.

11. The search puzzle of claim 1, wherein the symbols contained in the search field are oriented with respect to each other at angles that are multiples of 180 degrees.

12. A method for making a search puzzle, the method comprising:

selecting a plurality of findable symbol strings to be found within a search field;

placing a plurality of symbols within the search field, so as to form the plurality of findable symbol strings;

orienting each of the plurality of symbols at one of a plurality of angles, wherein at least two symbols are oriented differently with respect to each other; and

populating unoccupied portions of the search field with additional symbols, each of the additional symbols being oriented at one of the plurality of angles.

13. The method, of claim 12, wherein the symbols contained, in the search field are arranged as a two-dimensional array.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the two-dimensional array is one of:

a rectangular array; and

a square array.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the plurality of findable symbol strings embedded within the search field includes at least one rebus symbol string.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising an answer bank, the answer bank at least one of presenting, and giving indications of findable symbol strings that are embedded within the search field.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the answer bank at least indicates an orientation for each symbol in each findable symbol string to be found in the search field.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein at least some of the symbols contained in the search field are letters.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein at least some of the findable symbol strings embedded within the search field are words.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the symbols contained in the search field are oriented at angles that are multiples of 45 degrees.