Magnetic Game Board System
A board game including a game board device with a game board surface with a game board pattern. A transparent shield component is configured to cover the game board surface where a frame segment is disposed around a proximate edge of the game board surface and form a section of space between the game board surface and the transparent shield for containing at least one or more magnetic game piece implements. A stylus implement is configured to be operable for generally moving the at least one or more game piece implements from one position to another across the game board surface by magnetically attaching at least one game implement to the stylus implement and sliding the stylus implement across the transparent shield component.
The present Utility patent application claims priority benefit of the U.S. provisional application for patent Ser. No. 62/641,274 entitled “SELF-CONTAINED OUTDOOR-INDOOR MAGNETIC BOARD GAME SYSTEM, METHOD, AND APPARATUS”, filed on Mar. 10, 2018, under 35 U.S.C. 119(e). The contents of this related provisional application are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes to the extent that such subject matter is not inconsistent herewith or limiting hereof.
RELATED CO-PENDING U.S. PATENT APPLICATIONSNot applicable.
FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENTNot applicable.
REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER LISTING APPENDIXNot applicable.
COPYRIGHT NOTICEA portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection by the author thereof. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or patent disclosure for the purposes of referencing as patent prior art, as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office, patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
BACKGROUND OF THE RELEVANT PRIOR ARTOne or more embodiments of the invention generally relate to a magnetic board game. More particularly, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a system, method and apparatus for a self-contained magnetic board game.
The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. Typically, outdoor board game tables, for example, chess board game, in public places, for example, in a public park, a restaurant, a club house, etc., may not be used very often by people. More so these outdoor board game tables may not remain in a condition for people to use. It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art that people generally are unable to play for various reasons, including, but not limited to, the game pieces being incomplete, removed, or lost; due to not wanting to inconvenience themselves in carrying the game pieces of game boards available in the public places; and the like.
The following is an example of a specific aspect in the prior art that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon. By way of educational background, another aspect of the prior art generally useful to be aware of is that related technology in the field typically offers the concept of magnetic game pieces retained behind a transparent shield. However, the game pieces used in the art are cylindrical which may limits the ability for two pieces to pass in close proximity to one another without interfering with each other.
In view of the foregoing, it is clear that these traditional techniques are not perfect and leave room for more optimal approaches.
The present invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings and in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements and in which:
Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SOME EMBODIMENTSThe present invention is best understood by reference to the detailed figures and description set forth herein.
Embodiments of the invention are discussed below with reference to the Figures. However, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that the detailed description given herein with respect to these figures is for explanatory purposes as the invention extends beyond these limited embodiments. For example, it should be appreciated that those skilled in the art will, in light of the teachings of the present invention, recognize a multiplicity of alternate and suitable approaches, depending upon the needs of the particular application, to implement the functionality of any given detail described herein, beyond the particular implementation choices in the following embodiments described and shown. That is, there are modifications and variations of the invention that are too numerous to be listed but that all fit within the scope of the invention. Also, singular words should be read as plural and vice versa and masculine as feminine and vice versa, where appropriate, and alternative embodiments do not necessarily imply that the two are mutually exclusive.
It is to be further understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular methodology, compounds, materials, manufacturing techniques, uses, and applications, described herein, as these may vary. It is also to be understood that the terminology used herein is used for the purpose of describing particular embodiments, only, and is not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include the plural reference unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, a reference to “an element” is a reference to one or more elements and includes equivalents thereof known to those skilled in the art. Similarly, for another example, a reference to “a step” or “a means” is a reference to one or more steps or means and may include sub-steps and subservient means. All conjunctions used are to be understood in the most inclusive sense possible. Thus, the word “or” should be understood as having the definition of a logical “or” rather than that of a logical “exclusive or” unless the context clearly necessitates otherwise. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. Language that may be construed to express approximation should be so understood unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
All words of approximation as used in the present disclosure and claims should be construed to mean “approximate,” rather than “perfect,” and may accordingly be employed as a meaningful modifier to any other word, specified parameter, quantity, quality, or concept. Words of approximation, include, yet are not limited to terms such as “substantial”, “nearly”, “almost”, “about”, “generally”, “largely”, “essentially”, “closely approximate”, etc.
As will be established in some detail below, it is well settled law, as early as 1939, that words of approximation are not indefinite in the claims even when such limits are not defined or specified in the specification.
For example, see Ex parte Mallory, 52 USPQ 297, 297 (Pat. Off. Bd. App. 1941) where the court said “The examiner has held that most of the claims are inaccurate because apparently the laminar film will not be entirely eliminated. The claims specify that the film is “substantially” eliminated and for the intended purpose, it is believed that the slight portion of the film which may remain is negligible. We are of the view, therefore, that the claims may be regarded as sufficiently accurate.”
Note that claims need only “reasonably apprise those skilled in the art” as to their scope to satisfy the definiteness requirement. See Energy Absorption Sys., Inc. v. Roadway Safety Servs., Inc., Civ. App. 96-1264, slip op. at 10 (Fed. Cir. Jul. 3, 1997) (unpublished) Hybridtech v. Monoclonal Antibodies, Inc., 802 F.2d 1367, 1385, 231 USPQ 81, 94 (Fed. Cir. 1986), cert. denied, 480 U.S. 947 (1987). In addition, the use of modifiers in the claim, like “generally” and “substantial,” does not by itself render the claims indefinite. See Seattle Box Co. v. Industrial Crating & Packing, Inc., 731 F.2d 818, 828-29, 221 USPQ 568, 575-76 (Fed. Cir. 1984).
Moreover, the ordinary and customary meaning of terms like “substantially” includes “reasonably close to: nearly, almost, about”, connoting a term of approximation. See In re Frye, Appeal No. 2009-006013, 94 USPQ2d 1072, 1077, 2010 WL 889747 (B.P.A.I. 2010) Depending on its usage, the word “substantially” can denote either language of approximation or language of magnitude. Deering Precision Instruments, L.L.C. v. Vector Distribution Sys., Inc., 347 F.3d 1314, 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (recognizing the “dual ordinary meaning of th[e] term [”substantially“] as connoting a term of approximation or a term of magnitude”). Here, when referring to the “substantially halfway” limitation, the Specification uses the word “approximately” as a substitute for the word “substantially” (Fact 4). (Fact 4). The ordinary meaning of “substantially halfway” is thus reasonably close to or nearly at the midpoint between the forwardmost point of the upper or outsole and the rearwardmost point of the upper or outsole.
Similarly, the term ‘substantially’ is well recognized in case law to have the dual ordinary meaning of connoting a term of approximation or a term of magnitude. See Dana Corp. v. American Axle & Manufacturing, Inc., Civ. App. 04-1116, 2004 U.S. App. LEXIS 18265, *13-14 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 27, 2004) (unpublished). The term “substantially” is commonly used by claim drafters to indicate approximation. See Cordis Corp. v. Medtronic AVE Inc., 339 F.3d 1352, 1360 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“The patents do not set out any numerical standard by which to determine whether the thickness of the wall surface is ‘substantially uniform.’ The term ‘substantially,’ as used in this context, denotes approximation. Thus, the walls must be of largely or approximately uniform thickness.”); see also Deering Precision Instruments, LLC v. Vector Distribution Sys., Inc., 347 F.3d 1314, 1322 (Fed. Cir. 2003); Epcon Gas Sys., Inc. v. Bauer Compressors, Inc., 279 F.3d 1022, 1031 (Fed. Cir. 2002). We find that the term “substantially” was used in just such a manner in the claims of the patents-in-suit: “substantially uniform wall thickness” denotes a wall thickness with approximate uniformity.
It should also be noted that such words of approximation as contemplated in the foregoing clearly limits the scope of claims such as saying ‘generally parallel’ such that the adverb ‘generally’ does not broaden the meaning of parallel. Accordingly, it is well settled that such words of approximation as contemplated in the foregoing (e.g., like the phrase ‘generally parallel’) envisions some amount of deviation from perfection (e.g., not exactly parallel), and that such words of approximation as contemplated in the foregoing are descriptive terms commonly used in patent claims to avoid a strict numerical boundary to the specified parameter. To the extent that the plain language of the claims relying on such words of approximation as contemplated in the foregoing are clear and uncontradicted by anything in the written description herein or the figures thereof, it is improper to rely upon the present written description, the figures, or the prosecution history to add limitations to any of the claim of the present invention with respect to such words of approximation as contemplated in the foregoing. That is, under such circumstances, relying on the written description and prosecution history to reject the ordinary and customary meanings of the words themselves is impermissible. See, for example, Liquid Dynamics Corp. v. Vaughan Co., 355 F.3d 1361, 69 USPQ2d 1595, 1600-01 (Fed. Cir. 2004). The plain language of phrase 2 requires a “substantial helical flow.” The term “substantial” is a meaningful modifier implying “approximate,” rather than “perfect.” In Cordis Corp. v. Medtronic AVE, Inc., 339 F.3d 1352, 1361 (Fed. Cir. 2003), the district court imposed a precise numeric constraint on the term “substantially uniform thickness.” We noted that the proper interpretation of this term was “of largely or approximately uniform thickness” unless something in the prosecution history imposed the “clear and unmistakable disclaimer” needed for narrowing beyond this simple-language interpretation. Id. In Anchor Wall Systems v. Rockwood Retaining Walls, Inc., 340 F.3d 1298, 1311 (Fed. Cir. 2003)” Id. at 1311. Similarly, the plain language of claim 1 requires neither a perfectly helical flow nor a flow that returns precisely to the center after one rotation (a limitation that arises only as a logical consequence of requiring a perfectly helical flow).
The reader should appreciate that case law generally recognizes a dual ordinary meaning of such words of approximation, as contemplated in the foregoing, as connoting a term of approximation or a term of magnitude; e.g., see Deering Precision Instruments, L.L.C. v. Vector Distrib. Sys., Inc., 347 F.3d 1314, 68 USPQ2d 1716, 1721 (Fed. Cir. 2003), cert. denied, 124 S. Ct. 1426 (2004) where the court was asked to construe the meaning of the term “substantially” in a patent claim. Also see Epcon, 279 F.3d at 1031 (“The phrase ‘substantially constant’ denotes language of approximation, while the phrase ‘substantially below’ signifies language of magnitude, i.e., not insubstantial.”). Also, see, e.g., Epcon Gas Sys., Inc. v. Bauer Compressors, Inc., 279 F.3d 1022 (Fed. Cir. 2002) (construing the terms “substantially constant” and “substantially below”); Zodiac Pool Care, Inc. v. Hoffinger Indus., Inc., 206 F.3d 1408 (Fed. Cir. 2000) (construing the term “substantially inward”); York Prods., Inc. v. Cent. Tractor Farm & Family Ctr., 99 F.3d 1568 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (construing the term “substantially the entire height thereof”); Tex. Instruments Inc. v. Cypress Semiconductor Corp., 90 F.3d 1558 (Fed. Cir. 1996) (construing the term “substantially in the common plane”). In conducting their analysis, the court instructed to begin with the ordinary meaning of the claim terms to one of ordinary skill in the art. Prima Tek, 318 F.3d at 1148. Reference to dictionaries and our cases indicates that the term “substantially” has numerous ordinary meanings. As the district court stated, “substantially” can mean “significantly” or “considerably.” The term “substantially” can also mean “largely” or “essentially.” Webster's New 20th Century Dictionary 1817 (1983).
Words of approximation, as contemplated in the foregoing, may also be used in phrases establishing approximate ranges or limits, where the end points are inclusive and approximate, not perfect; e.g., see AK Steel Corp. v. Sollac, 344 F.3d 1234, 68 USPQ2d 1280, 1285 (Fed. Cir. 2003) where it where the court said [W]e conclude that the ordinary meaning of the phrase “up to about 10%” includes the “about 10%” endpoint. As pointed out by AK Steel, when an object of the preposition “up to” is nonnumeric, the most natural meaning is to exclude the object (e.g., painting the wall up to the door). On the other hand, as pointed out by Sollac, when the object is a numerical limit, the normal meaning is to include that upper numerical limit (e.g., counting up to ten, seating capacity for up to seven passengers). Because we have here a numerical limit—“about 10%”—the ordinary meaning is that that endpoint is included.
In the present specification and claims, a goal of employment of such words of approximation, as contemplated in the foregoing, is to avoid a strict numerical boundary to the modified specified parameter, as sanctioned by Pall Corp. v. Micron Separations, Inc., 66 F.3d 1211, 1217, 36 USPQ2d 1225, 1229 (Fed. Cir. 1995) where it states “It is well established that when the term “substantially” serves reasonably to describe the subject matter so that its scope would be understood by persons in the field of the invention, and to distinguish the claimed subject matter from the prior art, it is not indefinite.” Likewise see Verve LLC v. Crane Cams Inc., 311 F.3d 1116, 65 USPQ2d 1051, 1054 (Fed. Cir. 2002). Expressions such as “substantially” are used in patent documents when warranted by the nature of the invention, in order to accommodate the minor variations that may be appropriate to secure the invention. Such usage may well satisfy the charge to “particularly point out and distinctly claim” the invention, 35 U.S.C. § 112, and indeed may be necessary in order to provide the inventor with the benefit of his invention. In Andrew Corp. v. Gabriel Elecs. Inc., 847 F.2d 819, 821-22, 6 USPQ2d 2010, 2013 (Fed. Cir. 1988) the court explained that usages such as “substantially equal” and “closely approximate” may serve to describe the invention with precision appropriate to the technology and without intruding on the prior art. The court again explained in Ecolab Inc. v. Envirochem, Inc., 264 F.3d 1358, 1367, 60 USPQ2d 1173, 1179 (Fed. Cir. 2001) that “like the term ‘about,’ the term ‘substantially’ is a descriptive term commonly used in patent claims to ‘avoid a strict numerical boundary to the specified parameter, see Ecolab Inc. v. Envirochem Inc., 264 F.3d 1358, 60 USPQ2d 1173, 1179 (Fed. Cir. 2001) where the court found that the use of the term “substantially” to modify the term “uniform” does not render this phrase so unclear such that there is no means by which to ascertain the claim scope.
Similarly, other courts have noted that like the term “about,” the term “substantially” is a descriptive term commonly used in patent claims to “avoid a strict numerical boundary to the specified parameter.”, e.g., see Pall Corp. v. Micron Seps., 66 F.3d 1211, 1217, 36 USPQ2d 1225, 1229 (Fed. Cir. 1995); see, e.g., Andrew Corp. v. Gabriel Elecs. Inc., 847 F.2d 819, 821-22, 6 USPQ2d 2010, 2013 (Fed. Cir. 1988) (noting that terms such as “approach each other,” “close to,” “substantially equal,” and “closely approximate” are ubiquitously used in patent claims and that such usages, when serving reasonably to describe the claimed subject matter to those of skill in the field of the invention, and to distinguish the claimed subject matter from the prior art, have been accepted in patent examination and upheld by the courts). In this case, “substantially” avoids the strict 100% nonuniformity boundary.
Indeed, the foregoing sanctioning of such words of approximation, as contemplated in the foregoing, has been established as early as 1939, see Ex parte Mallory, 52 USPQ 297, 297 (Pat. Off. Bd. App. 1941) where, for example, the court said “the claims specify that the film is “substantially” eliminated and for the intended purpose, it is believed that the slight portion of the film which may remain is negligible. We are of the view, therefore, that the claims may be regarded as sufficiently accurate.” Similarly, In re Hutchison, 104 F.2d 829, 42 USPQ 90, 93 (C.C.P.A. 1939) the court said “It is realized that “substantial distance” is a relative and somewhat indefinite term, or phrase, but terms and phrases of this character are not uncommon in patents in cases where, according to the art involved, the meaning can be determined with reasonable clearness.”
Hence, for at least the forgoing reason, Applicants submit that it is improper for any examiner to hold as indefinite any claims of the present patent that employ any words of approximation.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. Preferred methods, techniques, devices, and materials are described, although any methods, techniques, devices, or materials similar or equivalent to those described herein may be used in the practice or testing of the present invention. Structures described herein are to be understood also to refer to functional equivalents of such structures. The present invention will be described in detail below with reference to embodiments thereof as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
References to a “device,” an “apparatus,” a “system,” etc., in the preamble of a claim should be construed broadly to mean “any structure meeting the claim terms” exempt for any specific structure(s)/type(s) that has/(have) been explicitly disavowed or excluded or admitted/implied as prior art in the present specification or incapable of enabling an object/aspect/goal of the invention. Furthermore, where the present specification discloses an object, aspect, function, goal, result, or advantage of the invention that a specific prior art structure and/or method step is similarly capable of performing yet in a very different way, the present invention disclosure is intended to and shall also implicitly include and cover additional corresponding alternative embodiments that are otherwise identical to that explicitly disclosed except that they exclude such prior art structure(s)/step(s), and shall accordingly be deemed as providing sufficient disclosure to support a corresponding negative limitation in a claim claiming such alternative embodiment(s), which exclude such very different prior art structure(s)/step(s) way(s).
From reading the present disclosure, other variations and modifications will be apparent to persons skilled in the art. Such variations and modifications may involve equivalent and other features which are already known in the art, and which may be used instead of or in addition to features already described herein.
Although claims have been formulated in this Application to particular combinations of features, it should be understood that the scope of the disclosure of the present invention also includes any novel feature or any novel combination of features disclosed herein either explicitly or implicitly or any generalization thereof, whether or not it relates to the same invention as presently claimed in any claim and whether or not it mitigates any or all of the same technical problems as does the present invention.
Features which are described in the context of separate embodiments may also be provided in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features which are, for brevity, described in the context of a single embodiment, may also be provided separately or in any suitable subcombination. The Applicants hereby give notice that new claims may be formulated to such features and/or combinations of such features during the prosecution of the present Application or of any further Application derived therefrom.
References to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “example embodiment,” “various embodiments,” “some embodiments,” “embodiments of the invention,” etc., may indicate that the embodiment(s) of the invention so described may include a particular feature, structure, or characteristic, but not every possible embodiment of the invention necessarily includes the particular feature, structure, or characteristic. Further, repeated use of the phrase “in one embodiment,” or “in an exemplary embodiment,” “an embodiment,” do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment, although they may. Moreover, any use of phrases like “embodiments” in connection with “the invention” are never meant to characterize that all embodiments of the invention must include the particular feature, structure, or characteristic, and should instead be understood to mean “at least some embodiments of the invention” include the stated particular feature, structure, or characteristic.
References to “user”, or any similar term, as used herein, may mean a human or non-human user thereof. Moreover, “user”, or any similar term, as used herein, unless expressly stipulated otherwise, is contemplated to mean users at any stage of the usage process, to include, without limitation, direct user(s), intermediate user(s), indirect user(s), and end user(s). The meaning of “user”, or any similar term, as used herein, should not be otherwise inferred or induced by any pattern(s) of description, embodiments, examples, or referenced prior-art that may (or may not) be provided in the present patent.
References to “end user”, or any similar term, as used herein, is generally intended to mean late stage user(s) as opposed to early stage user(s). Hence, it is contemplated that there may be a multiplicity of different types of “end user” near the end stage of the usage process. Where applicable, especially with respect to distribution channels of embodiments of the invention comprising consumed retail products/services thereof (as opposed to sellers/vendors or Original Equipment Manufacturers), examples of an “end user” may include, without limitation, a “consumer”, “buyer”, “customer”, “purchaser”, “shopper”, “enjoyer”, “viewer”, or individual person or non-human thing benefiting in any way, directly or indirectly, from use of. or interaction, with some aspect of the present invention.
In some situations, some embodiments of the present invention may provide beneficial usage to more than one stage or type of usage in the foregoing usage process. In such cases where multiple embodiments targeting various stages of the usage process are described, references to “end user”, or any similar term, as used therein, are generally intended to not include the user that is the furthest removed, in the foregoing usage process, from the final user therein of an embodiment of the present invention.
Where applicable, especially with respect to retail distribution channels of embodiments of the invention, intermediate user(s) may include, without limitation, any individual person or non-human thing benefiting in any way, directly or indirectly, from use of, or interaction with, some aspect of the present invention with respect to selling, vending, Original Equipment Manufacturing, marketing, merchandising, distributing, service providing, and the like thereof.
References to “person”, “individual”, “human”, “a party”, “animal”, “creature”, or any similar term, as used herein, even if the context or particular embodiment implies living user, maker, or participant, it should be understood that such characterizations are sole by way of example, and not limitation, in that it is contemplated that any such usage, making, or participation by a living entity in connection with making, using, and/or participating, in any way, with embodiments of the present invention may be substituted by such similar performed by a suitably configured non-living entity, to include, without limitation, automated machines, robots, humanoids, computational systems, information processing systems, artificially intelligent systems, and the like. It is further contemplated that those skilled in the art will readily recognize the practical situations where such living makers, users, and/or participants with embodiments of the present invention may be in whole, or in part, replaced with such non-living makers, users, and/or participants with embodiments of the present invention. Likewise, when those skilled in the art identify such practical situations where such living makers, users, and/or participants with embodiments of the present invention may be in whole, or in part, replaced with such non-living makers, it will be readily apparent in light of the teachings of the present invention how to adapt the described embodiments to be suitable for such non-living makers, users, and/or participants with embodiments of the present invention. Thus, the invention is thus to also cover all such modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of such adaptations and modifications, at least in part, for such non-living entities.
Headings provided herein are for convenience and are not to be taken as limiting the disclosure in any way.
The enumerated listing of items does not imply that any or all of the items are mutually exclusive, unless expressly specified otherwise.
It is understood that the use of specific component, device and/or parameter names are for example only and not meant to imply any limitations on the invention. The invention may thus be implemented with different nomenclature/terminology utilized to describe the mechanisms/units/structures/components/devices/parameters herein, without limitation. Each term utilized herein is to be given its broadest interpretation given the context in which that term is utilized.
Terminology. The following paragraphs provide definitions and/or context for terms found in this disclosure (including the appended claims):
“Comprising.” This term is open-ended. As used in the appended claims, this term does not foreclose additional structure or steps. Consider a claim that recites: “A memory controller comprising a system cache . . . .” Such a claim does not foreclose the memory controller from including additional components (e.g., a memory channel unit, a switch).
“Configured To.” Various units, circuits, or other components may be described or claimed as “configured to” perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” or “operable for” is used to connote structure by indicating that the mechanisms/units/circuits/components include structure (e.g., circuitry and/or mechanisms) that performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the mechanisms/unit/circuit/component can be said to be configured to (or be operable) for perform(ing) the task even when the specified mechanisms/unit/circuit/component is not currently operational (e.g., is not on). The mechanisms/units/circuits/components used with the “configured to” or “operable for” language include hardware--for example, mechanisms, structures, electronics, circuits, memory storing program instructions executable to implement the operation, etc. Reciting that a mechanism/unit/circuit/component is “configured to” or “operable for” perform(ing) one or more tasks is expressly intended not to invoke 35 U.S.C. .sctn.112, sixth paragraph, for that mechanism/unit/circuit/component. “Configured to” may also include adapting a manufacturing process to fabricate devices or components that are adapted to implement or perform one or more tasks.
“Based On.” As used herein, this term is used to describe one or more factors that affect a determination. This term does not foreclose additional factors that may affect a determination. That is, a determination may be solely based on those factors or based, at least in part, on those factors. Consider the phrase “determine A based on B.” While B may be a factor that affects the determination of A, such a phrase does not foreclose the determination of A from also being based on C. In other instances, A may be determined based solely on B.
The terms “a”, “an” and “the” mean “one or more”, unless expressly specified otherwise.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing conditions, concentrations, dimensions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about.” Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the following specification and attached claims are approximations that may vary depending at least upon a specific analytical technique.
The term “comprising,” which is synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by” is inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps. “Comprising” is a term of art used in claim language which means that the named claim elements are essential, but other claim elements may be added and still form a construct within the scope of the claim.
As used herein, the phase “consisting of” excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim. When the phrase “consists of” (or variations thereof) appears in a clause of the body of a claim, rather than immediately following the preamble, it limits only the element set forth in that clause; other elements are not excluded from the claim as a whole. As used herein, the phase “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of” limits the scope of a claim to the specified elements or method steps, plus those that do not materially affect the basis and novel characteristic(s) of the claimed subject matter (see Norian Corp. v Stryker Corp., 363 F.3d 1321, 1331-32, 70 USPQ2d 1508, Fed. Cir. 2004). Moreover, for any claim of the present invention which claims an embodiment “consisting essentially of” or “consisting of” a certain set of elements of any herein described embodiment it shall be understood as obvious by those skilled in the art that the present invention also covers all possible varying scope variants of any described embodiment(s) that are each exclusively (i.e., “consisting essentially of”) functional subsets or functional combination thereof such that each of these plurality of exclusive varying scope variants each consists essentially of any functional subset(s) and/or functional combination(s) of any set of elements of any described embodiment(s) to the exclusion of any others not set forth therein. That is, it is contemplated that it will be obvious to those skilled how to create a multiplicity of alternate embodiments of the present invention that simply consisting essentially of a certain functional combination of elements of any described embodiment(s) to the exclusion of any others not set forth therein, and the invention thus covers all such exclusive embodiments as if they were each described herein.
With respect to the terms “comprising,” “consisting of,” and “consisting essentially of,” where one of these three terms is used herein, the disclosed and claimed subject matter may include the use of either of the other two terms. Thus in some embodiments not otherwise explicitly recited, any instance of “comprising” may be replaced by “consisting of” or, alternatively, by “consisting essentially of”, and thus, for the purposes of claim support and construction for “consisting of” format claims, such replacements operate to create yet other alternative embodiments “consisting essentially of” only the elements recited in the original “comprising” embodiment to the exclusion of all other elements.
Moreover, any claim limitation phrased in functional limitation terms covered by 35 USC § 112(6) (post AIA 112(f)) which has a preamble invoking the closed terms “consisting of,” or “consisting essentially of,” should be understood to mean that the corresponding structure(s) disclosed herein define the exact metes and bounds of what the so claimed invention embodiment(s) consists of, or consisting essentially of, to the exclusion of any other elements which do not materially affect the intended purpose of the so claimed embodiment(s).
Devices or system modules that are in at least general communication with each other need not be in continuous communication with each other, unless expressly specified otherwise. In addition, devices or system modules that are in at least general communication with each other may communicate directly or indirectly through one or more intermediaries. Moreover, it is understood that any system components described or named in any embodiment or claimed herein may be grouped or sub-grouped (and accordingly implicitly renamed) in any combination or sub-combination as those skilled in the art can imagine as suitable for the particular application, and still be within the scope and spirit of the claimed embodiments of the present invention. For an example of what this means, if the invention was a controller of a motor and a valve and the embodiments and claims articulated those components as being separately grouped and connected, applying the foregoing would mean that such an invention and claims would also implicitly cover the valve being grouped inside the motor and the controller being a remote controller with no direct physical connection to the motor or internalized valve, as such the claimed invention is contemplated to cover all ways of grouping and/or adding of intermediate components or systems that still substantially achieve the intended result of the invention.
A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the present invention.
As is well known to those skilled in the art many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal manufacture of a commercial implementation any system, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.
In the following description and claims, the terms “coupled” and “connected,” along with their derivatives, may be used. It should be understood that these terms are not intended as synonyms for each other. Rather, in particular embodiments, “connected” may be used to indicate that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact with each other. “Coupled” may mean that two or more elements are in direct physical or electrical contact. However, “coupled” may also mean that two or more elements are not in direct contact with each other, but yet still cooperate or interact with each other.
Embodiments of the invention disclosed herein generally relate to a magnetic board game. More particularly, certain embodiments of the invention relate to a system, method and apparatus for a self-contained magnetic board game. It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the self-contained magnetic board game disclosed herein may be robust and have a long life whether used in an indoor or in an outdoor environment. As will be discussed herein below, the board games disclosed herein may be installed in public spaces for people's enjoyment and may be used by people with no or minimized damage to the board game. In one embodiment, the present disclosure may include a device, a system, and a method for implementing a board game wherein the game pieces may be movable by a user but may be permanently secured and confined within a board of the board game, i.e., the game pieces may be movable but may not be removable by a user playing the board game. The board game may have all the pieces included so that the game may be ready to play at any moment. Further, the table may still be used as a table, no matter whether someone wanted to play a game or not. When using the table as a table, a ferrous or magnetic object placed on the table will not have a deleterious effect on the game pieces, and the magnets in the game pieces are small enough and remote enough that they should have no deleterious effect on any items placed on the table, similar to the way that small, relatively weak magnets in name tags or kitchen cabinet latches do not have a deleterious effect on cell phones in pockets or cups in a cabinet.
In certain embodiments, the present disclosure may include a device, a system, and a method for implementing a board game wherein a responsible authority may be enabled to change a first game and permanently secure and confine a second game within a board of a board game, which then may be used by a user wherein the game pieces may be movable by the user but may be permanently secured and confined within a board of the board game. This feature may assist in rotating games in a public place making it interesting for users and enabling responsible authorities to add on new games that can be envisaged by this disclosure. This feature may also assist in adding new artwork to the game for branding by the business that owns the device. Accordingly, in various exemplary embodiments, the board game may include, but not limited to, Chess, Checkers, Go, word games, Chinese Checkers, tic-tac-toe, Fox & Geese, maze games, game of generals, other board games, geometry games, etc.
In one embodiment, all game pieces may be integrated in a required game pattern with the game piece being retained in an enclosure behind a transparent surface, and the game pieces capable of being moved around behind the transparent surface by using a magnetic force. Each game piece may contain at least one magnet. In one embodiment, the polarity of each magnet may be aligned in a standard orientation so that the pieces may be consistently oriented relative to the game board. In one embodiment, the game pieces may be repositioned by placing a ferrous object on the transparent shield above a first position on a game board occupied by a piece and then sliding the piece in magnetic working communication with the ferrous object to a desired second position on the game board. In one embodiment, the ferrous object may include an iron-containing bottle cap. In another embodiment, a magnet may be used to move the magnetic pieces, but most people do not carry a magnet around with them. On the other hand, small ferrous objects such as bottle caps are readily available. Accordingly, in one embodiment, is provided a game apparatus, method, and system that includes a magnetically attractable playing surface, one or more movable magnetically attractable game pieces positioned on the playing surface, a housing including a transparent cover/surface/shield placed at a predetermined distance from the playing surface, and a magnetically attractable actuating member i.e., a ferrous object like a bottle cap or a stylus, etc. The actuating member, when positioned over the transparent surface within an effective magnetic range of the movable magnetically attractable game piece, may affect a magnetically induced movement of the movable magnetically attractable game piece approximately parallel to the playing surface.
In various embodiments, materials and construction employed to design parts of the game including but not limited to the game board and the pieces may render the game long lasting even in an outdoor environment exposed to natural elements like heat, cold, rain, and the like. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the game board and the pieces may be designed to be resistant to tampering and vandalism. In one embodiment, system, method and apparatus for a self-contained magnetic board game may include materials and designs that may enable the game board to be built and installed at lower costs, thus enabling responsible authorities to incorporate more such games in a public place. In various exemplary embodiments, the invention may be implemented into a range of different applications including outdoor tables, bistro tables, indoor tables, wall hangings, installations in virtually any horizontal or vertical surface, portable game boards, and the like.
Referring to
In certain embodiments, the game piece may be designed in a manner such that (i) the game pieces may never interfere with one another magnetically; (ii) the game pieces may be reliably easy to move using an external magnetic force, for example, an iron-containing bottle cap, a magnetic stylus, and the like; and (iii) a game piece may be enabled to be moved by the magnetic force so as to pass closely by an adjacent piece, wherien the adjacent peice is to remain stationary. In one embodiment, the game piece may be a T-shaped game piece. The shape of the game pieces, when viewed from above, can be circular, square, or any shape. The game pieces may include a bottom sled portion that secures the magnet or magnets. The sled of the game pieces can be rectangular or circular or oval or any shape.
Referring to
In an exemplary embodiment, the game pieces disclosed herein may be designed like a “T-shaped” game piece which may enable for close passage of two game pieces. When a game piece is magnetically coupled to a magnetic force means located above i.e, an outer surface of the transparent surface, the game piece may be lifted away from the playing surface i.e., the game board and brought into direct contact with an inner surface of the transparent surface. The part of the game piece that contacts the inner surface of the transparent surface may contain the image of the game piece, and this image feature may be larger than the portion of the game piece below the image. Accordingly, the game piece may be moved partially over the top of adjacent game pieces as described herein below with reference to the figures. In one embodiment, the self-contained magnetic board game described herein enables close packing of the game pieces.
Referring to
The described features, structures, or characteristics of the invention may be combined in any suitable manner in accordance with the aspects and one or more embodiments of the invention. In the following description, numerous specific details are recited to provide an understanding of various embodiments of the invention. One skilled in the relevant art will recognize, however, that the invention may be practiced without one or more of the specific details, or with other methods, components, materials, and so forth. In other instances, well-known structures, materials, or operations are not shown or described in detail to avoid obscuring the aspects of the invention.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that in various embodiments, the game board surface may be made of either magnetic or non-magnetic materials. When the game board is nonmagnetic, the game pieces can stay in place on the board by means of gravity and the coefficient of friction between the game board and the game piece. However, if the table is tilted, then the game pieces may slide across the table disrupting the game. When the game board is ferrous or magnetic, then the game pieces can remain in position on the game board even when the table is tilted, and the pieces are only able to be moved to a new position on the game board when a ferrous or magnetic stylus is placed directly above the game piece, engaging magnetically with the game piece. In the case of a vertical game board such as a wall-mounted game board, then the game board can be magnetic to hold the game pieces in position, or the game pieces can be supported in each position by means of a shelf or bracket.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that several factors may be important when specifying the system, including but not limited to, the strength of the magnets, the weight of the game piece, the gap between the game board and the transparent surface, the thickness of the transparent surface, the position of the magnet inside the game piece, among others. These parameters may be defined to both provide sufficient force to fully lift the game piece and yet also not unintentionally move other pieces.
Accordingly, it may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the optimum distance between the game board 514 and the bottom surface of the transparent surface 518 may be designed based on the type of game being constructed while ensuring that the magnetic properties of the game piece 520 and the ferrous object 522 are effective enough for the ferrous object 522 to engage the game piece 520 when required to move the game piece 520 while a game is being played. In one embodiment, the optimum distance may be in a range of from about 3 millimeters to about 250 millimeters. In another embodiment, the optimum distance may be in a range of from about 6 millimeters to about 50 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the optimum distance may be in a range of from about 8 millimeters to about 20 millimeters. In one embodiment, the optimum distance may be in a range of from about 10 millimeters to about 13 millimeters.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that that the dimensions of the transparent surface 518, the game board 512, the game piece 520, the frame 516, the ferrous object 522, the rigid substrate 510 may be tailored based on the type of game being constructed while ensuring that the magnetic properties of the game piece 520 and the ferrous object 522 are effective enough for the ferrous object 522 to engage the game piece 520 when required to move the game piece 520 while a game is being played. In one embodiment, the thickenss of the transparent surface 518 may be in a range of from about 0.5 millimeters to about 30 millimeters. In another embodiment, the thickness of the transparent surface 110 may be in a range of from about 1 millimeters to about 20 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the thickness of the transparent surface 518 may be in a range of from about 1.5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters. In one embodiment, the thickness of the transparent surface 110 may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 6 millimeters.
In one embodiment, the thickness of the game board 512 may be in a range of from about 0.2 millimeters to about 30 millimeters. In another embodiment, the thickness of the game board 512 may be in a range of from about 0.3 millimeters to about 6 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the thickness of the game board 512 may be in a range of from about 0.3 millimeters to about 3 millimeters. In one embodiment, the thickness of the game board 512 may be in a range of from about 0.5 millimeters to about 20 millimeters.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the overall dimensions of the self-contained magnetic board game 500 may be based on where the game may be placed in addition to ensuring the effectiveness of the user being able to play the game conveniently. In one embodiment, the overall thickness of the self-contained magnetic board game 500 may be in a range of from about 4 millimeters to about 250 millimeters. In another embodiment, the overall thickenss of the self-contained magnetic board game 500 may be in a range of from about 6 millimeters to about 75 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the overall thickenss of the self-contained magnetic board game 500 may be in a range of from about 8 millimeters to about 50 millimeters. In one embodiment, the overall thickenss of the self-contained magnetic board game 500 may be in a range of from about 10 millimeters to about 40 millimeters.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the dimension of the game piece 520 may be dependent on the game and the space available between the bottom surface of the transparent surface 518 and the surface of the game board 512.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the game module described in
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that a significant advantage of employing at least two magnets includes maintenance and control of the rotational orientation. It may be generally known, that some games may have game pieces that have no need for orientation. For example, in a game of checkers, a checker piece looks the same no matter what angle it is rotated, while on the other hand in a chess game, a chess knight looks like a horse and has a desired angular orientation. When there is only one magnet in each game piece and only one magnet in the stylus used to move game pieces, then the user may need to exercise care to maintain rotational orientation and still at least a few pieces may end up in different orientations. However, when there are two or more magnets incorporated into each game piece the maintenance of angular orientation is an enabled feature. As mentioned herein, the two magnets need to be placed in such a manner that on one hand they are as far away from one another as possible in order to provide the greatest amount of rotational control and on the other hand they are near enough each other in one game piece so as to avoid interference with the magnets in the other game pieces on the board.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the (center to center) distance between the two magnets 524 may be important in order to align properly with the magnetic stylus. In one embodiment, the distance between the two magnets may be in a range of from about 5 millimeters to about 100 millimeters. In another embodiment, the distance between the two magnets may be in a range of from about 5 millimeters to about 25 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the distance between the two magnets may be in a range of from about 5 millimeters to about 13 millimeters. In one embodiment, the distance between the two magnets may be in a range of from about 5 millimeters to about 8 millimeters.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the shape and dimensions of the magnets 524 may be important. The magnets may be of any shape including rectangular or cylindrical. In one embodiment, the diameter of the cylindrical magnets may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters diameter to about 25 millimeters. In another embodiment, the diameter of the cylindrical magnets may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 15 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the diameter of the cylindrical magnets may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 10 millimeters. In one embodiment, the diameter of the cylindrical magnets may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the distance between a magnet and the edge of the sled may important because if the magnet is too close to the edge of the sled then two different game pieces may become magnetically stuck together rendering the pieces useless. In one embodiment, the distance between a magnet and the edge of the sled may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 50 millimeters. In another embodiment, the distance between a magnet and the edge of the sled may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 10 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, distance between a magnet and the edge of the sled may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. In one embodiment, the distance between a magnet and the edge of the sled may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 3 millimeters.
Further, it may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the distance between the magnet 524 in game piece 520 and the ferrous material in the game board 512 may be important in order to establish the amount of holding force between the game piece 520 and the playing surface 514. When there is no ferrous material in the game board this parameter is not relevant. The thickness of the transparent window is also a factor in this parameter because, the thicker the window, the farther away the stylus magnets will be from the game piece. In one embodiment, the distance between the magnet in the game piece and the ferrous material in the game board may be in a range of from about 2 millimeters to about 30 millimeters. In another embodiment, the distance between the magnet in the game piece and the ferrous material in the game board may be in a range of from about 3 millimeters to about 20 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the the distance between the magnet in the game piece and the ferrous material in the game board may be in a range of from about 4 millimeters to about 15 millimeters. In one embodiment, the distance between the magnet in the game piece and the ferrous material in the game board may be in a range of from about 5 millimeters to about 10 millimeters.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the distance between the top of the magnets and the top of the game piece is important to establish the amount of force needed for the stylus to attract the game piece and lift it off of and away from the playing surface. In one embodiment, the distance between the top of the magnets and the top of the game piece may be in a range of from about 0.5 millimeters to about 5 millimeters. In another embodiment, the distance between the top of the magnets and the top of the game piece may be in a range of from about 0.5 millimeters to about 4 millimeters. In yet another embodiment, the distance between the top of the magnets and the top of the game piece may be in a range of from about 0.5 millimeters to about 3 millimeters. In one embodiment, the distance between the top of the magnets and the top of the game piece may be in a range of from about 0.5 millimeters to about 1 millimeter.
In one embodiment, the top surface 528 of the game piece 520 is adorned with the image of the game piece, in this instance in
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any suitable magnet may be employed in the game piece that will ensure that the game piece will be attracted to the ferrous object and stay connected to ferrous object till the desired position is reached on the gaming surface and the ferrous object is lifted off to release the game piece. In one embodiment, the magnets employed 524 may include neodymium magnets. It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that a neodymium magnet (also known as NdFeB, NIB or Neo magnet), is the most widely used type of rare-earth magnet, is a permanent magnet made from an alloy of neodymium, iron and boron to form the Nd2Fe14B tetragonal crystalline structure. Neodymium magnets are currently the strongest type of permanent magnet commercially available. However, other magnets such as ceramic or ferrite, samarium cobalt (SmCo), or alnico magnets may also be suitable in some embodiments.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any suitable material may be employed for the transparent surface 518 depending on whether the game is being designed for outdoors or for indoor purposes. In one embodiment, the transparent surface functions as a transparent cover or shield to hold the game pieces within the game system disclosed herein. Suitable materials may include, but are not limited to materials that are transparent, scratch resistant, and weather proof. Examples of suitable materials include glass, tempered glass, acrylic polymer material, polycarbonate polymer material, and the like. In an exemplary embodiment, the transparent surface may be made of acrylic polymer materials as they are transparent, scratch resistant, strong, fairly rigid, not very flexible, and are resistant to most cleaning chemicals.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any suitable material may be employed for the game pieces depending in part on whether the game is being designed for outdoor or for indoor purposes. Suitable examples of materials for the top cover of the game piece include but are not limited to wood, paper, card stock, chip board, aluminum sheet metal, and plastic. Plastic materials may include acrylic, polystyrene, polycarbonate, ABS, PLA, or other plastic. In one embodiment, the top cover of the game piece is made of aluminum sheet metal with the image printed on the front surface. The aluminum is thin, light weight, low cost, and easily formed and printed. In certain embodiments, the top cover of a game piece may be made of any suitable material that will retain shape to ensure that the game piece is properly recognizable and looks attractive within the game.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that the ferrous object, for exmaple a stylus, may be the only external component to the game system. Accordingly, in certain embodiments the stylus may be tethered to the board game in a manner such that tether was long enough to reach anywhere but also not too long as to become intrusive, or the magnetic element of the stylus may be used to keep the stylus attached to magnets or the game board, and the like.
It may be appreciated by a person with ordinary skill in the art, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any suitable material may be employed for the game board depending on whether the game is being designed for outdoor or for indoor purposes. Suitable examples include but are not limited to wood, plywood, particle board, medium density fiber board, card stock, card board in single or double or triple ply, and like material. In certain embodiments, the game surface may be ferromagnetic, wherein the game pieces are typically magnetically fastened on the game surface, and typically do not move around when the game is tilted or moved around. In one embodiment, the game surface may not be ferromagnetic, wherein there is a problem in moving the game. When the game is moved, the game pieces may slide around.
In one embodiment, a spacer 516 may be employed between the game board 512 and the transparent cover 518. In one embodiment, the spacer ensures a consistent dimension for the gap between the game board surface and the bottom of the transparent shield. This consistent interstitial dimension prevents the problem of game pieces becoming stuck if the space is too narrow. Thinner acrylic is less expensive than thick acrylic, yet thinner acrylic sheets are more flexible than thicker acrylic sheets. In an exemplary embodiment, one small spacer i.e., a 3 mm diameter wooden dowel, placed in the center of the game board prevents the interstitial space from being deformed downward in the center of the board. In one embodiment, the spacer may be made of any material as discussed herein above for the game board depending on whether the game system was being designed for indoor or outdoor application.
Referring to
Referring to
Some board games may require game pieces to be positioned directly adjacent to one another, in accordance with the prior art. In an exemplary embodiment, game pieces are printed with letters that are arranged to spell words. There are many other board games with similar characteristics. There are numerous challenges to make a word game to be a self-contained outdoor-indoor magnetic board game, including but not limited to, (i) game pieces must be able to be located in close proximity to one another, so that means that one game piece must be able to pass over the top of another game piece; (ii) user must be able to move one piece without affecting the adjacent pieces; (iii) pieces must be properly oriented so that the user can make out the proper meaning of an image placed on the top surface of the game piece; (iv) the game board should ideally be reoriented to face each player during the player's turn to play; (v) in an event the game board is to be rotated to face the next player, each player may have to retain their own game pieces in front of their own position; (vi) privacy in the game i.e., a player's game pieces may need to be shielded from the view of the other players; (vii) the identities of the yet unused game pieces (letters) need to be shielded from view from all players, but the yet unused game pieces would be readily available to all players; and the like. Referring to
A self-contained magnetic board game may be designed for use in a vertical orientation in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. In an exemplary embodiment the board game playing surface may be mounted in a vertical orientation. In this vertical orientation embodiment, in one exemplary embodiment, the game piece may be held in place by means of two support pins. In another exemplary embodiment in the vertical orientation embodiment, the game piece may be held in place by means of a magnet. As discussed herein above with reference to
In another embodiment, where two magnets are used in each game piece in order to enable control of the rotational orientation, one magnet may be with the north pole up and one magnet may be with the south pole up. This feature may ensure that the stylus may always attach the game piece in the same up/down configuration and the pieces will always be neatly alligned on moving them across the board. However, the preferred embodiment is that both magnets are aligned with their poles in the same direction, for sake of convention, with the north pole facing upward or outward away from the playing surface.
In various exemplary embodiments, the invention disclosed herein may be employed in a table with integrated chess board game, as a wall-mounted framed chess board game; as a portable chess board game, a “clean oceans” board game, and the like. In one exemplary embodiment, the invention disclosed herein may be incorporated into a coach's clip board where the coach may use the board to communicate to his players. Each player may be represented by a magnet game piece, and the coach can move the pieces around the board.
In another exemplary embodiment, the invention disclsoed herein may be used for a simple score keeping device, for example, at a bocci ball court or a dart board, wherein a self-contained magnetic score board can operate for many years with no missing parts.
In various embodiments, the present disclosure provides a system, method and apparatus for a self-contained magnetic board game having various advantages over the art. This disclosure provides a rugged outdoor-indoor board game with all pieces integrated, protected behind a shield/cover/surface, fun to play, easy to handle, and moved by magnetic forces. The advantages include but are not limited to: integrated functionality of a table surface and a game with no additional space required, games are always complete and ready to be played, improved safety as small pieces are not accessible to small children, and potential to increase business in restaurants and coffee shops by attracting game players.
In one embodiment, as described herein above the game pieces may be designed in a “T-Shape” profile, which has several advantages. A first advantage of the T-shape profile is that the T-Shape enables the close proximity passage of one game piece past one or more other game pieces without getting the two pieces to be magnetically interfering with one another, a feature that is extremely useful in a game like chess where the knight from the back row must often pass between two pawns in the front row, as described with reference to
In one embodiment, the gaming system provides an enhancement of quality of time spent in public and private outdoor spaces. Typically, public spaces such as parks, libraries, schools, community centers, bus stops, train stations, and public waiting rooms may be suitable locations for installation of tables that may contain functional board games designed in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure, i.e., the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games. Privately owned, quasi-public spaces such as coffee shops, pubs, bars, diners, cafeterias, retirement centers, cruise ships, hotels, and resorts may also be enhanced by the installation of the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games.
In one embodiment, the user may not need to carry any special equipment to use the games. As discussed in various embodiments hereinabove, the board games may be designed to be operated with a metal object, particularly a ferrous object, for example, a bottle cap. In one embodiment the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games may be referred to as “bottle cap board games”. The games may be always ready for playing.
In one embodiment, the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games may not need electricity to run the game. In various embodiments, eliminating the need for electricity renders the game becomes highly reliable and less expensive. Eliminating the need for electricity may also mean that the game does not require batteries, or wires, and this minimized maintenance requirements.
In one embodiment, when the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games are being used as an outdoor application, the materials used to make the game may be water proof, impact proof to prevent damage due to debris, hail, vandalism, etc., Ultra Violet (UV) resistant, and the like to provide extended and useful life.
In one embodiment, when the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games is being used as an outdoor application the game may be rendered vandal resistant: Accordingly, when used in an outdoor environment, the self-contained game may incorporate highly durable materials such as tempered glass or scratch resistant or bullet-proof glass, the frame material may be made of durable material such as aluminum or steel, the game pieces containing the magnet may be made of glass, plastic, or metal. In one embodiment, by designing the game with low cost materials there may be little incentive for a vandal to attempt to dismantle and steal the components of the system.
In various embodiments, when the self-contained outdoor/indoor magnetic board games are being used as an outdoor application or an indoor application the game is safer for children and the relatively small game pieces may not be swallowed by young children. Also, the game pieces being contained inside the enclosure of the game losing the game pieces is minimized and/or eliminated. In certain embodiments it is also easier to clean up after the game as all the components are integrated into one unit.
Accordingly, the preceding merely illustrates the various aspects and principles as incorporated in various embodiments of the invention. It will be appreciated that those of ordinary skill in the art will be able to devise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described or shown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are included within its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditional language recited herein are principally intended to aid the reader in understanding the principles of the invention and the concepts contributed by the inventors to furthering the art and are to be construed as being without limitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions. Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, and embodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future, i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure.
In one embodiment, is provided a method, wherein the method comprises providing a self-contained outdoor-indoor magnetic board game, wherein the game comprises a magnetically attractable playing surface, one or more movable magnetically attractable “T-shaped” game pieces positioned on the playing surface, a housing including a transparent cover/surface/shield placed at a predetermined distance from the playing surface, and a magnetically attractable actuating member i.e., a ferrous object like a bottle cap or a stylus, etc. The actuating member, when positioned over the transparent surface within an effective magnetic range of the movable magnetically attractable “T-shaped” game piece, may affect a magnetically induced movement of the movable magnetically attractable game piece approximately parallel to the playing surface. As discussed with reference to
In one embodiment, is provided a method, wherein the method comprises providing a self-contained outdoor-indoor magnetic board game, wherein the game comprises a magnetically attractable playing surface, one or more movable magnetically attractable “T-shaped” game pieces positioned on the playing surface, wherein the T-shaped game piece may including two or more magnets, a housing including a transparent cover/surface/shield placed at a predetermined distance from the playing surface, and a magnetically attractable actuating member i.e., a ferrous object like a bottle cap or a stylus, etc. The actuating member, when positioned over the transparent surface within an effective magnetic range of the movable magnetically attractable “T-shaped” game piece including two or more magnets, may affect a magnetically induced movement of the movable magnetically attractable game piece approximately parallel to the playing surface. In one embodiment, as discussed herein, the T-shaped game pieces including two or more magnets may be advantageous in maintaining the horizontal rotation of the game pieces on the game board when being moved around with a stylus or like device. In an exemplary embodiment, the T-shaped game pieces includes two magnets as shown with reference to
Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any of the foregoing steps and/or system modules may be suitably replaced, reordered, removed and additional steps and/or system modules may be inserted depending upon the needs of the particular application, and that the systems of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented using any of a wide variety of suitable processes and system modules, and is not limited to any particular game, material of construction, orientation, application, and the like. For any method steps described in the present application that can be carried out on a computing machine, a typical computer system can, when appropriately configured or designed, serve as a computer system in which those aspects of the invention may be embodied.
Those skilled in the art will readily recognize, in light of and in accordance with the teachings of the present invention, that any of the foregoing steps may be suitably replaced, reordered, removed and additional steps may be inserted depending upon the needs of the particular application. Moreover, the prescribed method steps of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented using any physical and/or hardware system that those skilled in the art will readily know is suitable in light of the foregoing teachings. For any method steps described in the present application that can be carried out on a computing machine, a typical computer system can, when appropriately configured or designed, serve as a computer system in which those aspects of the invention may be embodied. Thus, the present invention is not limited to any particular tangible means of implementation.
All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.
It is noted that according to USA law 35 USC § 112 (1), all claims must be supported by sufficient disclosure in the present patent specification, and any material known to those skilled in the art need not be explicitly disclosed. However, 35 USC § 112 (6) requires that structures corresponding to functional limitations interpreted under 35 USC § 112 (6) must be explicitly disclosed in the patent specification. Moreover, the USPTO's Examination policy of initially treating and searching prior art under the broadest interpretation of a “mean for” or “steps for” claim limitation implies that the broadest initial search on 35 USC § 112(6) (post AIA 112(f)) functional limitation would have to be conducted to support a legally valid Examination on that USPTO policy for broadest interpretation of “mean for” claims. Accordingly, the USPTO will have discovered a multiplicity of prior art documents including disclosure of specific structures and elements which are suitable to act as corresponding structures to satisfy all functional limitations in the below claims that are interpreted under 35 USC § 112(6) (post AIA 112(f)) when such corresponding structures are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patent specification. Therefore, for any invention element(s)/structure(s) corresponding to functional claim limitation(s), in the below claims interpreted under 35 USC § 112(6) (post AIA 112(f)), which is/are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patent specification, yet do exist in the patent and/or non-patent documents found during the course of USPTO searching, Applicant(s) incorporate all such functionally corresponding structures and related enabling material herein by reference for the purpose of providing explicit structures that implement the functional means claimed. Applicant(s) request(s) that fact finders during any claims construction proceedings and/or examination of patent allowability properly identify and incorporate only the portions of each of these documents discovered during the broadest interpretation search of 35 USC § 112(6) (post AIA 112(f)) limitation, which exist in at least one of the patent and/or non-patent documents found during the course of normal USPTO searching and or supplied to the USPTO during prosecution. Applicant(s) also incorporate by reference the bibliographic citation information to identify all such documents comprising functionally corresponding structures and related enabling material as listed in any PTO Form-892 or likewise any information disclosure statements (IDS) entered into the present patent application by the USPTO or Applicant(s) or any 3rd parties. Applicant(s) also reserve its right to later amend the present application to explicitly include citations to such documents and/or explicitly include the functionally corresponding structures which were incorporate by reference above.
Thus, for any invention element(s)/structure(s) corresponding to functional claim limitation(s), in the below claims, that are interpreted under 35 USC § 112(6) (post AIA 112(f)), which is/are not explicitly disclosed in the foregoing patent specification, Applicant(s) have explicitly prescribed which documents and material to include the otherwise missing disclosure, and have prescribed exactly which portions of such patent and/or non-patent documents should be incorporated by such reference for the purpose of satisfying the disclosure requirements of 35 USC § 112 (6). Applicant(s) note that all the identified documents above which are incorporated by reference to satisfy 35 USC § 112 (6) necessarily have a filing and/or publication date prior to that of the instant application, and thus are valid prior documents to incorporated by reference in the instant application.
Having fully described at least one embodiment of the present invention, other equivalent or alternative methods of implementing a self-contained magnetic board game i.e., an indoor or outdoor board game according to the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Various aspects of the invention have been described above by way of illustration, and the specific embodiments disclosed are not intended to limit the invention to the particular forms disclosed. The particular implementation of self-contained magnetic board game may vary depending upon the particular context or application. By way of example, and not limitation, the self-contained magnetic board game described in the foregoing were principally directed to implementation of T-shaped game piece design providing convenient un-interfered movement between game pieces approach, and a dual magnet horizontal rotation design approach to provide alignment of the game pieces; however, similar techniques may instead be applied to a variety of board games that include gaming pieces and a board, seating charts for example, in class rooms or restaurants, coaching aids for sports coaches, score keeping boards (that require no pen or chalk), puzzles and mazes and the like, which implementations of the present invention are contemplated as within the scope of the present invention. The invention is thus to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the following claims. It is to be further understood that not all of the disclosed embodiments in the foregoing specification will necessarily satisfy or achieve each of the objects, advantages, or improvements described in the foregoing specification.
Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed.
The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but it is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated.
The Abstract is provided to comply with 37 C.F.R. Section 1.72(b) requiring an abstract that will allow the reader to ascertain the nature and gist of the technical disclosure. That is, the Abstract is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify any key or essential features of the claimed subject matter. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to limit or interpret the scope or meaning of the claims.
The following claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment.
Claims
1. A device comprising:
- a game board for playing at least one of a game, a match, a contest, and a tournament;
- a game board surface, said game board surface comprises a game board pattern;
- a transparent shield component that is configured to, a large extent, cover said game board surface;
- a frame segment disposed around a proximate edge of said game board surface, wherein said frame segment is configured to produce a section of space between said game board surface and said transparent shield component;
- a space section formed between said transparent shield component and said game board surface;
- a game piece implement, said game piece implement is configured to, for the most part, fit within said space section; wherein said game piece implement may be configured to magnetically attach to said game board surface; and
- a stylus implement, said stylus implement is configured to be operable for magnetically lifting and sliding said game piece implement from one position to another across said game board surface.
2. The device of claim 1, wherein said game board surface further comprises a layer of a ferromagnetic material.
3. The device of claim 1, in which said game piece comprises a magnetic implement, wherein said game piece magnetic implement is configured to movably attach to said ferromagnetic material of said game board surface.
4. The device of claim 3, in which said game piece magnetic implement comprises at least one or more game piece magnetic implement, wherein each of said at least one or more game piece magnetic implement comprises at least one or more game piece magnets.
5. The device of claim 4, in which said game piece implement further comprises a sled component, wherein said game piece sled component is configured to fundamentally contain said at least one or more game piece magnets.
6. The device of claim 5, in which said sled component comprises one or more indentations, wherein said one or more indentations are configured to house said at least one or more game piece magnets.
7. The device of claim 4, in which said game piece implement further comprises a top cover with a top surface adorned with an image of said game piece implement.
8. The device of claim 7, in which said game piece implement further comprises a T-shaped game piece, wherein said T-shaped game piece is configured to appreciably enable for close passage of two game piece implements.
9. The device of claim 8, in which said stylus implement comprises at least one or more stylus magnets, said at least one or more stylus magnets are configured to significantly attach to said game piece magnetic implement, to normally move said game piece implement from one position to another by sliding said stylus implement across said transparent shield component.
10. The device of claim 8, in which said game board comprises a magnetic board game, in which said game piece implement is configured to rest on said game board surface via magnetic attraction between said at least one or more game piece magnets and said ferromagnetic surface.
11. The device of claim 9, further comprises a rigid backing board.
12. The device of claim 7, in which said board game comprises at least a magnetic chess game, wherein said game board pattern comprises a chess board pattern and said game piece implement top cover surface is adorned with an image of a chess game piece.
13. The device of claim 10, in which said board game comprises at least a magnetic checker game, and in which, said game board pattern comprises a checker board pattern, and said game piece implement top cover surface comprises an image of a checker game piece.
14. The device of claim 11, in which said board game comprises at least a rotatable game board, wherein said game board surface is rotatable to face each player.
15. The device of claim 14, in which said board game comprises at least a magnetic word game.
16. A device comprising:
- means for representing opposing players of a game, in which said player representing means comprises one or more movable player representing means;
- means for magnetically supporting said one or more movable player representing means;
- means for indicating where a movable player representing means rests on said magnetic supporting means;
- means for covering said magnetic supporting means, wherein said covering means comprises a transparent covering means;
- means for providing a section of space between said magnetic supporting means and said transparent covering means; and
- means for magnetically lifting or moving said one or more movable player representing means from one position to another across said magnetic supporting means, wherein said one or more movable player representing means magnetically attaches to said moving means and slides across said transparent covering means.
17. A device comprising:
- a game board that is configured to be operable for playing a game;
- a game board surface, said game board surface comprises a game board pattern and may comprise a ferromagnetic layer;
- a transparent shield component that is configured to, a large extent, cover said game board surface;
- a frame segment disposed around a proximate edge of said game board surface, wherein said frame segment is configured to provide a space between said game board surface and said transparent shield component;
- a space section, wherein said space section is fundamentally formed between said transparent shield and said game board surface;
- a game piece implement, said game piece implement is configured to, for the most part, fit within said space section between said transparent shield component and said game board surface; and
- a stylus implement, said stylus implement is configured to magnetically lift or move said game piece implement from one position to another across said game board surface.
18. The device of claim 17, in which said game piece comprises a magnetic implement, in which said game piece magnetic implement comprises at least one or more game piece magnets, wherein said game piece magnetic implement is configured to magnetically attach to said ferromagnetic material of said game board surface.
19. The device of claim 18, in which said game piece implement further comprises a sled component, in which said sled component comprises at least one or more indentations, wherein said at least one or more indentations are configured to house said at least one or more game piece magnets.
20. The device of claim 19, in which said game piece implement further comprises a top cover with a top surface adorned with an image of said game piece implement, said top cover forms a T-shaped game piece with said sled component, wherein said T-shaped game piece is configured to appreciably enable for close passage of two game piece implements.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 11, 2019
Publication Date: Jul 2, 2020
Inventors: Raymond S. Martin, III (Milpitas, CA), Kyeong Tae Kim (Santa Clara, CA)
Application Number: 16/298,017
