Foldable-type game board for strategic word pattern engagement

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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(1) Field of the Invention

This invention involves a game of skill and requires a demonstration of vocabulary and other knowledge, as well as logical reasoning and sequencing abilities—all of which are enhanced during play of this invention. More specifically, the present invention concerns, but is not restricted to, the areas of child educational development. These may include colors, numbers, objects, arithmetic and grammar. Further, the invention is at once adaptable to any language or regional dialect therein, including Indo-European, African, Asian, and Pacific Island, as well as any others not mentioned here.

The key element of this invention comprises two rectangular shaped boards which are hinged together on one end at the top. Each of these two boards are imprinted on one side with a grid, both of which are visible to the players—one grid is visible to a player and the second to all of the opponents.

The game, as defined by the invented apparatus, while retaining aspects of similar commercial products, is characterized by its emphasis on elimination of prearranged words or other marked game pieces, and configurations thereabouts. This enhances the game's ability to achieve and maintain participation in a couple of ways: (1) through requiring strategic placement of letters, or other marked game pieces, onto grid coordinates in ways which will prevent or delay opponents discovering such, and (2) enabling players opportunities, by means of arbitrary and calculated guesses in various play options, to determine the precise locations and identities of opponents' letters, or other marked game pieces, before participants discover his/her own placed word grouping patterns.

It is the element of attempting elimination of an opponent's “fleet” of game pieces which lends the game to aspects of simulated warfare. The game invention can therefore be categorized in a salvo classification.

(2) Description of Related Prior Art

In discussing this invention, it is important to recognize that several pertinent types of game board configurations have been granted full patent status. These patents of the prior art can been divided into related categories, all of which contrast them from the current invention, demonstrating the merit of this new game board.

(A) Salvo

(i) Foldable Type with 2 Grids

The first category regards salvo games that allow for a maximum of two players in any given competition. In this embodiment, each contestant utilizes a game board that remains closed when not in use. When the board is opened up for competition, two grids utilized as playing fields are revealed which are somewhat perpendicular to each other. These boards remain connected via a hinge. Players call out coordinates in guessing which spaces on opponent's target grid action area are occupied with pieces. There are several examples of this style of game apparatus.

E. E. Blau in U.S. Pat. No. 2,053,598 demonstrates a game that comprises two flat boards each holding identical playing fields with sockets for receiving and removing pegs and other naval pieces such as warships. These boards are hinged together, allowing for the apparatus to be closed and then opened for play. The playing field located on the upright, vertical board is the shooting area. It is revealed when swung to a raised position with regard to the horizontal target board. The target board is the action area playing field onto which he/she places his/her own game pieces. The games pieces on the target board are the objective of elimination by the opponent. The target board rests on a flat surface such as a table, giving the entire apparatus a stable hold for play.

E. J. Adams in U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,742 demonstrates a game board related to Blau with one notable difference: game pieces representing land masses are provided which fit onto the action-area, which referred to in Adams as a playboard, grid coordinates. This invention embodies an integration of geography onto the game apparatus more approximating salvo warfare. Also, Adams provides storage bins on either side of the playboard action area which may be divided into smaller compartments. This apparatus allows for two opponents per competition.

A. B. Thomander in U.S. Pat. No. 3,514,110 demonstrates essentially two variations of the two grid fields salvo type foldable game board. The first variety is unremarkable from the one presented in Adams. However, the second variety demonstrates a flat board divided into a pair of identical sections adapted to be arranged adjacent to each other. One section of the flat board is the action area marked “Home Fleet”. The second is the record area marked “Enemy Fleet”. In addition, there is a “Score Area” into which a player marks hits that have been made against the opponent. These hits are also recorded in the “Enemy Fleet” board.

Each player uses a flat game board identical in the characteristics just mentioned. These two boards are separated by an upright barrier that obscures the selected placement of ferruled game pieces on each of the boards from the view of the opponent. A player calls out coordinates, with “hit” and “miss” attempts recorded appropriately until all targets have been eliminated by one of the two players.

(ii) 2 Game Boards Attached Together

Another category regards salvo games that also allow for a maximum of two players in any given competition. First, there is the standard apparatus with two playing fields visible to a contestant. However, in this style, the two apparatuses are attached to one another. In other words, instead of having two separate apparatuses, the back of each vertical board of the two apparatuses is joined together. The horizontal bottom playing boards can then be folded up, enabling a single assembly, presumably to allow for ease of transport. Three patents of the prior art relate to this characteristic.

D. J. Lamb in U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,148 demonstrates a game of tactical strategy where a mounting structure is used for maintaining vertically disposed maneuvering boards in a back-to-back relationship. FIG. 5 of this patent illustrates this assembly. Further, there are a plurality of game pieces and maps and transparent grid sheets which may be used in the playing fields themselves, adding a degree of complexity to Lamb.

C. J. Woolhouse in U.S. Pat. No. 5,154,428 demonstrates two playing fields, each composed of a pair of sectioned grid areas, that are mounted together in a way that provides for ease of assembly and disassembly into a carrying case for transport.

Of course, these games find their origin in “Battleship”—a pencil and paper game invented by Clifford Von Wickler and then formally published as a pad and pencil game by Milton Bradley in 1943. These games have been restricted to competition between two players (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battleship_(game)).

(B) Multiple Level Game Board

Another category of game board approaches the salvo-type and offers more than two playing fields where two opponents compete. These multi-level game boards are known in the prior art as devices allowing for simulated battle in play. Several examples demonstrate this category.

Harper et al demonstrates in U.S. Pat. No. 3,767,2071 a multi-level game board arrangement for three dimensional chess or checkers game play.

Brennan demonstrates in U.S. Pat. No. 3,973,471 a multiple board chess game with added play pieces.

Mayfield et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,443,268 demonstrates a game with three checker grid boards that are stacked, one above the other, and connected to a Vertical pedestal. Two opposing players are assigned to move game pieces per board, therefore allowing for a total of six players to compete. These players are grouped into two opposing teams who utilize armament pieces different from prior games.

Another type of multi-player board regards a game with a single, flat central playing field whereupon opponents engage one another for the purpose of elimination of the opponents' pieces.

S. Shkolnik demonstrates in U.S. Pat. No. 3,840,237 three participants who engage one another for the purpose of checkmating the two other opponents. This is done on a central, six-sided board that has three sides for directly playing the game.

Of course, a game board of the prior art relates to Chinese Checkers. This is a flat board that can be played by a maximum of six people. However, five people cannot play. The objective, unlike salvo, is to be the first to place one's pieces in the corner opposite their starting position. This board is apertured into a hexagram. Single moves or jumps over other pieces are allowed in competition (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinese_checkers).

A variation of Chinese Checkers is demonstrated by Wendy Ko in U.S. Pat. No. D450,779 S. This game board is an ornamental design that allows it to be folded up with a fastener.

(D) Discovery—Type Word Games

A different category relevant to the prior art involves games where the general strategic objective is a “hit” or “miss” of targets between two players, but which focus on words and their component letters as opposed to military or naval units. The manner of play may vary among various word-forming type games, but their underlying theme is to create, strategize toward, discover and solve for words.

An example is demonstrated by M. Kindred in U.S. Pat. No. 4,059,273. Here, a game board is set forth that has twenty-six rows of playing areas arranged in five columns. Playing pieces are placed into the resulting spaces. An opponent attempts to break a hidden code formed by the pieces. The rows are numbered A through Z and the attempts are scores according to the nearness to an accurate guess by the player. The code has five such letters forming a word, one letter per column.

Another example is demonstrated by E. J. Jones-Fenleigh in U.S. Pat. No. 4,188,036 which sets forth a game comprising a board, a holder, a set of playing pieces, a set of marking elements, a set of scoring elements and a word list. The board has a number of rows of playing areas which serve as test areas for a player's attempts in duplicating a hidden code word chosen by the player's opponent. The game is played with the intention of achieving a set number of points, agreed upon prior to game start, for an equal number of rounds played.

As has been established here, while military/naval style games have been provided where participants strategically place valued pieces in coordinate grids and attempt to locate and eliminate'one another's pieces within a defined area, and while there are various word-forming type games whose underlying theme is creating, strategizing toward, solving for and discovering words and their component letters, it is important to note that games have been provided regarding the injection of letters, instead of military or naval units, into a grid coordinate system so as to represent a “fleet” of words for elimination by an opponent. Several games have been published on-line which provide set-up instructions and rules for such competitions.

(E) Combination Salvo—Word Discovery Type

http://www.superteacherideas.com/spelling2-battleship.html demonstrates the game activity “Sink and Spell” where students make a sheet with two grids. Letters are written on the top and numbers to the side for coordinate identification. The players then write words into the grids. Coordinates are called out. A miss indicates no letter in a particular space, but a hit results in the opponent revealing the letter. This game is played by a pair of opponents.

Another example posted on this website, “Battleship Spelling”, is a more detailed version of “Sink and Spell” with guidelines regarding number of words to use and dimensions of paper sheets on which to create the grids. The listing actually states that this is “just like the Battleship board game”.

Http://www.lessonplanspage.com/LASpellBattleship3JH.htm, posts “Spelling Battleship” with the rule that once there is a “hit” on any particular coordinate, the opponent is immediately told the word and he/she then has to spell it correctly. If that player correctly spells the word, he/she gets a point and the word is revealed in its entirety; otherwise the turn is lost. That player, however, may reattempt the spelling on the next turn by calling the space coordinate. The first player to locate and spell all the words on his/her opponent's grid wins.

This application makes it clear that an advantage of military/naval style games of the prior art is developing within players the skills important for tracking dispersal of attacks over a coordinate system and anticipating where the next “hits” could be. This advantage is constrained, however, in that they engage players on mere hit-or-miss cues, limiting assessments to success: failure ratios between opponents' progress against one another's targets. Advantages of word games of the prior art encourage players to develop spelling abilities for accurate vocabulary usage, as well as to figure out how words are encoded into language, their meanings, and differences in relation to one another for the ultimate objective of communication.

These two key features: (1) initiating, tracking, and assessing the success or failure in targeting unknown pre-positioned objectives within a military/naval style grid coordinate-type system, and (2) creating and solving for words in a puzzle-type environment, have been combined by inventors to create innovative games. Substituting words and their respective letters for military/naval units into the typical coordinate grid system of a sectioned, visually hidden region is a clear advantage of such inventions. The result is an expansion of the identifiable qualities of each occupied coordinate so that, once a unit is determined to be occupied, arbitrary guesses leading to more calculated judgments can be taken, thus bringing a mere salvo objective to one where vocabulary can increase the necessity for higher logic and sequencing skills.

With this said, a key disadvantage of previously provided word-salvo games was their allowance for a maximum of two players in any competition. They were thus limited in the scope of complexity which could have been achieved through three or more opponent play. This problem was overcome by M. Benedict III in U.S. Pat. No. 7,665,735 B2.

(F) Multi-Player Word Salvo Type Game Board

Benedict demonstrates an embodiment of the abovementioned salvo play board with an addition that makes multiple player word discovery games possible. The basis of that patent is placement of a grid on top of a game board lid. When opened, so that the lid is in a ninety degree angle from the base, three playing fields are revealed. These are utilized during competition, allowing three or more opponents to participate at once. This is a novel approach to the related prior art, because game boards always had some set limit to the total number of allowed players. No previous design has enabled play for, conceivably, unlimited numbers of contestants.

While the key disadvantage of the prior art relating to restriction in the total number of players has been resolved, having three playing fields lends Benedict to a redundancy that can be overcome with a simpler, two grid playing field game board.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a game of skill which avoids the aforementioned problem of the prior art—this being a game board that, with three playing fields, leads to a redundancy which can be overcome with a simplified configuration. In addressing this problem of redundancy, the full merit of the invention presented here is established.

A further object of the present invention is to bridge the general separation between salvo and word discovery, so that a single game may be played which allows increasing difficulty through player intellectual sophistication.

Furthermore, the object of the present invention is to provide a foldable-type game board which unfolds to an angle less than one hundred eighty degrees from the top hinge, allowing the opposite ends to rest upon a flat surface, thus forming a triangular configuration. When brought together with other foldable-type apparatuses, the invention may enable two or more individual players to arrange words on the action area playing fields of their game boards, with each letter occupying an individual coordinate. Through initially arbitrary but increasingly strategic and calculating guesses, one of the players wins the game by being the last remaining contestant with un-captured letters on his or her action area playing field.

The advantages of the game which are the object of the present invention are the following:

- The child's critical thinking skills are developed by requiring him/her to predict the correct sequence of various words on an opponent's grid and successfully targeting the individual coordinates in the opponent's region so as to determine the exact identities of concealed letters;
- spelling, vocabulary and other skills are strengthened as these knowledge tools better enable player's odds of winning;
- logic and sequencing skills are enhanced through critically realizing what words are in fact on the opponent's grid given the patterns which emerge as letters are captured within the grid, and
- a person's multi-tasking skills are developed by requiring him/her to take a “bird's eye” approach in visually assessing the status of opponents' pieces on their playing fields, thus giving the player not only a head start in winning the game, but a head start in winning at life.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further described hereinafter with reference to the parts, their assembly and relationships, shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 represents the magnetized lettered game pieces, with game piece “P” numbered as 9 for the purpose of reference in this application;

FIG. 2 represents the magnetized black, red, and question mark game pieces, with the black game pieces numbered as 10, the red game pieces numbered as 11, and the question mark game pieces numbered as 12 for the purpose of reference in this application;

FIG. 3 represents the presented invention in an unfolded position from the view that would be observed from a single, particular player;

FIG. 4 represents both identical sides of the presented invention with the left panel and the right panel representing the front and back game boards, respectively, one of which would be utilized for placement of letters and visible only to that player, and the other would be visible to all opponents;

FIG. 5 demonstrates the folding and unfolding of the hinged game board;

FIG. 6 demonstrates a direct side view of the folding and unfolding of the hinged game board;

FIG. 7 demonstrates the placement of a black game piece 10 onto the “A 1” coordinate of an action area playing field, the one visible only to a single player;

FIG. 8 shows a game board, illustrated as Player A, with black game pieces 10 on coordinates of the action area playing field 14, which is identified as the left panel for purposes of this application, in preparation for competition;

FIG. 9 shows the same Player A game board as illustrated in FIG. 8, except that instead of using black game pieces 10, Player A has arranged the action area playing field 14 with letters;

FIG. 10 shows the Player B game board arranged with letters on the action area playing field 14 which, for purposes of this application, is located to the right of the display area playing field 15;

FIG. 11 illustrates how the Player A and Player B game boards would be arranged in near-actual play;

FIG. 12 through FIG. 14 demonstrate a round of moves between Player A and Player B, where the first space called out by Player A is indicated on Player B's display playing field 15;

FIG. 15 illustrates the application of the present invention with three game boards arranged for opponent play, and

FIG. 16 illustrates the application of the present invention with five game boards arranged for opponent play, indicating no conceivable limit to the number of contestants who could participate at once.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As can be seen from the above figures, the game comprises an apparatus (FIG. 3) made up of two rectangular shaped boards 14 and 15 connected together on the top ends with a hinge 13. Additionally, these two rectangular shaped hinged boards are connected on both sides with a brace 8-16-8. The brace is comprised of two flat arms 8 and 8. These arms have an aperture on either end. The two arms are fastened together through apertures with a bracket 16, allowing the two arms of the formed brace to move in opposition to one another while connected.

Each end of each brace 8-16-8 is then attached to one side of each of the two boards 14 and 15 (FIG. 6). The brace can then fold and unfold with the hinged boards as they are folded and unfolded (FIG. 5 and FIG. 6). This allows for a stable configuration of the hinged game apparatus during play.

The presented foldable-type invention embodies two identical flat, rectangular shaped boards 14 and 15 (FIG. 4) whose height 7 varies in measurement of between 1 and 40 inches, and whose length 6 varies in measurement of between 1 and 40 inches. Both of the boards are congruent in all measurements, and all game apparatuses are congruent in measurement and structure.

Both game boards 14, 15 are imprinted on one side with a grid, or what is referred to in this application as a playing field 6, 7. The dimensional measurements of all playing fields are congruent. It should be noted here that future embodiments of the foldable-type game board invention may include a perimeter of space around all playing fields of the game boards equal to one or more row(s) of coordinates in the grid. For this application, the dimensions of all playing fields match the dimensions of height and length of all game boards. In other words, there is no perimeter of space between the playing fields and the game boards themselves.

One of these playing fields is utilized for arranging game pieces. For this application, that playing field is referred to as the action area playing field 14. The action area playing field is visible only to a single contestant.

The second grid is located on the game board opposite the action area playing field 14. Because this grid is visible to all opposing players, be they two, three or more players, this application refers to the second grid as the display playing field 15.

Either playing field grid can be designated by a player as the action area playing field 14 or the display playing field 15 prior to game start.

These playing fields are congruent to one another in their length and height. Further, they are identical in the number of predetermined rows and columns. The playing fields are also congruent in the predetermined number of rectangular unit spaces they contain. Each rectangular unit space is congruent in dimensions of length 4 and height 5, each of which may vary in measurement of between 0.1 and 40 inches. Also, the top rank (row) of the playing fields and the far left or far right file (column) of the playing fields are marked with alphanumeric symbols. These markings make it possible to identify each rectangular unit space, or coordinate, of the playing field. The rank and file coordinate markings are identical for all playing fields on each game board. It should be noted that the markings could embody symbols other than the alphanumeric types. These could include colors, objects, or persons and characters.

The game board apparatus is kept in a folded position when not in use (FIG. 5). When it is unfolded, the game board forms an angle from the hinge 13 that is less than one hundred eighty degrees so that the opposite two ends of the game board apparatus may rest upon a flat surface (FIG. 6). At this point, the two playing field grids are visible from opposite directions. One playing field is utilized as an action area 14 onto which a player assembles pieces for competition (FIG. 7), while the second is the display area 15 onto which eliminated and other marked game pieces are placed during competition.

The apparatus/invention operates as a concealing mechanism for words formed by opposing players in competition. Each player uses the action area playing field 14 (the grid visible only to him/her) to create words on the game board via magnetized lettered game pieces (FIG. 1).

The game pieces (FIG. 1 and FIG. 2) are all congruent in length 1 and height 2, each of which vary in measurement of approximately between 0.1 and 40 inches. The width 3 varies in measurement of approximately between 0.01 and 40 inches. These are affixed onto individual coordinates of the action area 14 and display playing field 15.

It should be noted here that other types of game pieces, such as ones marked with colors, objects, numbers, or persons and characters, may be substituted for individual letters on coordinates. The rules for play would be the same in attempting to eliminated these game pieces as they would be for letters.

The display playing field 15 is the grid visible to all opponents during competition. Essentially, two, three, four or more opponents assemble their game pieces (FIG. 1) on coordinates of the action areas 14 on their own foldable-type game boards. Then, in each player's turn, he/she selects an opponent to pursue. He or she then calls a coordinate. If there is no letter on that space, the targeted opponent, places a red game piece 11 on that selected coordinate of his/her display playing field 15, the one visible to all opposing players. However, if there is a game piece on that coordinate on his/her action area, the targeted player places a “?” game piece 12 on the space of the display playing field 15 that corresponds to the selected coordinate. The opponent whose turn it is now picks a letter a random. If he or she chooses correctly, then the “?” game piece 12 is replaced with the letter (FIG. 1) from that corresponding space off his/her action area 14 playing field. But, if he/she chooses incorrectly, then the turn goes to the next player, who may either attempt to guess the letter on that coordinate, or move onto a new space altogether. The competition would continue until only one player remains with undiscovered game pieces on his or her action area 14.

It should be clarified here that, obviously, display playing fields 15 are visible to all opponents and therefore maintain the orderliness of who has eliminated what during competition. Thus, this allows multiple players, or teams of players, to visually evaluate the game status of fellow competitors and judge future attempts to capture others' game pieces, which in this application are letters.

For our illustration, this application demonstrates a round of play between player A (FIG. 8 and FIG. 9) and Player B (FIG. 10). In preparation for competition, players may elect to simply use black game pieces 10 to mark off coordinates which correlate with words that are spelled. In other words, all words with the letter “A” in the spelling would require the player to place a game piece in the “A” rank; all words with “B” would receive a game piece on the row marked “B”, and so forth. Each column would be allocated for one letter in the word. For example, the word “RUN” would require the player to place a black 10 game piece in one column along a row that correlates with the rank marked “R”, then the next column and row correlating with “U” would receive a black 10 game piece, and the last letter “N” would see the player place a black 10 game piece on the next column in a space that correlates with the “N” rank.

In FIG. 8, Player A places black 10 game pieces on his/her action area 14 which correlate to the words “apple”, “pear”, and “Apricot”. Players may also elect to form words in any direction, diagonally, horizontally, or vertically, so long as the letters are in the correct sequence. Player A (FIG. 9) and Player B (FIG. 10), in this application, elect to create words where the letters in fact correlate with coordinates upon which they are placed. Further, for ease in illustration, the players will use letters (FIG. 1) on the spaces of their action area 14 playing fields.

FIG. 9 represents the final placement of game pieces on the action area 14 for Player A prior to game start. In this illustration, the left panel demonstrates arrangement of letters on the action area 14, while the right panel demonstrates the display playing field 15 where player A will affix games pieces in response to Player B's moves.

FIG. 10 represents the final placement of game pieces on the action area 14 for Player B prior to game start. In this illustration, the right panel demonstrates arrangement of letters on the action area 14, while the left panel demonstrates the display playing field 15 where player B will affix games pieces in response to Player A's moves. Player B assembles the words “peach”, “grapes”, and “cherry” on his/her action area 14 playing field.

FIG. 11 demonstrates how the foldable-type game boards for Player A and Player B would be arranged in near-actual play. The game begins with Player A taking the first turn.

Player A calls out the first coordinate—“O 4”. There is no game piece on the opponent's “O 4”. Therefore, Player B (FIG. 12) places a red game piece 11 on the “O 4” coordinate on his/her display playing field 15. It is now Player B's turn.

Player B calls out the “P 3” coordinate. Player A in fact has a letter on this coordinate. Player A (FIG. 13) therefore places a “?” 12 game piece on the “P 3” space on his/her display playing field 15. In the next move, Player B correctly calls the letter “P” 9 (FIG. 14), and because this letter is shared by two words formed on Player A's action area 14, these being “apple” and “pear”, not only does the “P” 9 on “P 3” get eliminated off the action area 14, but the next closest letter to “P 3” also gets eliminated onto the display playing field 15.

Essentially, if a letter on a coordinate is shared by more than one word, the next closest letters equal to the total number of words crossing at that point are eliminated. In other words, if a letter on the action area 14 is part of three words, then the letter, once discovered, is removed plus two of the next closest letters. If a letter was an intersection point for four words on a coordinate, then when the letter is discovered, that letter plus three of the next closest letters would be revealed onto the display playing field 15 once it is discovered.

The competition between Player A and Player B would continue until one contestant remains with game pieces on his/her action area playing field 14.

FIG. 15 illustrates the arrangement of three foldable-type game boards for play among three contestants. FIG. 16 illustrates the arrangement of five foldable-type game boards for play among five contestants. This application demonstrates that there is no conceivable limit to the total number of players possible in utilizing the foldable-type game board for strategic word pattern engagement, making the merit of this invention clear.

Foldable-type game board for strategic word pattern engagement

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