This invention relates generally to game playing pieces or apparatuses and, more particularly, to an illuminated gaming tile with a charging system.
Tile-based games have been in existence for centuries and remain popular to this day. However, advances in tile-based gaming have largely been stagnant. One of the major problems with tile-based games is that they are sometimes played late at night or in dark rooms. Playing in low-light conditions make it difficult to read the indicia on the tiles. This impedes play and leads to misplayed tiles, which may not be noticed until too late in the game.
Accordingly, there is a need for an illuminated tile that enhances visibility of the indicia and reduces the difficulty of reading the indicia in low-light situations.
The present invention is directed to an illuminated, electronic gaming tile and to a charging system for charging the electronic gaming tile.
In a first embodiment of the disclosure, an electronic gaming tile comprises a shell; a plurality of light pipes disposed within view of an outer surface of the shell, wherein the plurality of light pipes are arranged in a pattern recognizable by a user during game play; a tile power source housed in the shell; and a light source housed in the shell and connected to the tile power source, wherein the plurality of light pipes are illuminated by the light source during game play.
In a second embodiment, an electronic gaming tile comprises a shell; a light source; a tile power source housed in the shell, wherein the tile power source is connected to the plurality of lights; and a plurality of transparent or translucent windows in an outer surface of the shell, wherein the light source is disposed to illuminate the plurality of windows and wherein the plurality of windows are arranged to represent different game tile values or symbols recognizable by a user during a game, when illuminated by the light source.
In a third embodiment, an electronic gaming tile system comprises a plurality of electronic gaming tiles (such as disclosed in the first or second embodiment) and a portable charging system for the electronic gaming tiles. The portable charging system includes a case; a plurality of compartments housed in the case that are configured to receive respective electronic gaming tiles; a charging power source; and an electrical bus system coupled to the charging power source and to the plurality of compartments, wherein the electronic gaming tiles are recharged through the electrical bus system when received in respective compartments.
In an aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are lighted by light pipes.
In an additional aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are lighted by one or more light sources that illuminates one or more windows within the tiles.
In a further aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are charged by a portable charging system.
In another aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles may be programmed to display a user-selectable color.
In an additional aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles may include a magnetic component and the charging system may include a magnetic component to aid in alignment of the electronic gaming tiles for improved charging.
In a further aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are removably held in the correct position for charging by use of corresponding magnetic components in the tile and in the charging case.
In an additional aspect of the invention, when the tiles are disposed within the charging case, the tiles display one of multiple specified colors of light to indicate the battery status of the tile.
In a further aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are charged using pogo pins.
In another aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are charged using corresponding USB-type connectors.
In an additional aspect of the invention, the electronic gaming tiles are charged using electrical contacts.
In a further aspect of the invention, the gaming tile includes two communication assemblies, each of which is disposed on an opposing end of a gaming tile to allow two tiles, when placed with ends adjacent to one other, to make a determination as to the indicia displayed on the adjacent end of the neighboring tile.
In another aspect of the invention, the gaming tile includes a light sensor to sense when the tile is placed face down on a surface, thus allowing extinguishing of the light source to save energy when the lighted feature is not needed.
The object of the invention is to provide an illuminated gaming tile and a gaming tile with a charging system that gives an improved performance over the above described prior art systems and methods.
These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the attached drawings and from the detailed description of the preferred embodiments which follow.
The detailed description of some embodiments of the invention is made below with reference to the accompanying figures, wherein like numerals represent corresponding parts of the figures.
Like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views of the drawings.
Referring to the figures in general, embodiments of the disclosed subject technology provide electronic gaming tiles and a charging system that recharges the gaming tiles. Exemplary embodiments include gaming tiles which may include elements that are illuminated to represent gaming tile values or symbols as recognized by users during game play of different games. As will be appreciated, aspects of the gaming tiles provide an advantage over traditional tiles because the electronic gaming tiles disclosed can be played in low-light conditions such as in social gatherings outdoors at night. As may be appreciated, aspects of the disclosed gaming tiles generate both a practical result and an aesthetic effect, which mutually contribute to tile-based game play that has not yet been seen.
Typical gaming tiles are static. The indicia placed onto a traditional tile is usually black paint. To liven up some other tiles, colored paint is used for the indicia. However, in low-light conditions, regardless of the paint being brightly colored, the tiles may be difficult to see with the absence of light.
Gaming tiles of the present disclosure include an internal lighting source that projects light from one or more front light apertures of each tile so that the tile itself and/or the indicia is clearly visible in low-light settings. The description and embodiments following describe the gaming tile of the disclosure as a domino under an exemplary embodiment. However, the domino is one example of an embodiment, and it will be understood that other gaming tiles for various games may be contemplated under the subject disclosure. For example, mahjong, Rummikub®, Scrabble®, other domino variations, and other tile-based games may be improved under the subject technology and provide benefits similar to those described by the embodiment of the exemplary domino tile that follows.
Referring to the first embodiment of
The exterior of the tile 10 is formed by a shell 12 and a detachable and reattachable rear cover 22. The shell 12 is formed with a front, top, bottom, and two sides, but it but has an open back. The rear cover 22 is sized and shaped to conform to the open back, and, when attached, forms the back of the shell 12. The shell 12 and the rear cover 22, when joined, define a shell interior cavity to receive and house the interior components of the tile 10. Because the rear cover 22 is removable, it provides access to the interior components housed within the shell 12. The rear cover 22 is preferably mechanically attachable to the shell 12. Preferably the rear cover 22 is configured with holes near the edge of the rear cover 22 to receive screws 24 that are threaded through the rear cover 22 and into the back of the wall of the shell 12.
The shell 12 includes one or more front light apertures 16 defined by light aperture edges 26. The shell 12 also includes bottom apertures 15 defined by bottom aperture edges ii that are disposed on the shell bottom and are involved in interacting with the charging case 30 and in charging the tile power source 20.
The one or more light apertures 16 are arranged in positions to represent different game tile values or symbols recognizable by a user during a game. The light apertures 16 are arranged in positions that may represent gaming indicia (for example, domino pips, mahjong symbols, etc.). The light apertures 16 may be round (as illustrated) or may be shaped appropriately to represent the icon, symbol, motif, or other game-specific indicator of the particular game that is to be played.
The shell 12 may also be configured with grooves, indentations, projections, protuberances, or other non-planar features 13, as may be desirable to indicate aspects of the game, to separate portions of the front surface, to focus the player's attention, to clarify meaning, to add information to the tile, or to otherwise enhance the game. For example, in the aspect of the tile 10 illustrated in
In the first embodiment of
In another aspect, the windows 29 may be individual elements. In this aspect, each of the windows 29 are sized and shaped to fit within the apertures 16. In the aspect of
In the second embodiment of
The tile 10 also includes a tile power source 20 disposed within the interior cavity formed by the shell 12 and rear cover 22. The tile power source 20 (for example a battery or a capacitor) is connected to and supplies power to the light source(s) 19. In some embodiments, the tile power source 20 may be rechargeable through one or more conductive charging nodes 14. The charging nodes 14 may be connected at one end to the tile power source 20 and may access an exterior of the shell 12 through bottom apertures 15 defined by bottom aperture edges ii by their opposite end. The bottom end of the charging nodes 14 may be disposed to electrically connect to a charging power source (directly or through some intermediary conductive element). For the sake of illustration, anodes/cathodes on the tile power sources 20 are omitted from view but are understood to be present for connection to the charging nodes 14.
In a further aspect illustrated in
In one aspect of the invention, there are three bottom apertures 15 defined by three bottom aperture edges 11. Two of the bottom apertures 15 receive charging nodes 14 and the third bottom aperture 15 may house the tile magnetic component 23. In the aspect shown in
In an additional aspect illustrated in
In another aspect, the controller board 18 includes a microchip/controller that will retain data in flash memory. For example, in the illustrated domino example, the firmware of the microchip/controller is flashed by the electrical bus system 35 of the charging case 30 with the domino number and the specified color or colors assigned by a color programming assembly 38 of the charging/storage case 30. The microchip and/or controller can also record the status of the tile power source 20 and is involved in the notification of the power status as described below. Preferably the microchip/controller will also regulate the power so that each window exhibits the same brightness, whether a given tile has one window or twelve windows.
The controller board 18 is structurally configured to fit within the shell interior cavity, which may involve various cutouts 28 (
In one aspect of the invention, the connection, intersection, or general coupling of two tiles may trigger a condition which causes the indicia on the tiles 10 to change. In this aspect, the light source comprises at least one multi-color LED chip configured to produce a plurality of LED colors, and the tile 10 further comprises communication modules 42 disposed on opposing ends of the tile to enable adjacent tiles to communicate. The communication module 42 may be corresponding electrical contacts or any low power communication system as is known in the art, such as NFC or low power Bluetooth module. The communication module 42 is connected to the microchip/controller of the controller board 18. It communicates data related to the neighboring tile's value to the microchip/controller. This communication enhances game play. In an example, when two tiles are played adjacent to each other with identical indicia, the communication modules 42 of the adjacent tiles communicate to their respective microchip/controllers, and the respective microchip/controllers cause the light sources 19 of the respective tiles 10 to light the same color to indicate a correct play.
In a further aspect of the invention, the gaming tile 10 includes a light leak-prevention seal 21 (
Referring now to
In one aspect, the storage case 30 includes an upper frame 32, an intermediate frame 34, and a base 36. The base 36 includes sides and a bottom to define a base cavity to receive components related to charging and to accommodate the intermediate frame 34 into which tiles 10 can be inserted. The intermediate frame 34 includes a plurality of compartments 31 (preferably arranged in a grid format with divider walls 33) with each compartment sized, shaped, and configured to receive a tile 10. The compartments 31 have four sides, a bottom, and an open top. The compartments 31 may have contacts 37 to transfer power or power and data to the received tile 10, which are preferably disposed on the compartment bottom.
The upper frame 32 serves as a lid or partial lid that can be removed to allow the tiles 10 access to compartments 31. The upper frame 32 may be hinged or may be slidingly engaged with the base 36 to cover or partially cover the tiles 10 when inserted into the compartments 31. In one aspect shown in
The base 36 includes structural components to enable the upper frame 32 to be attached and to enable the intermediary frame 34 to be received. Additionally, the base 36 houses an electrical bus system 35. In one aspect of the invention, the electrical bus system 35 is a PC board with a plurality of contacts 37 to transfer power or power and data to the tile 10. In an aspect of the invention shown in
In another aspect of the invention shown in
In an aspect, when the tiles 10 are slotted into the compartments 31 for charging and the charging/storage case 30 is powered (such as being plugged into a 120 volt wall outlet), the battery status of each tile can be indicated by pulsing the color of the lights of the tiles themselves. In this aspect, the light source comprises at least one multi-color LED chip configured to produce a plurality of LED colors. The tile controller board 18 detects a battery power level of the tile power source 20 and controls the multi-color LED chip(s) of the tile 10 to display a first color to indicate a low battery power level and controls the multi-color LED chip(s) of the tile 10 to display a second color to indicate a high battery power level. In an example, if the tile battery is low, the lights could pulse red. If the battery has a moderate charge, the lights could pulse yellow. If the battery is full or nearly full, the lights could pulse green.
In one aspect of the invention, the base 36 includes a color selection assembly 38 and a base microchip, microcontroller, programmable controller board, or other control board. The color selection assembly 38 includes a user-activatable button to change the color of connected tiles 10. A single button may be pressed multiple times to assign different colors. For example, the single button can be pressed once to assign a first color, can be pressed a second time to assign a second color, and can, with each additional press of the button, cause a cycling to the next color available. The base control board receives the signal from the button and outputs a signal through the base contacts 37 to the controller board 18 of the tile 10, which triggers the connected tiles 10 to light up with the assigned color. Preferably several colors are made available, such as green, blue, white, red, and purple. Optionally, multiple buttons could be used to assign different colors instead of one button.
Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that numerous design configurations may be possible to enjoy the functional benefits of the inventive systems. For example, some embodiments may include a microchip or other programmable controller board circuit in a tile 10 connected to the light source 19 and tile power source 20. The chip/controller may be programmable to manage certain lighting effects. For example, when configured for dominos, dominos that are face-up with the indicia showing may be lit while dominos that are face down may be turned off to save energy, such as by use of light sensor 25. Since the face-down dominos are not currently in play, there is no need to light them up.
In an aspect, the tiles are dominos, and the microchip/controller waits to light up a domino or may change the domino's light color when the domino is placed into contact with another domino played on the board, such as by use of communication modules 42. Thus, some aspects may yield an aspect where the system may be programmed to determine whether a domino played yields a legal play. For example, in most domino games, one end of a domino being played must match the end value of a domino already in play. If a player accidentally incorrectly plays a domino, the domino may go dark or illuminate a light color that indicates an improper play. Other domino games are based on yielding for example, multiples of fives among the nodes of domino lines. The system may be programmed to calculate whether the lighted nodes add up to a multiple of five (or some other number) and illuminate when a scoring opportunity has occurred. Programmed automatic illumination may eliminate games with accidental (or purposeful) cheating and may facilitate scoring for participants.
In embodiments using another tile type for a different game, the indicia may also be illuminated and controlled to provide programmed effects that are relevant to the game played. For example, the mahjong tiles may illuminate character indicia in addition to or instead of the lighted pips. The indicia may be lit up based on the board being programmed to recognize game play and provide a result based on how the tile was played. Other tile-based games may have the tiles programmed according to their own rules.
Thus, given the wide variety of configurations and arrangements of embodiments of the present invention the scope of the invention is reflected by the breadth of the claims below rather than narrowed by the illustrative embodiments described above and in the accompanying drawings. While the subject technology was described in the context of a domino gaming tile, it will be understood that other gaming tiles are contemplated within the scope described above. Thus, the scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/286,228 that was filed on Feb. 26, 2019, which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 16286228 | Feb 2019 | US |
Child | 16998686 | US |