Patent Application
20230136578
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
Trademarks used in the disclosure of the invention, and the applicants, make no claim to any trademarks referenced.
The invention relates to the field of relationship skill game, and, more particularly to a system or method that promotes honest communication skills that allow both players to be heard.
Currently the state of the art includes a number of Interactive Role-Playing Games which have been introduced into the market. Playing games is well known in the prior art with feature goals and similarities.
Games are a universal past time and games between both sexes, same sexes, and intermixed couples are known and occur in all ways each and every day. However, there is a need for a method/game or system which helps the couples to manage their disagreements privately, without talking to friends, family, and counselors.
Therefore, what is needed in the art is a system or method that promotes discussion between couples that allows them to manage their disagreements privately, without talking to friends, family, and counselors.
The instant invention one form is directed to a relationship game where all you have to do to win is play. Players follow step-by-step instructions that promote effective communication skills that allow both players to be heard. One big advantage of this method is that couples can manage their disagreements privately, without talking to friends, family, and counselors. It is easier to discuss issues when there is no expectation of drama. An important aspect of the process is that the method actually works when players follow the step-by-step instructions. If the couple is not able to settle their disagreement, the last step of the process allows the players to survey other people for their opinion on the issue. The value here is that the person being surveyed is provided both sides of the story (all the details). The survey can be conducted on paper (one person at a time) or on the web/phone application. Although less effective, the entire process can be done on the web/phone application. This process may be effective for co-workers or just two people with mutual interest. The main objective is to help couples stay together . . . one issue at a time
An advantage of the present invention is that the method or system is in the form of a game to help people settle their disagreements. This is achieved by addressing one issue at a time. If they cannot agree, they are able to survey others to see who is being more reasonable. The people being surveyed will have both sides of the story, not just one side of the story from one person's perspective.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular embodiments may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings, in which like reference numerals are used to refer to similar components. When reference is made to a reference numeral without specification to an existing sub-label, it is intended to refer to all such multiple similar components.
The appendix has a detail disclosure of the invention.
Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate embodiments of the invention and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the invention in any manner.
While various aspects and features of certain embodiments have been summarized above, the following detailed description illustrates a number of exemplary embodiments in further detail to enable one skilled in the art to practice such embodiments. The described examples are provided for illustrative purposes and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
In the following description, for the purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the described embodiments. It will be apparent to one skilled in the art however that other embodiments of the present invention may be practiced without some of these specific details. Several embodiments are described herein, and while various features are ascribed to different embodiments, it should be appreciated that the features described with respect to one embodiment may be incorporated with other embodiments as well. By the same token however, no single feature or features of any described embodiment should be considered essential to every embodiment of the invention, as other embodiments of the invention may omit such features.
In this application the use of the singular includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise and use of the terms “and” and “or” is equivalent to “and/or,” also referred to as “non-exclusive or” unless otherwise indicated. Moreover, the use of the term “including,” as well as other forms, such as “includes” and “included,” should be considered non-exclusive. Also, terms such as “element” or “component” encompass both elements and components including one unit and elements and components that include more than one unit, unless specifically stated otherwise.
Lastly, the terms “or” and “and/or” as used herein are to be interpreted as inclusive or meaning any one or any combination. Therefore, “A, B or C” or “A, B and/or C” mean “any of the following: A; B; C; A and B; A and C; B and C; A, B and C.” An exception to this definition will occur only when a combination of elements, functions, steps, or acts are in some way inherently mutually exclusive.
As this invention is susceptible to embodiments of many different forms, it is intended that the present disclosure be considered as an example of the principles of the invention and not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments shown and described.
The terms game, process, method, and system are used interchangeably to mean the system of the instant invention.
The instant invention provides a simple system to minimize conflict and guide people to happier relationships. The system reduces the conflict between two individuals which can have a beneficial effect on problems that result in divorce and other conflicts. It does this by creating a nonconfrontational method where two parties can disclose their issues and rate how the issue affects them. The problem with conflict resolution can be specifically illustrated when one looks at the divorce rate and many of its effects that result in a multitude of social problems that can be elevated with a simple and easy to use conflict resolution method provided by the instant invention.
If the instant invention is used properly it would result in fewer single parent homes, reducing the high school dropout rate, reducing the teenage pregnancy rate, reducing drug abuse, and reducing domestic violence. The world would be a much better place if couples are happier and staying together. The goal of the instant invention is to help couples settle disagreements among themselves without outside help. The couple can get the opinion of others via the survey step but this process ensures the respondent is given all the details, not just one side of the story.
The prior art does not provide for a system that encourages two-way communication between two or more parties and if they are unable to resolve their issue the system enables the players to survey other people for their opinion on the issue thereby helping them resolve the issue and promoting a better relationship.
The instant invention is a method in the form of a game to help people settle disagreements and allows the players to survey others for their opinion. It accomplishes this by providing a relationship game where all you have to do to win is play. Players follow step-by-step instructions that promote honest communication skills and allows both players to be heard. A significant advantage of this method is that couples can manage their disagreements privately, without talking to friends, family, and counselors. It makes it easier for the couple to discuss issues without the expectations of drama. An important aspect of the method is that the method actually works when players follow the step-by-step instructions. If the couple is not able to settle their disagreement, the last step of the process allows the players to survey other people for their opinion on the issue. The value of this last step is that the person being surveyed is provided both sides of the story (all the details). The survey can be conducted on paper (one person at a time) or on the web/mobile application. Although less effective, the entire process can be done using the web/mobile application. This process may be effective for co-workers or just two people with mutual interest. The main objective is to help couples to stay together . . . one issue at a time.
The instant invention also provides a method in the form of a game to help people settle their disagreements one issue at a time. If they cannot agree, they are able to survey others to see who is being more reasonable. A unique aspect of the game is that when people are surveyed, they receive both sides of the story, not just one side of the story from one person's perspective. This allows the respondent to be more deliberative in their evaluation and provide better council than if they are hearing only one side of the story.
Additionally, the instant invention provides a step-by-step process designed to help two people communicate more effectively so that they both get their points across while staying focused on the issue. This process helps the couple understand and feel better about each other, strengthening their bond and provides a simple and stress-free method to openly discuss issues and develop concrete resolution to an issue.
The instant invention also provides a step-by-step process which has a very high success rate in resolving conflict. This is a game where you cannot win alone. The relationship wins. People like having a medium which they can utilize to settle disagreements without drama and end with a survey if they desire to utilize outside advisors to help them cut through issues and resolve them.
The instant invention can be utilized using two different formats. A paper-based process or a computer application-based process. The game in the paper-based format is normally provided in the form of a booklet but individual sheets can be used. The survey portion can be completed in paper or by utilizing a computer-based application which can use either a laptop or other computer or a mobile device. The instant invention can also be converted to a computer application where the forms are presented using either a laptop or other computer or a mobile device. Another method envisioned is to create different media forms of the instant invention such as a television or online show. When a television show is used then the world can watch couples come up on stage and settle their disagreements without a need of a mediator. If the format is a YouTube channel, viewers can watch recordings of couples settling their issues using the instant invention process.
The players first must agree on one issue to settle and decide who will be the first player or player A or the second player or player B. The instant invention utilizes the following steps to maximize the problem resolution process:
Step 1: Each player of the game writes down one detail of the issue they have agreed to settle. This is a key step because the participants will focus on one distinct detail at a time of the issue which makes the solution of the distinct issue easier to solve. When an issue is divided into distinct details the distinct details are easier to solve individually and when they are resolved independently, they can resolve the overall issue or problem.
Step 2: Each player of the game ranks the one detail of the issue. Steps 1 and 2 are repeated until both players have documented all the details that support their position on the issue. Then they players stack the details in order of relevance and the details are handled in that order, one at a time.
Step 3: The players can then restate what they believe is the distinct detail of the problem and the first player can confirm the second players understanding. This is done for both players. Before the second player in the next step rates how relevant the detail is, he has to select whether the first players detail is true or not true.
Step 4: The second player can now rate how relevant the distinct detail is to them and this sets up a vehicle to negotiate the resolution of the distinct detail. After the second player rates the relevance, the second player writes a response to the first players detail and then verbally reads what the second player has written.
The players can then enter a second distinct detail with respect to the issue being explored and resolve that distinct detail in a similar method. The players only move to the second detail if the issue is not resolved while playing through the first detail.
A typical game is played as follows:
The instant invention anticipates a situation where the two players cannot reach a consensus and the instant invention has a survey phase as part of the process. The concept is that When the players are able to come to an agreement during or after the survey, the relationship still wins.
The survey process starts by the first player and second player gathering all the cards and placing them in the order processed during steps 1-14.
The survey requires at least one additional third party or third participant. The game allows multiple third party or third participant and the survey process can be repeated for as many third party or third participant as needed.
Step A: The players either together or separately present all the cards to the third participant and request a Yes or No answer to your “This One Issue” question. (This allows the third participant to have both sides of the story.)
Step B-Explain the process to the third participant. For example: Player A wrote on one side and Player B wrote on the other; the cards were processed in order of relevance; and we followed steps 1-14 on each detail card.
Step C—The players use hashmarks to record Yes and No responses in the bottom portion of the “This One Issue” card. Note: After the first third participant has answered, fold the “This One Issue” card at the dotted line to hide the results from any other third party or third participants.
Step D-Repeat as many times as needed to win the game.
The system and method can be further used in a computerized application as described:
The instant invention can be envisioned as a method to help at least two players compromise with respect to an issue effecting at least two players comprising of the steps:
The method of the instant invention wherein the order of relevance is from the highest to lowest.
The method of the instant invention wherein the survey solicits the third individual solution to resolve the distinct issue.
The method of the instant invention wherein the survey solicits a third individual solution to resolve the issue.
The instant invention can alternatively be a method to help at least two players compromise with respect to an issue effecting the at least two players comprising of the steps:
The method of claim 5 wherein the order of relevance is from the highest to lowest.
The method of claim 5 wherein the survey solicits the third individual solution to resolve the distinct detail.
The method of claim 5 wherein the survey solicits a third individual solution to resolve the issue.
Referring now to the drawings, and more particularly to
Referring to
The instant invention keeps the players focused on one detail at a time. The instant invention provides a method where both parties can record the perceived details of the issue and provide a response to the details in a conversational method which eliminates the heated discussions which normally occur during a traditional argument. This prevents the participants from damaging the relationship and provides a clear path for reconciliation and accommodation.
The instant invention provides a method in the form of a game to help people settle comprising:
The instant invention can be captured in a computer program which allows the participants to have a digital or face to face discussion. When used in a digital form the application can include video or text-based chats as well as two-way data sharing. The system could also be integrated with applications such as skype, facetime or zoom so that participants can be in various locations and still work on resolving issues.
In some embodiments, the system, method or methods described above may be executed or carried out by a computing system including a tangible computer-readable storage medium, also described herein as a storage machine, that holds machine-readable instructions executable by a logic machine such as a processor or programmable control device to provide, implement, perform, and/or enact the above described methods, processes and/or tasks. When such methods and processes are implemented, the state of the storage machine may be changed to hold different data. For example, the storage machine may include memory devices such as various hard disk drives, CD, flash drives, cloud storage, or DVD devices. The logic machine may execute machine-readable instructions via one or more physical information and/or logic processing devices. For example, the logic machine may be configured to execute instructions to perform tasks for a computer program. The logic machine may include one or more processors to execute the machine-readable instructions. The computing system may include a display subsystem to display a graphical user interface (GUI) or any visual element of the methods or processes described above. For example, the display subsystem, storage machine, and logic machine may be integrated such that the above method may be executed while visual elements of the disclosed system and/or method are displayed on a display screen for user consumption. The computing system may include an input subsystem that receives user input. The input subsystem may be configured to connect to and receive input from devices such as a mouse, game controllers, video camera, camera, keyboard or gaming controller. For example, a user input may indicate a request that certain task is to be executed by the computing system, such as requesting the computing system to display any of the above-described information or requesting that the user input updates or modifies existing stored information for processing. A communication subsystem may allow the methods described above to be executed or provided over a computer network. For example, the communication subsystem may be configured to enable the computing system to communicate with a plurality of personal computing devices. The communication subsystem may include wired and/or wireless communication devices to facilitate networked communication. The described methods or processes may be executed, provided, or implemented for a user or one or more computing devices via a computer-program product such as via an application programming interface (API).
Since many modifications, variations, and changes in detail can be made to the described embodiments of the invention, it is intended that all matters in the foregoing description and shown in the accompanying drawings be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense. Furthermore, it is understood that any of the features presented in the embodiments may be integrated into any of the other embodiments unless explicitly stated otherwise. The scope of the invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
In addition, the present invention has been described with reference to embodiments, it should be noted and understood that various modifications and variations can be crafted by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing disclosure should be interpreted as illustrative only and is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. Further it is intended that any other embodiments of the present invention that result from any changes in application or method of use or operation, method of manufacture, shape, size, or materials which are not specified within the detailed written description or illustrations contained herein are considered within the scope of the present invention.
Insofar as the description above and the accompanying drawings disclose any additional subject matter that is not within the scope of the claims below, the inventions are not dedicated to the public and the right to file one or more applications to claim such additional inventions is reserved.
Although very narrow claims are presented herein, it should be recognized that the scope of this invention is much broader than presented by the claim. It is intended that broader claims will be submitted in an application that claims the benefit of priority from this application.
While this invention has been described with respect to at least one embodiment, the present invention can be further modified within the spirit and scope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using its general principles. Further, this application is intended to cover such departures from the present disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fall within the limits of the appended claims.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 63275718 | Nov 2021 | US |
