Patent Application
20060177809
1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a game involving a bean bag having a bag with a window, so that a search can be conducting by viewing the contents of the bag, as well as a device for guiding the search.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bean bag having a bag with a window, preferably a flexible window, and containing physical objects in addition to filler material which allows the physical objects to be moved within the bag by manipulating the bag has been known and publicly used for more than one year. (For the purposes of this patent application, the term “bean bag” is used to designate a bag containing filler material, with or without other items; the term “bag” standing alone refers to the flexible type of container that is traditionally termed a “bag.”) Also known and publicly used for this time is a card containing a list of the physical objects.
The inventors are, however, unaware that a list of the physical objects within the bag has ever been printed on the bag.
Nor have the inventors ever learned of any game involving the bean bag containing the physical objects in addition to filler material. As far as they know, the bean bag with the physical objects in addition to filler material has just be used as a toy for children to use to amuse themselves, especially in environments where it is desirable to have a child be quiet, such as during a church meeting.
The present invention, in one embodiment, has printed on a bag with a window the identification of the physical objections, other than the filler, which are contained within the bag.
Most significantly, however, the present invention shows items other than the filler material contained within the bag which a child is to locate by manipulating the bag to move the physical objects contained within the bag until the object being sought can be viewed through the window of the bag. In one embodiment the object to be sought is shown on a flash card. In another embodiment an electronic storage medium, such as a DVD or CDROM, is used with a player to display the object to be sought.
The physical objects, in one embodiment, are any objects with which a child would be familiar and which would interest a child. In another embodiment each of the physical objects contains the outline of a particular state unique from the outline of any other state. And in still another embodiment each of the objects shows a particular number that is different from the number of any other object within the bag; in this embodiment a mathematical problem is shown so that the child or other participant can search for the object in the bag indicating that number. Preferably, the answer to the mathematical problem is displayed after a period of time so that the participant can know whether he or she successfully solved the problem.
The physical components of the Searching Game of the present invention comprise, as depicted in
The physical objects 1 are any physical item which can safely be moved within a bag 3. In a first embodiment, the physical objects 1 with which a child would be familiar and which would interest a chilled. In another embodiment, as discussed above, each of the physical objects 1 contains the outline of a particular state of the United States unique from the outline of any other state; for example, the object may be in the shape of the state or have the outline of the state placed upon it through any means that is well known in the art, such as printing. And in still another embodiment, also mentioned above, each of the objects 1 shows a particular number that is different from the number shown by any other object 1 within the bag 3; in this embodiment a mathematical problem 8 is shown so that a child or other participant can search for the object 1 in the bag indicating the number that is the answer 9 to the mathematical problem 8. Preferably, as noted above, the answer 9 to the mathematical problem 8 is displayed after a period of time so that the participant can know whether he or she successfully solved the problem.
Optionally, the physical objects 1 are selected from objects oriented toward a particular theme, e.g., a holiday, such as Valentine's day, Easter, or Christmas.
The means for determining a physical object 1 to be located within the bag 3 is either a flash card 10 or an electronic storage medium 11, such as a DVD or CDROM, as portrayed in
When a flash card 10 is utilized, the physical object 1 for which a participant is to search is portrayed on a first side 12 of the flash card 10, as shown in
One version of the game will, when a flash card 10 portrays more than one physical object 1, specify the particular order in which a participant is to locate each portrayed physical object 1. Another version will, when a flash card 10 displays more than one physical object 1, allow the participant to locate the displayed physical objects 1 in any order. These different versions of the game exist also, of course, when the physical objects 1 are displayed by using an electronic storage medium 11 with a player.
Of course, when flash cards 10 are utilized, a person simply displays a first flash card 10; searching for the object occurs; an answer 9 is preferably shown if the flash card 10 portrays a mathematical problem 8; and, after a desired time interval, another flash card 10 is displayed. The process then continues in this fashion.
Preferably, the electronic storage medium 11 contains instructions that will cause a player in conjunction with which the electronic storage medium 11 is utilized, to display the physical objects 1 in a different order after all physical objects 1 have been displayed during a continuous period of operation of the electronic storage medium 11 in conjunction with a the player. With flash cards 10 this can also be done, e.g, by shuffling the flash cards 10.
Optionally, rather than actually displaying a physical object 1, a flash card 10 may simply contain the printed name of the physical object 1; and an electronic storage medium 11 may contain instructions to cause a player in which such electronic storage medium 11 is operated simply to display the printed name of the physical object 1. The term “portraying” shall herein include any of the following: a picture portrayal, a printed name, or a displayed name.
When a flash card 10 contains a mathematical problem 8 on a first side 12, as illustrated in
In the preferred case discussed in the preceding paragraph, for an electronic storage medium 11 utilized with a player, the electronic storage medium can either contain instructions which will cause the display to change from a mathematical problem 8 to the answer 1 for that problem 8 after a fixed time or a time set by one using the electronic storage medium 11 or may have instructions that will cause the display to change from a mathematical problem 8 to the answer 1 for that problem 8 when a particular action is taken with respect to the player, e.g., pressing a particular button; these options can be characterized by saying that the electronic storage medium 11 contains instructions for causing the player periodically to change the display from a mathematical problem 8 to the answer 1 for that problem 8. Such display of the answer 1 occurs, according to the instructions contained by the electronic storage medium 11, before the instructions contained by the electronic storage medium 11 cause the player to change the display from a first mathematical problem 8 to another mathematical problem 8, as described above for physical objects 1 in general but, of course, being equally applicable to changing from a first mathematical problem 8 to another mathematical problem 8 and proceeding similarly for each subsequent mathematical problem 8.
As is the case with physical objects 1, the flash card 10 or player instructed by the electronic storage medium 11 may display only a single mathematical problem 8 or more than one mathematical problem 8 and may either direct that the answers 9 to such mathematical problems 8 be located in a specified order or allow the participant to locate the answers 9 to the displayed mathematical problems in any order.
Of course, also as with the physical objects 1, preferably, the electronic storage medium 11 contains instructions that will cause a player in which the electronic storage medium 11 has been placed, to display the mathematical problems 8 in a different order after all the mathematical problems 8 contained on the electronic storage medium 11 have been displayed during a continuous period of operation of the electronic storage medium 11 in conjunction with the player.
And any version of the game may continue to be played as long as a participant desires.
As used herein, the term “preferable” or “preferably” means that a specified element or technique is more acceptable than another but not that such specified element or technique is a necessity.
