Abstract:
The application provides for a system and method of playing an educational balancing game. An electronic game spinner is used to select a category to be tested, as well as a specific question within this category. Once the specific question has been selected, potential answers are shown on an electronic game board whereby a user must then use their body to select a circle containing an answer. The game board may also be constructed out of plastic, where the answers are fixed, however, the electronic game spinner scans a code on the game board so that appropriate questions are used with the printed answer selections.

Description:
CLAIM OF PRIORITY 
       [0001]    This application claims priority from U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/120,244, filed on Feb. 24, 2015, the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0002]    The invention and its embodiments relate to an interactive electronic or board game, namely interactive electronic or board games with an educational focus, involving placing an aspect of a participant&#39;s anatomy on the appropriate predesignated area. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0003]    It is well known that the majority of children need some encouragement to study academic subjects. While there are many different ways in which people attempt to get children to study, one popular method is the gamification of studying. That is, turning the act of studying into a fun game, so that the child will have a desire to engage in studying. There are many games that attempt to engage a child in this way, but few of these game are active, and even fewer of them can reasonably be classified as “fun”. 
         [0004]    Confounding this problem is the fact that all humans, generally, participate in different styles of learning. Typically, these styles are: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. Thus, games that fail to address all three of these subsets will not educate all children effectively. Accordingly, there is a need for an active, educational game that is equally accessible and effective to learners of all types. 
       REVIEW OF RELATED TECHNOLOGY 
       [0005]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,495 pertains to games for teaching alphabet, numbers, colors, shapes and math along with coordination and motor skills comprising a planar member having a circle at its central interior and having curves therearound to define a plurality of zones around the center. The zones have lines that extend radially therethrough, some of which are offset from each other to define segments with indicia in the form of an alphabet, number, color, and/or shape marked in each of the segments. A plurality of indicia is correlated to the indicia of the planar member, such plurality of indicia being randomly selectable by the players. 
         [0006]    Raki&#39;s Rad Resources (http://www.rakisresources.com/2012/05/twister-math.html) teaches an improved version of the popular game Twister®, wherein a plurality of numbers are disposed on a standard playing board. That game contemplates graphing the frequency in which certain events occur and team-based arithmetic practice. 
         [0007]    The Math U Can blog (http://mathtutforphd.com/blog/rriath-twiste-a-new-twist-on-an-old-game!) teaches another math-themed twister. This variant disposes numbers on the spinner. A participant spins the spinner which eventually will land on a number. Once this number is chosen the mat will be disposed with multiples of the selected number. The spinner is spun again and the participants will place an appendage on the number on the mat where equal to the first number multiplied by the second number. This disclosure also contemplates a similar game involving division, addition, and subtraction. 
         [0008]    Various devices are known in the art. However, their structure and means of operation are substantially different from the present invention. Such devices fail to provide a device that can help develop a participant&#39;s knowledge in a multitude of different subject areas, while simultaneously engaging the participant physically. At least one embodiment of this invention is presented in the drawings below, and will be described in more detail herein. 
       SUMMARY OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
       [0009]    The present invention provides for a method of playing an educational balancing game, the method comprising the steps of: providing, at least one predetermined question/answer set; loading, via a prompter said at least one predetermined question/answer set, said prompter comprising: a bottom surface, a top surface, wherein said top surface is disposed with a touch-sensitized display, a memory, disposed between said top surface and said bottom surface, a processor, disposed between said top surface and said bottom surface, a wireless transceiver, disposed between said top surface and said bottom surface, a power source, wherein said power source is in electronic communication with said memory, said processor, said wireless transceiver; displaying, a plurality of question/answer subsets, on said prompter; initiating, by a first user, a random selection process; selecting, by said memory and said processor, a question/answer subset; presenting, said question to said first user; showing, an answer grid on an game board, said answer grid comprising a plurality of answer zones corresponding to said question/answer subset; selecting by at least one additional user, one of said plurality of answer zones, by placing an appendage on said answer; repeating, the aforementioned steps, as desired. 
         [0010]    In a preferred embodiment the aforementioned game board is an electronic game board. There, the electronic game board comprises a bottom surface, a top surface, wherein said top surface is disposed with at least one touch-sensitized display, a memory, disposed between said top surface and said bottom surface, a processor, disposed between said top surface and said bottom surface, a wireless transceiver, disposed between said top surface and said bottom surface, a power source, wherein said power source is in electronic communication with said memory, said processor, said wireless transceiver. 
         [0011]    The method of the present invention provides a novel improvement over past methods of educating children. By combining the learning experience with an active game, children are being stimulated and incentivized to learn at an increased rate. Studies have shown that most people, when it comes to how they learn material, fall into one of three categories: visual; auditory; and kinesthetic. The present invention strikes at all three of these learning styles to provide for a more holistic approach to serving educational material to a student. The visual learners will be stimulated by seeing the question and answers appear on the spinner and game board. While not all embodiments are specifically tailored for the auditory learners, many embodiment exist where the questions are read aloud by the game spinner, and other embodiments where the participant is encouraged to state their selected answers audibly at the end of a round. The kinesthetic learners will be stimulated by the fact that they must physically select the correct answer with part of their body, and must move again to select a subsequent answer. The inherent activeness with this activity, coupled with the visual stimulation, and, in some embodiments, the auditory stimulation, shows that the system and method of the present invention are applying modern-learning principles to allow for improved learning. Further, this game will enhance the effect of the education due to the repetition in the prompting and answering of questions. 
         [0012]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an entertaining way to learn. 
         [0013]    It is an object of the present invention to gamify the learning of information. 
         [0014]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a game that is entertaining for children and adults alike. 
         [0015]    It is an object of the present invention to educate children. 
         [0016]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a game that children and adults both enjoy 
         [0017]    It is an object of the present invention to provide an educational game that is equally applicable to a variety of subjects. 
         [0018]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a means for multiple people to engage in simultaneous learning. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the system of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 2A  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic game board of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 2B  shows a top view of an embodiment of the electronic spinner of the instant invention, rendered on a tablet. 
           [0022]      FIG. 3A  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic game board of the present invention, where said game board is comprised of a plurality of touch screens. 
           [0023]      FIG. 3B  shows a top view of an embodiment of the electronic spinner of the present invention, rendered on a smartphone. 
           [0024]      FIG. 4A  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic game board of the present invention, where the answer zones that contain the answer choices are of a non-uniform size. 
           [0025]      FIG. 4B  shows a top view of an embodiment of a stylized electronic spinner of the present invention. 
           [0026]      FIG. 4C  shows a top view of an alternative embodiment of a stylized electronic spinner of the present invention. 
           [0027]      FIG. 4D  shows a top view of an embodiment of the electronic spinner scanning a unique optical identifier. 
           [0028]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the game board of the present invention, where the game board is a plastic mat. 
           [0029]      FIGS. 6A-6B  show screenshots of an embodiment of the method of the present invention. 
           [0030]      FIG. 6C  shows two participants participating in an embodiment of the method of the present invention, on an electronic game board of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0031]    The preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described with reference to the drawings. Identical elements in the various figures are identified with the same reference numerals. 
         [0032]    Reference will now be made in detail to each embodiment of the present invention. Such embodiments are provided by way of explanation of the present invention, which is not intended to be limited thereto. In fact, those of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate upon reading the present specification and viewing the present drawings that various modifications and variations can be made thereto. 
         [0033]    As a threshold matter, it should be noted that for the purposes of this disclosure the terms “prompter” and “electronic game spinner” are to be used interchangeably, and refer to the same components of the present invention. The term “random”, as used in this application, does not refer to true random selection, which only living beings are capable of. Rather, the term “random”, when used here, refers to a selection algorithm used by computers. For example, the algorithm might select the digit from the current time to act as the “random” number. There exist a multitude of selection algorithms known in the art. Further, many of the embodiments described herein 
         [0034]    Referring to  FIG. 1 , a perspective view of an embodiment of the system of the present invention is provided for. Here, prompter  101 , its touch sensitive display  102 , electronic game board  103 , its at least one touch sensitive display  105 , power source  106 , plurality of answer zones  107 , and optional speakers  108 . Although not shown explicitly, the functionality of the wireless transceiver in both the prompter  100  and the electronic game board  103  is shown. Specifically, a user will touch the prompter to begin the random selection process. 
         [0035]    In a preferred embodiment, the digital spinner will rotate about the center of the category wheel for some amount of time. After a predetermined amount of time, the digital spinner will stop, landing on a given category. In some embodiments, there is only a single question/answer set for a given category, while in other embodiments there are multiple question/answer sets. In the single question/answer set embodiment, that question/answer set is loaded and the respective potential answers are sent to the electronic game board. In a preferred embodiment, correct answers and well as some known incorrect answers are sent to the electronic game board. This provides the additional benefit of a user not being able to select the first populated answer zone they see. This enhances the educational value of the game, as both speed and accuracy are rewarded in this embodiment. In the multiple question/answers, a question/answer set is selected randomly. In yet another preferred embodiment, once a category has been selected, the prompter will show a sub-category (See  FIG. 6B ). A similar animation of a digital spinner spinning is shown for the subcategory, and from that subcategory a question is randomly selected. 
         [0036]    Turning to  FIG. 2A  a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic game board  103  is shown. Here, electronic game board  103  features at least one touch-sensitized display  105 , power source  106 , plurality of answer zones  107 , and optional speaker  108 . In a preferred embodiment, electronic game board  103  is built such that multiple adults may utilize the board without the board breaking under the weight. Further, while this particular embodiment uses a single display inside of a single housing, the present invention contemplates multiple displays within a single housing, or multiple displays within multiple housings. In one embodiment electronic game board  103  is operated via a standard 120V or 240V wall outlet. In another embodiment, electronic game board  103  is equipped with a battery. This battery is preferably a lithium-ion battery, although most batteries are suitable for use with electronic game board  103 . This embodiment is equipped with optional speaker  108 . Optional speaker  108  is beneficial as the present invention can add auditory cues to both the question delivery and answering. In one embodiment, electronic game board  103  will read the question aloud. In other embodiments, electronic game board  103  will make a positive sound when the proper answer zone is touched, and a negative sound when an improper answer zone is touched. 
         [0037]    In  FIG. 2B  a top view of an embodiment of the electronic spinner of the instant invention, rendered on a tablet is shown. Here prompter  101  is a tablet. However, prompter  101  can be a smartphone, a tablet, a touchscreen laptop computer, or any other electronic device that is touch-sensitized. In one embodiment, prompter  101  can select from the following categories: math; entertainment; science; law; history; politics; art; geography; language; music; and current events. In a preferred embodiment, there is a “wild card” option whereby a random category will be chosen. The random category can be made known to the users, or it may be kept a secret from the users. In another embodiment, users will be able to customize the categories they see fit. Preferably, these custom categories will be populated with questions generated by the users in advance of playing the game. 
         [0038]    Referring to  FIG. 3A , a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic game board of the present invention, where said game board is comprised of a plurality of touch screens is shown. Here, electronic game board  103  is comprised of multiple touch-sensitized displays, in multiple housings. This embodiment has a number of benefits. When multiple users are playing, if each user has a separate board, the ability for them to cheat and look at another user&#39;s selection is seriously limited. In other embodiments, users must rotate between each game board after a predetermined amount of questions. If the boards are spaced far enough apart, this allows an element of exercise to be incorporated into the game. In yet another embodiment, the plurality of answer zones move around the game board. When the game board is spread across multiple housings, the answer zones may migrate freely between the various boards. This is facilitated by each unit being in wireless communication with each other, as well as with the prompter shown in  FIG. 3B . 
         [0039]      FIG. 3B  shows a top view of an embodiment of the electronic spinner of the present invention, rendered on a smartphone. Of note here is how prompter  101  is a smartphone, as opposed to the tablet shown in  FIG. 2B . 
         [0040]    Referring to  FIG. 4A , a perspective view of an embodiment of the electronic game board of the present invention, where the answer zones that contain the answer choices are of a non-uniform size is provided. Here, plurality of answer zones consist of non-uniform sized circles. While here, plurality of answer zones  107  is shown as circles, any geographic shape is suitable for use as an answer zone. This shape could be a pure polygon, a free-hand drawn shape, or some sort of image. In a preferred embodiment, the answer zones correspond to the answer selection contained therein. For example, if the answer contained in the answer zone was the Oregon Trial, the answer zone may be shown as an era-appropriate wagon. There exist countless other examples, that are too numerous to list here. In yet another embodiment, plurality of answer zones  107  will move around, adding an element of coordination to the game. 
         [0041]    Further,  FIG. 4B  shows the electronic spinner being stylized. That is, because the category of art was selected, the spinner now appears with an art theme. Accordingly, the game board of  FIG. 4A  is also stylized to match the spinner. This is an optional component found in a preferred embodiment.  FIG. 4C  shows a stylized electronic spinner when the category is science.  FIG. 4D  shows the prompter of the present invention scanning unique optical identifier  109  (See  FIG. 5A ). 
         [0042]      FIG. 5  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the game board of the present invention, where the game board is a plastic mat. Of note here is unique optical identifier  109 . Unique optical identifier  109  is used by the prompter of the present invention to learn of the answers disposed on game board  104 . In this embodiment, a user may have multiple game boards  104 . As a user gets tired of the first game board  104 , they may merely scan unique identifier  109  on the second game board, and the prompter will display the appropriate categories and subcategories while loading the appropriate questions. Note here how game board  104  is stylized for the science category. 
         [0043]    Referring to  FIGS. 6A-6B , various screenshots of an embodiment of the method of the present invention being performed. First, a user will touch the electronic spinner shown in screen  201 . As shown, the spinner will spin for a predetermined amount of time until it lands on a category, as shown in screen  202 . In an alternative embodiment, the spinner will spin indefinitely, and a user will touch the screen a second time to stop the spinner. In this embodiment, after landing on a category in screen  202 , a spinner showing subcategories is shown. Once again the user will touch the screen such that the spinner spins, and it will arrive at one of the subcategories in the manner previously described. Once the subcategory has been selected, a question will be randomly chosen. In some embodiments, the question will merely be displayed visually, in other embodiments, the question will be read aloud. Once the question has been read, a user is brought to screen  204  where they are presented with a plurality of answer zones. As shown here, these answers zones will be of various sizes and will preferably move around the screen. In a preferred embodiment, this embodiment is performed on at least two devices independently selected from the group consisting of smartphones, tablets, touch-sensitized laptop computers, and any other internet-enabled electronic device with a touchscreen. 
         [0044]    This embodiment is particularly suitable for two users sitting next to each other on a road trip, while each user participates on their respective device. Here, the electronic game board and the prompter are on in the same. 
         [0045]      FIG. 6C  shows two participants participating in an embodiment of the method of the present invention, on an electronic game board of the present invention. 
         [0046]    When introducing elements of the present disclosure or the embodiment(s) thereof, the articles “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to mean that there are one or more of the elements. Similarly, the adjective “another,” when used to introduce an element, is intended to mean one or more elements. The terms “including” and “having” are intended to be inclusive such that there may be additional elements other than the listed elements. 
         [0047]    While the disclosure refers to exemplary embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof without departing from the scope of the disclosure. In addition, many modifications will be appreciated by those skilled in the art to adapt a particular instrument, situation or material to the teachings of the disclosure without departing from the spirit thereof. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed.