Score indicating method for a dart game

A score indicating method for a cricket dart game may show a warning signal and a close status in a single displayer for allowing the current player to realize the scores of all of the other players without switching the screens of the displayer. The displayer includes a number of score units for indicating a number of scores each and includes three score segments in each of the score units for indicating three shots of the dart segments. The score units each further includes a warning segment for warning the other when one of the players has shot three or more times of the score. The score units each further includes a close segment for indicating a close status when all of the players have shot three or more times of the score.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
1. Field of the Invention 
The present invention relates to a dart game, and more particularly to a 
score indicating method for a dart game. 
2. Description of the Prior Art 
Typical electrical cricket dart games comprise a dart board including a 
target area having a number of target segments to be shot by a dart, and a 
displayer for displaying the scores. The displayer may include a video 
display screen, liquid crystal display, electronic display or the like. 
The typical dart games comprise a number of different rules including 
"count up or count down", "301-901", "round the clock" and "cricket". For 
cricket or the so-called "mickey mouse", the users have to shoot three 
times for each of the target plates scoring from 15 to 20 and the bull. In 
order for scoring purposes, seven groups of light bulbs are provided in 
the dart board for scoring the shooting of the target plates scoring from 
15 to 20 and the bull. In the begining, all of the seven groups of light 
bulbs are turned on. When the users shoot a target plate scoring "15", one 
of the group of the light bulbs scoring "15" will be turned off. The 
winner should first shoot and turn off all of the light bulbs. The light 
bulbs occupy a large volume which may increase the volume and the 
manufacturing price of the dart game. 
A typical electrical cricket dart game is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 
5,318,319 to Jones et al. and comprises two groups of seven light bulbs 
for indicating the shots of the dart segments. Jones et al. discloses two 
groups of seven light bulbs only in order to reduce the number of the 
light bulbs. The light bulbs may generate different colors for indicating 
different shots of the scores. U.S. Pat. No. 4,824,121 to Beall discloses 
another typical dart game having a number of designs for displaying the 
necessary information of the dart game. 
However, none of the prior darts games provide a warning sign to warn the 
other players, and none of the prior dart games provide a close sign to 
indicate that all the players have shot all three shots of a particular 
score. The other players may still try to shoot the other unrequired score 
when no warning means is provided for warning the others. The prior arts 
also fail to disclose an electric dart game that may provide or teach or 
suggest a close status indicating means for indicating that the particular 
score has been shot by all of the players. Without the close status 
indicating means, the other players may still try to shoot the scores that 
do no good to the players. It is further to be noted that the dart games 
normally include about one to three displayers only. Most of the times, 
three or more players may simultaneously play with such dart games, such 
that the displayers may not show the scores of all of the players and may 
show the scores of about one to three of the players only. Accordingly, 
the current player may or may not view the scores of all of the other 
players and may not know how to shoot the further scores in order to close 
the game as soon as possible. The current player and the other players may 
required to depress the buttons of the dart game frequently in order to 
view the scores of the other players. This is inconvenient. 
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the 
afore-described disadvantages of the conventional scoring systems for 
cricket dart games. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a score 
indicating method for cricket dart games which may be used for indicating 
the open status of a cricket game and for warning the other players, and 
for indicating the close status of a cricket game and for indicating that 
all the players have shot all three shots of a particular score. 
In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a score 
indicating method for a cricket dart game, the dart game including a 
plurality of dart segments each representing a score, the method 
comprising providing a displayer, the displayer including a plurlaity of 
score units for indicating a plurlaity of scores each, providing three 
score segments in each of the score units for indicating three shots of 
the dart segments, indicating the shots with the score segments of the 
displayer, providing a warning segment in each of the score units, and 
indicating a warning signal to the other players with the warning segment 
of the displayer when a first player has shot at least three times of the 
score. 
In accordance with another aspect of the invention, there is provided a 
score indicating method for a cricket dart game, the dart game provides a 
close segment in each of the score units, and may indicate a close signal 
to the other players with the close segment of the displayer when all of 
the players have shot at least three times of the score.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
A dart game in accordance with the present invention is to provide a 
scoring system for a dart game. A co-pending U.S. patent was filed on Apr. 
14, 1995 with the Ser. No. 08/422,247 and disclosed a scoring system for 
indicating the scoring of a cricket dart game with the strokes of the 
displayer. The application has been allowed and is taken as a reference 
for this application. In the co-pending U.S. patent application, no 
warning sign and no sign for indicating "close" and "open" are provided. 
Another co-pending U.S. Patent was filed on Aug. 6, 1996 with the Ser. N0. 
08/692,703 and disclosed a scoring system having signs for indicating the 
close and the open status of the dart games. The application is also taken 
as a reference of the present invention. 
Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a dart game in 
accordance with the present invention is provided for indicating the open 
status of a cricket game and for warning the other players, and for 
indicating the close status of a cricket game and for indicating that all 
the players have shot all three shots of a particular score, with a single 
displayer. 
The dart game comprises a dart board 10 having a number of dart segments 
provided in the upper portion and having two typical displayers 16 
provided in the lower portion for indicating the scoring of the players. 
The dart board 10 further includes one or more special displayers 20 in 
the lower portion for indicating the scoring of the players of the cricket 
dart game. For saving the cost, only one displayer 20 is provided and may 
show the scores of different players alternatively when a switch is 
depressed or actuated. In the cricket dart game, the users have to shoot 
three times for each of the target plates scoring from 15 to 20 and the 
bull. The segments of the other scoring ranging from 1 to 14 will not be 
counted. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, when the outermost segment 12 is 
shot by the dart, the player earns a scoring of double twenty, i.e, forty. 
The segments 11 each represents a single twenty scoring. The segment 13 
represents a triple score. The outer bull 14 represents a scoring of 
twenty-five, and the inner bull 15 represents double twenty-five, i.e., 
fifty. 
As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the displayer 20 is preferably a liquid crystal 
displayer or is made of light emitting diodes. The displayer 20 includes 
seven displayer units 30 representing the scoring ranging from 15 to 20 
and the scoring of bull (25) respectively. 
In operation, FIGS. 2 and 3 are used for explaining the use of the 
displayers 20. The displayers 20 as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 show the 
scoring of two players respectively. The dart board may provide a single 
20 for displaying the scorings of one or more players alternatively, and 
may provide two or more displayers 20 for displaying the scorings of two 
or more players. For example, the displayer 20 in FIG. 2 is provided for 
showing the scoring of a first player, and the displayer 20 in FIG. 3 is 
provided for showing the scoring of a second player. As shown in FIG. 2, 
the upward curved segment 31 is provided for indicating the first time or 
first shot of the respective scores. The upward and the downward curved 
segments 32 indicate that the respective score has been shot for two 
times. The upward and the downward curved score segments and a horizontal 
score segment 33 altogether indicate that the respective score has been 
shot for three times. The blank displayer unit 34 (FIG. 3) indicates that 
the respective score has not been shot. The dot score segment 35 is a 
warning sign which will be discussed later. The horizontal score segment 
36 indicates a close sign which will also be discussed hereinafter. 
As shown in FIG. 2 again, the displayer 20 shows that the first player has 
shot one (15) and two (16) of the scores. The second player (FIG. 3) 
shoots none of the (15) and (16) scores. The first player has already shot 
three times of (17) score, then a dot score segment 35 is shown in the 
(17) score of the second player (FIG. 3) in order to warn the second 
player that the first player has already shot all three shots of the (17) 
score. This is a so-called "open" status. At this moment, the first player 
may score if he shoots further (17) scores and the second player have to 
shoot the (17) score quickly. The second player has already shot three 
times of the (18, 19 and 20) scores such that a dot score segment 35 is 
provided in each of the (18, 19 and 20) of the first player. At this 
moment, the second player may score if he shoots further (18, 19 and 20) 
scores. The scores of (18, 19, 20) are also opened at this moment. FIG. 2 
shows that the first player has shot one (19) score and two (20) score 
only. When both players have shot three times of the bull scores, the 
horizontal score segment 36 is provided in both of the bull score so as to 
show the "close" status of the bull score. Nobody may not score any 
further (25) score when the "close" status has been indicated. The total 
scores of the players may be shown in the displayers 16 (FIG. 1) . 
Similarly, as shown in FIG. 4, a first tapered score segment/41 may be 
provided for indicating the first shot of the respective scores. The first 
tapered score segment/and a second tapered score segment.backslash. 
altogether 42 may be used for indicating that the respective score has 
been shot for two times. A triangular score segment .DELTA. 43 may 
indicate that the respective score has been shot for three times. The 
blank displayer unit 44 indicates that the respective score has not been 
shot. The dot score segment 45 is a warning sign and the horizontal score 
segment 46 indicates a close sign. 
It is to be noted that the single displayer may show all of the status of 
the particular scores such that the user may realize the situation of the 
other players simultaneously with the single displayer and such that the 
user need not to actuate the buttons frequently in order to view the 
scores of the other players. 
Accordingly, the scoring system for dart games in accordance with the 
present invention provides a sign for indicating the open status of a 
cricket game and a sign for indicating the close status and provides 
another sign for warning the other players. 
Although this invention has been described with a certain degree of 
particularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure has been 
made by way of example only and that numerous changes in the detailed 
construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted 
to without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as 
hereinafter claimed.