Abstract:
The present invention is a game, as a board game or computer game, relating to visualization and completion of geometric shapes. Repeating geometric shapes appear on a game board. The geometric shapes share perimeter boundaries with other geometric shapes on the game board. Game pieces are provided that correspond to a portion of the perimeter of one or more geometric forms. Players place game pieces on the game board, completing the geometric shapes.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0001]    1. Field of the Invention  
           [0002]    The invention is a game involving visualization of geometric shapes and the completion of visual geometric puzzles.  
           [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art  
           [0004]    The board game is a staple of family entertainment. In a board game, the progress of the game is recorded on a playing surface. The playing surface is referred to in this application as a “game board.” The game board serves as a record-keeping system to track the course of play and to provide players with a changing visual status report.  
           [0005]    Many board games exist. A familiar example is the barter or trading game of Monopoly®, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,026,082 issued to Darrow, Dec. 31, 1935. None of the games in existence provides for completion of geometric forms on a game board by combining game pieces in the manner of the present invention.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0006]    The invention is a game. The interest of the game is in visualizing and completing geometric figures, preferably squares, as quickly as possible. Lines are marked on a game board. The line segments between intersecting lines define the perimeters of geometric figures. The line segments are referred to as “perimeter portions” in this application. For purposes of this application, the term “geometric figure” means any shape which may be depicted by line segments and which may appear in a repeating pattern upon a game board.  
           [0007]    Players are provided with game pieces that the player may manipulate and place on the game board. The game pieces comprise elongated members in any of several configurations. The game pieces correspond to one or more perimeter portions of one or more of the geometric shapes.  
           [0008]    Players take turns placing game pieces on the board, with the elongated members of the game piece coextensive with perimeter portions. Game pieces may touch, but may not be coextensive with the same perimeter portion. A player scores by placing on the board a game piece that completes a geometric figure.  
           [0009]    Players are provided with a set of different game pieces providing a variety of play and scoring opportunities. The successful player keeps track of the opportunities for completing geometric figures present on the board and visualizes the possibilities presented by the remaining game pieces in the player&#39;s set.  
           [0010]    Game play is rendered more complex and challenging by several devices, as more fully described in the Description of the Preferred Embodiment below. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0011]    [0011]FIG. 1—game board.  
         [0012]    [0012]FIG. 2—game board showing quadrants.  
         [0013]    [0013]FIG. 3—one set of game pieces.  
         [0014]    [0014]FIG. 4—example game piece  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 5—Completion of a scoring figure.  
         [0016]    [0016]FIG. 6—bag with deduction piece and dummy deduction pieces.  
         [0017]    [0017]FIG. 7—scoring of deduction piece  
         [0018]    [0018]FIG. 8—second instance, scoring of deduction piece  
         [0019]    [0019]FIG. 9—timer.  
         [0020]    [0020]FIG. 10—triangular alternative embodiment.  
         [0021]    [0021]FIG. 11—example game pieces for triangular alternative embodiment  
         [0022]    [0022]FIG. 12—hexagonal alternative embodiment  
         [0023]    [0023]FIG. 13—example game pieces for hexagonal alternative embodiment  
         [0024]    [0024]FIG. 14—circular alternative embodiment  
         [0025]    [0025]FIG. 15—example game pieces for circular alternative embodiment.  
         [0026]    [0026]FIG. 16—computer.  
         [0027]    [0027]FIG. 17—client computer and server computer. 
     
    
     DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT  
       [0028]    As illustrated by FIG. 1, the preferred game board  2  is square in shape. Lines  4  are marked on the game board  2 . The lines  4  intersect one with another and points of intersection  6  are created where lines  4  intersect. Line segments between points of intersection  6  are the perimeter portions  8 . The perimeter portions  8  define a geometric shape, preferably a square  10 .  
         [0029]    The preferred game board  2  of FIG. 1 is divided into 100 squares  10 , each of which is defined by four perimeter portions  8 . Each square  10  shares perimeter portions  8  with two, three or four other squares  10 .  
         [0030]    The game board  2  has at least two axes of symmetry  12  about the center point (FIG. 2). The two axes of symmetry  12  are used to divide the game board  2  into quadrants  14 . Each of the four quadrants  14  is marked to differentiate each quadrant  14  from each other quadrant  14 . Preferably, each quadrant  14  is a different color from every other quadrant  14 .  
         [0031]    As shown by FIG. 3, at the start of the game each player is provided with one or more sets  16  of game pieces  18 . Each game piece  18  within a set  16  is of the same color as every other game piece  18  of that set  16 , and of a different color than the game pieces  18  of the other sets  16 . The preferred number of sets  16  of game pieces  18  is four. The colors of the four sets  16  of game pieces  18  correspond to the colors of the four quadrants  14  of the game board  2 .  
         [0032]    If two players are playing a game, two of the four sets  16  are distributed to each player or team. If three players are playing, then one set  16  is distributed to each player and the players take turns choosing game pieces  18  from the remaining set  16  until all pieces  18  are chosen. If four players are playing, then each player is provided with one set  16  of game pieces  18 .  
         [0033]    [0033]FIG. 4 depicts an example game piece  18 . Each game piece  18  is comprised of one or more elongated members  20 . The length and orientation of the elongated members  20  coincide with the length and orientation of the perimeter portions  8  forming a part of one or more squares  10  on the game board  2 .  
         [0034]    As shown by the example of FIG. 5, when a game piece  22  is placed on the game board  2  with the elongated members  20  of the game piece  22  overlaying and coextensive with one or more perimeter portions  8 . A second game piece  24 , in combination with first game piece  22 , may overlay all of the perimeter portions  8  defining a square  10 , forming a scoring figure 26. The player who places the second game piece  24  completing one or more scoring figures  26  earns an increase in score of one point for each scoring figure  26  completed. FIG. 5 shows only one example of many different combinations of game pieces  18  that may complete a scoring figure 26.  
         [0035]    Game play proceeds with each player taking turns placing game pieces  18  on the game board  2  and recording score increases for scoring figures  26  completed until either (a) a player has no game pieces  18  left, or (b) no locations exist on the game board  2  where the player can put down a game piece  16 .  
         [0036]    Several additional conditions are placed on game play to make the game more complex and more challenging. First, a quadrant  14  and game piece set  16  of the same color are assigned to the player. On the game board  2 , a deduction location  28  (FIG. 7) appears in each quadrant  14 . A deduction piece  30  (FIG. 6) and three dummy deduction pieces  32  are distributed randomly to the players. In the preferred embodiment, the deduction piece  30  and the dummy deduction piece  32  are placed in a bag  34  and the players take turns drawing the deduction piece  30  and dummy deduction pieces  32 .  
         [0037]    In play, the deduction piece  30  and dummy deduction pieces  32  are placed on the board in the same manner as a game piece  18 . The deduction piece  30  may not be placed on the game board  2  unless the player may thereby complete two scoring figures  26 . Subsequently, another player may pick up the deduction piece  30  and place the deduction piece  30  in another location on the game board  2 , so long as the player can complete two scoring figures  26  with the deduction piece  30 .  
         [0038]    Points are deducted from the scores of the players whose deduction locations  28  are closest and second closest to the deduction piece  30  at the end of the game. The location of the deduction piece  30  for determination of the closest and second closest deduction locations  28  is determined by a designation marker  36  extending from the deduction piece  30 . The closest deduction location  28  is the deduction location  28  in the same quadrant as the deduction piece  30 . The second closest deduction location  28  is determined by counting squares  10  from the square  10  indicated by the designation marker  34  to the deduction location  28 .  
         [0039]    As illustrated by FIG. 7, Circles  38  on the game board  2  assist in determining which deduction locations  28  are second closest to the deduction piece  30 . If the deduction piece  30  designates a square  10  that contains a circle  38 , then the deduction location in the quadrant adjacent to the circle is second closest to the deduction piece  30 .  
         [0040]    From FIG. 7, if the deduction piece  30  is in a square  10  that does not contain a circle  36 , then the deduction piece  30  is equidistant from the deduction locations  28  for the two adjoining quadrants  14 . The players assigned all three quadrants  14  will have points deducted from their scores.  
         [0041]    A second device for increasing the difficulty and challenge of the game is a time limit of one minute on the placing of game pieces by a player. A timer  40  (FIG. 9) enforces the time limit. If a player places a game piece  18  on the game board  2  in less than one minute and successfully completes two squares  10 , the player can use the remaining time to place another game piece  18  on the game board.  
         [0042]    A third device for increasing the challenge of the game is that if all parts of a scoring figure  26  are composed of game pieces  18  from the player&#39;s set  16 , then the player&#39;s score is enhanced. Preferably, the player earns a score increase of two points, rather than one, for each such scoring figure  26  completed.  
         [0043]    A fourth device for increasing game complexity is that some of the game pieces  18  bear a mark  42  that will coincide with an intersection  6  of perimeter portions  8  when the game piece  18  is placed on the game board  2 . If a player can place his or her game piece  18  bearing a mark  42  on the game board  2  such that the mark  42  covers a similar mark  42  on a previously placed game piece  18 , then the player&#39;s score is enhanced. Preferably, the player&#39;s score for placing the game piece  18  bearing the mark  42  is doubled.  
         [0044]    Fifth, if, at the end of the game a player has not played all of the player&#39;s game pieces  18 , the player&#39;s score is reduced by a predetermined amount based on the nature and number of the game pieces  18  remaining in the player&#39;s set.  
         [0045]    Sixth, each player selects three game pieces prior to the start of the game. The players place each game piece  18  on the game board  2  in turn prior to the start of the game to provide a framework for the subsequent game play.  
         [0046]    Although the foregoing description addresses squares  10 , any geometric figure may be used as the basis of the game. As a first alternative embodiment, FIG. 10 shows a triangular game board  2  including lines  4  appearing thereon. The lines  4  cross at points of intersection  6 . The line segments between the points of intersection are perimeter portions  8 . The perimeter portions  8  define triangles  44 . FIG. 11 shows example game pieces  18  for the triangular embodiment. The object of the triangular embodiment game, as in the preferred embodiment, is to place game pieces  18  on the game board  2  and to thereby form scoring figures  26 . In the triangular embodiment, the scoring figures  26  are in the form of triangles  44 .  
         [0047]    [0047]FIG. 12 shows a hexagonal alternative embodiment. In the preferred embodiment (FIG. 1) the lines  4  are straight and continuous across the game board  2 . The hexagonal alternative embodiment (FIG. 12) illustrates that lines  4  are not required to be straight and continuous. In the hexagonal embodiment, the intersection points  6  of the lines  4  define perimeter portions  8 . The perimeter portions  8  define hexagons  46 . Example game pieces  18  for the hexagonal alternative embodiment are shown by FIG. 13. The point of the hexagonal embodiment is for a player to place the game pieces  18  on the board  2  and overlay the perimeter portions  8  to form a scoring figure  26  corresponding to a complete hexagon  46 .  
         [0048]    [0048]FIG. 14 illustrates a circular alternative embodiment. As in the other embodiments, lines  4  meet to form intersection points  6 . The line segments between the intersection points  6  define perimeter portions  8  of a geometric figure, in this case a circle  48 . As in the other embodiments, the object of the game is to place game pieces  18  (FIG. 15) on the game board so that the game pieces  18  are coextensive with perimeter portions  8  so that two or more game pieces, in combination, form a scoring figure  26  in the form of a circle  48 . FIG. 14 also illustrates that lines  4  are not required to be straight.  
         [0049]    In the preferred embodiment, game pieces  18  (FIG. 3) are contiguous with the perimeter portion  8  of the square  10 , but do not occupy the interior of the square  10 . FIG. 15, illustrating example game pieces  18  for the circular embodiment, show that game pieces  18  for any embodiment may occupy the interior of the geometric figure, in this case a circle  48 .  
         [0050]    The game of the present invention may be played using a computer  50  (FIG. 16) programmed to display the game to a player. The game may be played using a client computer  52  (FIG. 17) programmed to receive information concerning the game from a server computer  54  over a computer network  56 , such as the Internet. For purposes of this application, a client computer is any device capable of receiving information over a network. For purposes of this application, a client computer is any device capable of transmitting information over a network. Computer readable media  58 , such as a CD, DVD, floppy disk or other media may be used to instruct computer  50 , client computer  52  or server computer  54  to provide the game to a user. The computer based game may be played by a single player playing against the computer or two or more players playing against each other. The computer based game may include the computer as a player, playing against two or 3 players.  
         [0051]    Although this invention has been described and illustrated by reference to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made which clearly fall within the scope of this invention. The present invention is intended to be protected broadly within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.