Abstract:
Systems and methods of organizing and conducting games are set forth herein. One method of organizing and conducting a game comprises steps of arranging a plurality of contestants within a predefined adventurous area, and providing a plurality of items, each item having a distinct identifying characteristic. An ultralight with a programmable ejection system launches the plurality of items into the adventurous area through the air according to a predetermined routine. The contestants are allowed to search for and collect the items launched by the ultralight within the adventurous area before the game ends. Means are provided for correlating the identifying characteristic of each item to a prize, and each contestant is allowed to retain the prize correlating to the identifying characteristic of the item that was collected by the contestant.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional patent application No. 61/365,182, filed on Jul. 16, 2010, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention relates generally to the field of organizing and playing games. 
     SUMMARY 
     Systems and methods of organizing and conducting games are set forth herein. According to one embodiment, a method of organizing and conducting a game comprises the steps of arranging a plurality of contestants within a predefined adventurous area, and providing a plurality of items. Each item has a distinct identifying characteristic. An ultralight with a programmable ejection system launches the plurality of items into the adventurous area through the air according to a predetermined routine. The contestants are allowed to search for and collect the items launched by the ultralight within the adventurous area before the game ends. Means are provided for correlating the identifying characteristic of each item to a prize, and each contestant is allowed to retain the prize correlating to the identifying characteristic of the item that was collected by the contestant. 
     According to another embodiment, a method of conducting a game comprises the steps of arranging a plurality of contestants within a predefined adventurous area, and providing a plurality of items each having distinct machine readable indicia. A launching apparatus is provided for launching the plurality of items through the air into the adventurous area, and contestants are allowed to search for and retrieve the items launched into the adventurous area by the launching apparatus until the end of the game. A correlating unit is provided for correlating the machine readable indicia of each item to a corresponding prize. Each contestant is allowed to retain the prize correlating to the machine readable indicia of the item collected by the contestant. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS 
       Illustrative embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below with reference to the attached drawing figures, which are incorporated by reference herein and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a plan view of an adventurous area according to an embodiment of the current invention; 
         FIG. 2  outlines the steps of playing a game in accordance with an embodiment of the current invention; 
         FIG. 3  is a plan view of a shooting apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention; 
         FIG. 4  outlines the steps taken by an ultralight having an ejection system as it flies over and drops items into the adventurous area of  FIG. 1 . 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view of two items having different identifying characteristics according to an embodiment of the current invention; 
         FIG. 6  shows two items having different identifying characteristics being matched to two different prizes; and 
         FIG. 7  is a plan view of a matching apparatus used to correlate the differing identifying characteristic of each item to a prize. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods for organizing and playing a game. One embodiment of the game  100  is illustrated in  FIGS. 1 through 7 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , multiple participants  200  can play the game  100  at one time. The game  100  is played by participants  200  in an area called an adventurous area  300 , and the adventurous area  300  is generally a large tract of land. For example, the adventurous area  300  may or may not be a tract of land that spans 1000acres and includes various terrain and/or wildlife hazards. Alternatively, although not a requirement, one or more city blocks with roads and pavements could serve as the adventurous area  300 . Or, the adventurous area  300  may or may not be a hilly or mountainous area of land. Additionally, the adventurous area  300  may or may not contain streams or other bodies of water, and could possibly have trees, plants, vegetation, etc. In some embodiments, the adventurous area  300  may be enclosed to delineate the boundary of the adventurous area  300 , however, enclosure of the adventurous area  300  is not necessitated. For example, the adventurous area  300  may be surrounded by a fence, rope or some other boundary marker. Natural boundaries (e.g., streams, lakes, mountains etc.) may also be used. 
     The adventurous area  300  may or may not have a defined starting area  302 , as shown in  FIG. 1 . The starting area  302  may or may not be demarcated by signs and could potentially be of a different color than the rest of the adventurous area  300 . The starting area  302  may or may not have a distinct entrance that leads into the adventurous area  300 , such as a gate, ribbon or fence etc. 
     Although not a requirement, at the outset, one or more sponsors  202  may be present at the starting area  302  and also within the adventurous area  300 , as shown by  FIG. 2  in step  104 . The sponsors  202  may advertise products or product lines and may promote the same or different products or product lines. The sponsors  202  may or may not have prominently visible markings that identify the product or product lines that the sponsors  202  are sponsoring. For example, the sponsors  202  may wear apparel that denotes the name of the products or product lines being advertised. 
     In addition to advertising products or product lines, the sponsors  202  may or may not market and sell the respective products at the starting area  302  and/or within the adventurous area  300 . The sponsors  202  may or may not have booths, stands, tables etc. on which the sponsors  202  place the products being marketed. These booths, stands, tables etc. may or may not be of different sizes and may or may not have signs or markings that represent the respective products or product lines of the sponsors  202 . The sponsors  202  may also give out products for free, however, such giveaways are by no means required. 
     All the sponsors  202  may or may not be situated in the same general region at the starting area  302 , or within or outside the adventurous area  300 , or the sponsors  202  could possibly be dispersed. Especially if an extremely hazardous/rugged area  300  is used, the sponsors  202  may not be positioned in the area  300 . Even where the extremely hazardous/rugged area  300  does not lend itself to positioning the sponsors  202  therein easily, however, the possibility of positioning the sponsors  202  in the area  300  is not foreclosed. By virtue of factors such as the placement of a sponsor  202  at a different area than another sponsor  202 , or the size of the sponsor&#39;s booth as compared to the other booths, one sponsor  202  may or may not be more or less prominent than another sponsor  202 . 
     The participants  200  gather in the starting area  302 , as shown by step  106  in  FIG. 2 . The game  100  starts at a point in time referred to as the starting point, as shown by step  108 . The participants  200  may be apprised of the starting point of the game  100  in a plurality of ways. For example, a loud sound may mark the starting point, such as the sound from the shooting of a cannon or a gun, or the blowing of a whistle. Or, a person may hold up a sign to specify the starting point. Alternatively, a light may turn on or change colors to indicate that the game  100  has started. Other ways to mark the starting point may also be employed. 
     The game  100  may start at any designated time and generally continues for several hours. For example, the game  100  may or may not start in the early morning and last until night fall. Or, the game  100  may or may not start at night and continue until day break. It is possible to alter the duration of the game such that the game  100  is played for longer than one day, or that the game  100  is played for less than an hour. 
     Once the game  100  starts, the participants  200  enter the adventurous area  300 , as shown by step  110  in  FIG. 2 . All the participants  200  may be allowed to enter the adventurous area  300  at the same time, or the entry of the participants  200  into the adventurous area  300  may be staggered. The participants  200  may or may not be divided into teams, and only a certain number of participants  200  from each team may be allowed to enter the adventurous area  300  at the starting point. For example, the game  100  may have five hundred participants which are all allowed to enter the adventurous area  300  at the starting point. Or, the game  100  may have seven hundred participants, only half of which are allowed to enter the adventurous area  300  at the starting point. Participants  200  may be grouped by age or other characteristics, such that all participants  200  share common characteristics or such that prizes (discussed below) are disbursed with consideration of the different categories of participants  200 . However, such a grouping of participants  200  based on the similarity of certain characteristics is not required. Liability waivers from the participants  200  may or may not be required before the participants  200  are allowed to participate in the game  100 . 
     After entering the adventurous area  300 , the participants  200  may or may not travel to different places within the adventurous area  300 . If the participants  300  are divided into teams, team members may chose to travel together or the team members may disperse within the adventurous area  300 . 
     Every so often, one or more shooting apparatuses  500  are utilized to drop items  502  into the adventurous area  300  (as shown by step  112  in  FIG. 2 ), unless all of the items  502  are distributed before the game  100  begins. The participants  200  may or may not be apprised of the shooting apparatuses  500  before the start of the game  100 . As shown in  FIG. 3 , the shooting apparatus  500  may include an ejection system  570 , however, such an ejection systems  570  is not required. The ejection system  570  may be used to facilitate dropping the items  502  into the adventurous area  300 . 
     One shooting apparatus  500  may or may not be an airplane such as an ultralight with the ejection system  570 . The ultralight with the ejection system  570  may possibly fly over all or part of the adventurous area  300 , as shown by step  130  in  FIG. 4 , and drop one or more items  502  in the adventurous area  300 , as shown by steps  132  through  138  in  FIG. 4 . The ejection system  570  may or may not be programmed to automatically drop the items  502  at pre-determined or random intervals during the ultralight&#39;s flight over all or part of the adventurous area  300 . The ejection system  570  may or may not include a global positioning to keep track of the locations at which the items  502  are dropped off by the ejection system  570  during the game  100 . Once the random or pre-determined time interval to drop off items  502  in the adventurous area  300  approaches, as shown by step  132  of  FIG. 4 , the ejection system  570  checks in query  134  whether an item  502  has already been dropped off at that particular location. If the answer to query  134  is no, i.e., an item  502  has not been dropped off at that location, then the ejection system  570  drops off one or more items  502  at that location in the adventurous area  300  at the random or pre-determined interval, as shown by step  138 . Otherwise, if the answer to query  134  is yes, i.e., if one more items  502  have already been dropped off at that location in the adventurous area  300 , then the ejection system  570  skips dropping the items  502  at the current random or pre-determined interval, as shown by step  136 . Though benefits of the ejection system  570  may be lost, it may be possible for a person in the ultralight to drop the items  502 . 
     Alternatively, the shooting apparatus  500  may or may not involve other flying apparatus, such as a person wearing a paramotor who rides over all or part of the adventurous area  300  and drops one or more items  502  into the adventurous area. Though the items  502  may be dropped by the person wearing the paramotor, the paramotor may have a chamber for storing the items  502  and an ejection system  570 . For example, the chamber may have a door that is programmed to drop the items  502  at pre-determined or random intervals. Or, the shooting apparatus  500  could be a cannon that shoots the items  502  into the adventurous area  300 . The cannon may be programmed to shoot the items  502  at different places within the adventurous area  300  at different times. The same or different apparatuses  500  could be used to drop off the items  502  into the adventurous area  300  for the duration of the game  100 . The participants  200  generally do not know where the items  502  will land within the adventurous area  300 . 
     The items  502  dropped off into the adventurous area  300  may be bags, flags, apparel or any other object. Same or different types of items  502  may be dropped off into the adventurous area  300 . Participants  200  may or may not be made aware of the significance of the different types of items  502  before the starting point, or during the game  100 , and the items  502  may or may not include advertisements. These items  502  may possibly be such that if they accidentally land on a participant  200 , the participant  200  is not injured, and in some embodiments, the items  502  may be bio-degradable such that uncollected items substantially break down within about a week. 
     Every item  502  that is dropped off into the adventurous area  300  may or may not include an identifying characteristic  550  that distinguishes that item  502  from the other items  502  that are also dropped off into the adventurous area  300 . As shown in  FIG. 5 , for example, items  502 ′ and item  502 ″ have differing identifying characteristics  550 ′ and  550 ″ respectively. The identifying characteristic  550  may be a numeric, alphabetical, alpha-numeric, signals, or machine-readable code that is stamped, attached or otherwise noted on, or emitted from, the item  502 . The machine-readable code may, for example, be a barcode. The identifying characteristic  550  of the item  502  may also be a color, or the shape or size of the item  502 , or some other identifying characteristic(s)  550 . 
     One of the objects of the game  100  is for the participants  200  to collect the items  502  that are dropped off within the adventurous area  300 . The participants  200  travel around the adventurous area  300  in search of these items  502 , as shown by step  114  in  FIG. 2 . The participants  200  may or may not be equipped with global positioning devices. If used, the global positioning devices may inform the participants  200  about the location of the items  502  that are dropped off in the adventurous area  300 . The global positioning devices may also inform the participants  200  about the location of other participants  200 , as well as the direction in which the other participants  200  are traveling. If global positioning devices are not allowed, participants  200  caught with global positioning devices may be penalized, such as by being expelled from the game  100 . Officials dressed in distinctive or indistinctive attire and/or cameras may be spread throughout the area  300  to ensure others are playing fair, and measures such as tasers may be used to enforce rules. It is understood, however, that neither the officials, nor means of enforcement such as tasers are required by the game  100 . 
     Some participants  200  may be able to find and collect one or more of the items  502 , while other participants  200  may be unable to collect any of the items  502 . If a participant  200  collects an item  502 , the participant  200  may be allowed to trade that item  502 , as shown by step  116 . The participants  200  may trade the items  502  with the sponsors  202  in return for products that the sponsors  202  are advertising. Or, the participants  200  may trade the items  502  amongst themselves. For example, if the items  502  are bags, flags and shirts, and a particular participant  200  collects two bags and a flag, that participant  200  may trade one of the bags with another participant  200  for a shirt. In some embodiments, trading the items  502  may be strictly prohibited until after the ending point, or in its entirety. 
     The game  100  ends at a point in time referred to as the ending point, as shown by step  118 . As indicated by  FIG. 2 , one or more of the steps  112 ,  114  and  116  may be repeated until the ending point passes. Much like the starting point, participants  200  may be apprised of the ending point in a number of ways. For example, a loud sound from a cannon, gun or whistle etc. may mark the ending point, or some other method to indicate the ending point may be employed. Or, the game  100  may have a predefined duration, and the game  100  may conclude at the end of this duration. After the ending point, the participants  200  may or may not be allowed to trade the items  502  with other participants  200  or the sponsors  202 . 
     At the end of the game  100 , the participants travel to and gather around in an area called the prize distribution area  304 , as shown by step  120 . As shown in  FIG. 1 , the prize distribution area  304  may be a different area than the starting area  302 ; however, it is possible that the prize distribution area  304  is the same as the starting area  302 . Sponsors  202  may or may not be present within the prize distribution area  304 . In some embodiments, the participants  200  bring along the items  502  that the participants  200  have collected throughout the game  100 . In other embodiments, only items  502  that participants turn in before the ending point may be redeemed. The identifying characteristic  550  of each item  502  may or may not correspond to a prize  504 ; for example, in  FIG. 6 , prizes  504   a  and  504   b  correspond to identifying characteristics  550   a ,  550   b , respectively. As shown by step  122  in  FIG. 2 , the identifying characteristic  550  of each item  502  is tallied and the participants  200  are given the prizes  504  that correspond to the identifying characteristics  550  of the items  502  (individually or collectively) that the participants  200  have collected. 
     A matching apparatus  506  may or may not be used to match the identifying characteristic  550  of each item  502  with the corresponding prize  504 . If used, the matching apparatus  506  may include a processor  508 . An input device  510  and an output device  512  may be electrically connected to the processor  508 . A matching apparatus  506  matching identifying characteristics  550   a ,  550   b ,  550   c , and  550   d  to prizes  504   a ,  504   b ,  504   c , and  504   d  respectively is shown in  FIG. 7 . 
     For example, where the identifying characteristics  550  of the items  502  are barcodes, the matching apparatus  506  may be a barcode matching apparatus. The input device  510  may be a barcode scanner. A participant  200  may have the identifying characteristic (barcode)  550  associated with an item  502  that the participant  200  has collected read by the input device (barcode scanner)  510 . The barcode scanner may read the barcode and relay that barcode to the processor  508 . The processor  508  may be programmed to include an input lookup table. The input lookup table may list the barcodes from every item  502  dropped off into the adventurous area  300  and denote the prize  504  that corresponds to each barcode. The processor  508  may match the barcode to its corresponding prize  504  by using the input lookup table. 
     Prizes  504  corresponding to barcodes of the all the items  502  dropped off in the game  100  may be stored within the output device  512 . The different prizes  504  may be stored in different slots or chambers within the output device  512 . The processor  508  may be programmed to include an output lookup table. The output lookup table may list each prize  504  and the slot or chamber in the output device  512  within which this prize  504  is stored. After referring to the output lookup table, the processor  508  may send an electrical signal to the output device  512  to open only that slot or chamber within which the prize  504  associated with the deposited barcode is kept. Or, the processor  508  may cause the output device  512  to push the corresponding prize  504  into an accessible chamber within the output device  512 . The participant  200  may then collect the prize  504  associated with the participant&#39;s item(s) from the output device  512 . Alternatively, the output device  512  may simply indicate which prize  504  matches the particular item  502  or all of the items  502  a participant  200  has turned in. In some embodiments, prizes  504  may simply be based on the number of items  502  that respective participants  200  turn in, and additional or unclaimed prizes  504  may or may not be distributed to participants  200  (e.g., through a raffle). It may or may not be desirable for the participants  200  to know their prizes  504  until after the ending point. 
     The game  100  disclosed above may have a variety of themes, and the adventurous area  300 , items  502 , participants  200 , sponsors  202  etc. may augment the theme. For example, the game  100  may have a theme revolving around motorcycles. The participants  200  may or may not be motorcycle-enthusiasts who drive around the adventurous area  300  in motorcycles for the duration of the game  100 . In this embodiment, all or part of the adventurous area  300  may or may not emulate a motorcycle race track or a route that motorcycle-enthusiasts frequent, such as Route  66 . The adventurous area  300  may have sharp curves, turns etc., and may have small hills or obstacles which the participants  200  have to clear on their motorcycles, however, the adventurous area  300  is not required to have these characteristics. The sponsors  202  in this embodiment may or may not represent different motorcycle manufacturers, or distributors or manufacturers of motorcycle accessories. The sponsors  202  could possibly have an assortment of equipment used in the motorcycle industry on display or for sale, such as glasses, clothes, helmets, tires, motorcycles etc. The sponsors  202  may, or may not, sell or otherwise provide fuel to the participants  200  driving motorcycles manufactured by the brand that the sponsors  202  are advertising. The items  502  dropped off into the adventurous area  300  may include checkered flags, plastic helmets or other objects that are typical to the motorcycle industry. 
     In another embodiment, the underlying theme may revolve around horses. In this embodiment, the participants  200  may or may not be horse-enthusiasts who ride on horses for the duration of the game  100 . All or part of the adventurous area  300  may emulate a horse-racing track and may have small obstacles which the riders have to clear, or the adventurous area  300  may be, or resemble a ranch. It is understood, however, that the adventurous area  300  may not correspond to the theme in any respect, or may highlight the theme in ways other than those expressly noted. The sponsors  202  may or may not be clad with clothing that is generally popular amongst horse-enthusiasts, and may or may not market or otherwise provide equipment and gear that is used in the raising and racing of horses. The items  502  may, for example, be bags of hay, saddles, or other objects that are typically familiar to horse enthusiasts. 
     In another embodiment, the theme may be futuristic and the participants  200  may, for example, drive around the adventurous area  300  in newer model sports cars. The items  502  in this theme may or may not include magnets that stick to the sports cars when the sports cars drive by the items  502 . Similarly, the game  100  may incorporate other themes such as a bicycle theme or a renaissance theme etc., and the participants  200  may travel around the adventurous area  300  in different ways, including on foot. 
     The game  100  disclosed above may be financed in a number of ways by organizers. For example, the organizers may or may not charge the participants  200  an entry fee, or the organizers may charge the entry fee to only a subset of the participants  200 . The organizers may also, for example, charge different participants  200  a different entry fee. Also, the organizers may or may not charge the sponsors  202  a sponsoring fee to advertise the products. The organizers may possibly use part of these entry or sponsoring fees to pay for the prizes  504  that the participants receive at the end of the game  100 , and the organizers may or may not retain the remaining portion of the fees as profit. 
     As an illustration, the game  100  may have five-hundred participants that register and pay fees at the time of the game  100  or in advance (e.g., though the Internet). The organizers may charge each participant $500 to participate in the game  100 , thereby generating $250,000 in entry fees. Twenty-five sponsors may choose to sponsor their products in the game. The organizers may charge each sponsor  202  a sponsoring fee of $10,000, generating $250,000 in sponsoring fees. The items  502 , for example, may yield prizes  504  to participants that are worth $300,000. Thus, in this case, the organizers would be left with $200,000 as profit, minus the cost to advertise and conduct the game  100 . The prizes  504  may be determined after the gross income is known to ensure that the organizers do not incur a substantial loss. 
     The game  100  could or could not be televised live or as a recording, and may or may not be transmitted as pay-per-view. Different games  100  with varying themes could be held in the same or different adventurous areas  300 , and though not required, these different games  100  could be compiled into a DVD series. The DVD series could then possibly be sold or rented, thereby generating an additional stream of revenue for the organizers. 
     Many different arrangements of the various components depicted, as well as components not shown, are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Embodiments of the present invention have been described with the intent to be illustrative rather than restrictive. Alternative embodiments will become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not depart from its scope. A skilled artisan may develop alternative means of implementing the aforementioned improvements without departing from the scope of the present invention. 
     It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations and are contemplated within the scope of the claims. Not all steps listed in the various figures need be carried out in the specific order described.