Patent Publication Number: US-2021187385-A1

Title: Convert a drawn picture to the playfield of an electronic pinball game

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     This invention relates to the software type of pinball games, particularly, for players to design the playfield of the game. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Pinball game is available on every electronic entertainment platform, like mobile phone, computer, arcade game, and TV game. Once the game program launched to public, the playfield components shall not be modified or re-configured to fit for specific requirements of competition or individual player interest. The invention allows players to set a specific playfield components layout through a hand drawing. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTIONS OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  is the operation flow of the system to convert a drawn picture to the playfield of an electronic pinball game. 
         FIG. 2  is the embodiment 1 to show the operation flow of the playfield picture drawn on a piece of paper. 
         FIG. 3  is the embodiment 2 to show the operation flow of the playfield picture drawn onto an electronic device. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTIONS OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
     A system to convert a drawn picture to the playfield of an electronic pinball game, which enable players to re-configure the playfield background picture and also the games&#39; components. The conversion system shall be applied for a software type pinball game played on an electronic display, such as LCD panel or TV display, in order that the playfield of the game can be changed as per the drawn pictures. 
     The system comprise ( 101 ) a drawn picture conversion device; ( 102 ) an electronic picture transmission device; ( 103 ) a playfield components conversion program; and ( 104 ) an electronic pinball game. 
     In embodiment 1, player draws the playfield picture on a piece of paper, and use a digital camera to take photos of the picture, wherein the digital camera converts the playfield picture into an electronic format and performed as a drawn picture conversion device. 
     In embodiment 2, player draws the playfield picture directly on the drawn picture conversion device and save into an electronic format, wherein the drawn picture conversion device can be a tablet computer, a mobile phone or a notebook computer. 
     When the drawn picture is stored into an electronic format, it will be sent to the playfield components conversion program to identify the games&#39; components from the playfield pictures. 
     Wherein the components will be converted from picture includes Plungers, Flippers, Bumpers, Ramps, Kickers, Slingshots, Targets, Holes, Spinners, Rollovers, Switches and Stoppers. The general descriptions of the component&#39;s functions as follows: 
     Plunger: pinball launching system 
     Flippers: player controlled levers 
     Bumpers: round knob to push pinball away 
     Kickers: a pad to propel the pinball away upon impact 
     Slingshots: a pad to propel the pinball away upon impact 
     Targets: a static targets to record when a pinball strikes 
     Holes: direct pinballs into a hole 
     Spinners: causing pinball to spin 
     Rollovers: activate targets when a ball rolls over 
     Switches: the area that is blocked off after pinball passes through 
     Stoppers: a small pole to block area of flippers. 
     The pinball game will be loaded with the drawn playfield picture on the background and configured with the identified game components. The whole conversion process shall be done and player can start a new configured pinball game.