Patent Publication Number: US-7219896-B2

Title: Spelling games

Description:
RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   This application is based upon and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/533,992, entitled “Letter Soup Game” and filed on Jan. 2, 2004, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present disclosure relates generally to spelling games, and more specifically to rules and game components for playing spelling games in which one or more players each attempt to spell a word or words on a selected game card by matching letter tokens, each of which includes a letter indicator, with the letters in the spelled word (or words) on the game card, by using a selection device such as a spinner. 
   BACKGROUND 
   Examples of spelling games using letter chips or tiles and game cards include “Elmo&#39;s ABC Cereal Game” (Mattel/Fisher-Price), and also can be found in the disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,085,405, 1,162,629, 1,312,278, 1,399,811, 1,512,147, 2,585,463, 3,845,958, 4,592,553, 4,715,608, and UK Patent Application No. GB2117255A. The disclosures of the aforementioned references are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety for all purposes. 
   SUMMARY 
   The present disclosure provides rules and game components for playing spelling and/or letter recognition games, which may be used, for example, as an instructional aid to assist young players in developing reading, spelling, and/or letter recognition skills. Game components may include letter tokens, each of which further includes a letter indicator, and game cards, each of which further includes several letter indicators arranged to spell a word. Optionally, some embodiments may further include a selection device such as a spinner, which may be operable to randomly indicate one of several groups of letter indicators. 
   In such embodiments, each player may attempt to “spell” the word on a selected game card by matching letter indicators on letter tokens with the letter indicators on the game card. The spinner may be used in such embodiments, for example, to allow a player to determine if a group of letter indicators indicated by the spinner includes any letters in the spelled word on the player&#39;s game card. If it does, the player may choose a letter token with the corresponding letter indicator and place it on the game card. 
   In some embodiments, each letter indicator on the various game apparatus may include distinguishable secondary recognition indicia corresponding to the letter indicated. For example, each letter may correspond with a different color. Such secondary recognition indicia may assist players to recognize, and/or distinguish among, different letters. Optionally, game cards may include a graphical representation of the spelled word, such as an illustration or a photograph. 
   Sets of rules for playing games using the described components may provide that players take alternating turns, or rounds, to attempt to spell words on selected cards. In an exemplary set of rules, a round or player&#39;s turn may include spinning the spinner to randomly indicate a group of letter indicators, determining whether any of the letter indicators in the indicated group are included in the spelled word on the game card, choosing a letter token having a letter indicator that is included in both the indicated group and the spelled word, and placing the chosen letter token on the letter indicator on the game card that corresponds with the letter indicator on the chosen letter token. 
   The game components and/or rules may be adapted to accommodate players of different skill levels, and/or to present a more challenging aspect to players as they develop spelling and/or letter recognition skills. For example, some embodiments may include two-sided game cards, each side including a spelled word. The two spelled words on the opposite sides may differ in one or more manners, such as the word on one side being longer than the spelled word on the other side, the spelled word being the same on both sides but spelled with color-coded letter indicators on only one side, and so forth. 
   Optionally, some embodiments of the game may be based on a theme, such as to enhance entertainment value of the game and/or provide a context within which players may more easily understand the rules of game play. For example, an exemplary embodiment may be based on the theme of spelling words with the letter-shaped noodles in bowls of alphabet soup. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       FIG. 1  depicts exemplary game components suitable for use with games of the present disclosure, including letter tokens, game cards, a spinner, and a game container. 
       FIG. 2  is an isometric view of one of the letter tokens of  FIG. 1 , showing a first side of the letter token. 
       FIG. 3  is a top view of a second side of the letter token of  FIG. 2  according to a first embodiment of a game of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 4  is a top view of a second side of the letter token of  FIG. 2  according to a second embodiment of a game of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 5  is an isometric view of one of the game cards of  FIG. 1 , showing a first side of the game card and also showing a letter token positioned on one of the letter spaces of the game card. 
       FIG. 6  is a top view of a second side of the game card of  FIG. 5  according to a first embodiment of a game of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 7  is a top view of a second side of the game card of  FIG. 5  according to a second embodiment of a game of the present disclosure. 
       FIG. 8  is a top view of the spinner of  FIG. 1 . 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
   Exemplary embodiments of game components and rules for game play are described herein with reference to  FIGS. 1-8 . Referring first to  FIG. 1 , a game  10  may include a plurality of letter tokens  12 , a plurality of game cards  14 , a spinner  16 , and a storage container  18  and container lid  20  for storing the letter tokens, game cards, and spinner. 
   An exemplary letter token  12  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 2 . Letter token  12  is shown as a flat and generally circular disk, but as explained below, any suitable shape may be used. Letter token  12  includes a first side  22  and a second side  24 . First side  22  may include a letter indicator  26  that indicates a letter of the alphabet. For example, the letter indicator of the letter token of  FIG. 2  is a lower-case “R,” presented in a stylized font to resemble a shaped noodle in a bowl of alphabet soup. Referring again to  FIG. 1 , other letter tokens are shown to indicate other lower-case letters, each of which is shown to resemble shaped alphabet soup noodles. 
   However, although noodle-shaped lower-case letters are shown, some embodiments may include upper-case letters or a combination of lower- and upper-case letters, of any suitable alphabet, presented in any suitable manner and/or font. Further, some embodiments may repeat letters on more than one letter token and/or include more than one letter indicator on a letter token. The identities of the letters on the letter tokens, the incidence a given letter or letters appears, and the total number of letter tokens provided, may be varied, such as to provide a game based on a desired theme and/or a game pattern with a desired level of complexity or difficulty, as will be explained in greater detail below. 
   In addition to a letter indicator, first side  22  may further include distinguishable secondary recognition indicia  28 , such as a color, that is associated with, or corresponds to, letter indicator  26 . Such distinguishable secondary recognition indicia may assist younger players of the game to develop letter recognition and/or spelling skills, for example by providing letter identification information in addition to letter shape. As such, each letter or letter indicator may be provided with corresponding distinguishable secondary recognition indicia. 
   For example, the secondary recognition indicia of the letter token of  FIG. 2  is shown as a red-colored background, against which the letter indicator is presented. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, the color red is associated with the letter “R.” Similarly, each other letter indicator of the illustrated embodiment is associated with a distinguishable color. With reference to  FIG. 1 , for example, the letter “O” can be seen to correspond with the color green, the letter “L” with blue, and so on. Each letter token of the illustrated embodiment thus presents a letter indicator against the correspondingly colored background. 
   However, although the distinguishable secondary recognition indicia is shown in the illustrated embodiment as a color, some embodiments may include distinguishable secondary recognition indicia such as a texture, a pattern, a shape, and so forth, instead of or in addition to a color, or any combination of such indicia. 
     FIG. 3  shows second side  24  of letter token  12 , which can be seen to include the same letter indicator (a lower-case “R”) as included on first side  22 . In addition, second side  24  includes the same secondary recognition indicia (a red background) as included on first side  22 . Accordingly, each letter token  12  of the illustrated embodiment includes the same letter indicator and secondary recognition indicia combination on both sides. 
   However, in some embodiments, second side  24  of letter token  12  may be left blank, may include a different letter indicator and secondary recognition indicia combination than first side  22 , or may be otherwise differently marked than first side  22 . For example, in an alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 4 , second side  24 ′ of letter token  12  is illustrated. Second side  24 ′ includes the same letter indicator (a lower-case “R”) as included on first side  22 , and also includes nondistinguishable secondary recognition indicia  28 ′ (or no secondary recognition indicia), i.e., the letter indicator  26  on second side  24 ′ is presented against a nondistinguishable or neutral-colored background. Similarly, the second side of each letter token of this alternate embodiment may include a letter indicator displayed against the same neutral-colored background. 
   As explained in more detail below, an embodiment of the game that includes letter tokens including a letter indicator with distinguishable secondary recognition indicia on one side, and a letter indicator with nondistinguishable secondary recognition indicia (or no secondary recognition indicia) on the opposite side, may present a greater challenge to players that are developing letter recognition skills. Such players may choose to use, or a set of rules may instruct use of, the side of the letter tokens including only letter indicators displayed against a nondistinguishable background, for example so that players rely solely on letter shape information in order to recognize a particular letter, without the benefit of distinguishable secondary recognition indicia. 
   The letter tokens may be adapted for play with game cards  14 . An exemplary game card  14  is shown in greater detail in  FIG. 5 , in which game card  14  is shown as a flat and generally circular disk. Consistent with the “alphabet soup” theme as mentioned above, the game card may be marked to resemble a top view of a bowl of alphabet soup. Thus, the game cards may be larger than the letter tokens  12 , although any suitable shape and/or size may be used. Game card  14  includes a first side  32  and a second side  34 . 
   First side  32  may further include a word region  36  including a first plurality of letter spaces  38 , each letter space including a letter indicator  26 . As shown, the letter spaces in word region  36  are collectively arranged such that the letter indicators spell a word  40 . For example, the spelled word on the exemplary game card (indicated as  40   a ) is “OWL.” 
   Each letter space  38  may also include the secondary recognition indicia  28  associated with letter indicator  26 . For example, each letter space  38  of the illustrated embodiment is shown to be colored to match the colored background of the letter token bearing the same letter indicator. Color correspondence between the letter tokens and the letter spaces, in addition to letter correspondence, may assist players in determining which letter tokens are necessary to complete the spelling of the words presented on the game cards. However some letter spaces  38  may not include distinguishable secondary recognition indicia  28 , as explained in more detail below. 
   Each letter space  38  is also shown to be sized and shaped similarly to a letter token. For example, the exemplary game card is shown with a letter token  12  placed on the letter space that includes the letter “O.” Thus, in the depicted embodiment, the letter spaces  38  correspond, in size, shape, color, and letter indicator, to the letter tokens that correspond to the letters of the spelled word  40 . However, while such correspondence may assist players in recognizing the correct letter tokens to be placed on the letter spaces, other embodiments of the game cards may include letter spaces that are differently sized and/or shaped than the letter tokens. 
   First side  32  may further include an image region  42 , which includes an image  44  or other graphical representation of the spelled word  40 , for example to provide a contextual reference for a player attempting to read the spelled word. The exemplary game card includes the word “OWL,” and thus the image is an illustration of an owl (indicated as  44   a ). 
   As mentioned above, embodiments of the game may include one or more features that may allow accommodation of players of different skill levels, and/or that may present a challenging aspect to players that are developing spelling or letter recognition skills. One such feature is described above with reference to the letter tokens, each of which may include a letter indicator against a correspondingly colored background on one side, and a letter indicator against a neutral background on the other side. Color correspondence (and/or other distinguishable secondary recognition indicia) may provide additional contextual information to assist players in identifying letters, and players developing letter recognition skills may find it easier to recognize a particular letter presented with the additional contextual information than presented without. Thus, providing letter tokens without additional contextual information on one side may allow players of developing and/or different skill levels to continue to be interested in, or challenged by, such a game. 
   Other game components may optionally be adapted to present a challenging aspect to players as they develop reading and/or spelling skills. For example,  FIG. 6  shows second side  34  of exemplary game card  14 . Like first side  32 , second side  34  includes a word region  36  in which letter spaces  38  arranged such that letter indicators  26  spell a word  40 , and an image region  42 . However, second side  34  includes a different word  40  than that on first side  32 , and a different image  44 . Specifically, second side  34  includes the word “LAMP” (indicated as  40   b ) and an illustration of a lamp (indicated as  44   b ). 
   In other embodiments, second side  34  of game card  14  may be otherwise differently marked than first side  32  to provide a challenging aspect as described above, such as by including a word of the same length but more difficult to spell, by including the same word but without distinguishable secondary recognition indicia, and so forth. For example, in an alternate embodiment shown in  FIG. 7 , second side  34 ′ of game card  14  is illustrated. Second side  34 ′ includes the same word (“OWL”) and the same image (an illustration of an owl) as included on first side  32 , but the letter spaces  38 ′ include letter indicators presented against nondistinguishable secondary indicia (or no secondary indicia), i.e., the letter indicators  26  on second side  34 ′ are each presented against the same nondistinguishable or neutral-colored background. The alternate embodiment of game cards  14 , as shown in  FIG. 7 , may be suitable for use with the alternate embodiment of letter tokens  12 , as shown in  FIG. 4 , in which a player may rely solely on letter shape information in order to recognize a particular letter, without the benefit of distinguishable secondary recognition indicia. 
   In still other embodiments, second side  34  of game card  14  may be left blank, may duplicate the first side of the game card, may include a different word of the same difficulty level as the word on the first side, and so forth. 
   Players may attempt to spell a word on a game card, for example by matching letter tokens to game cards by using a selection device such as spinner  16 , an exemplary embodiment of which is shown in  FIG. 8 . Spinner  16  is shown as a flat and generally circular disk having a flat surface  50  and a pointer  52 . Flat surface  50  is subdivided into a plurality of semicircular segments  54  of approximately equal size, each segment including a group  56  of letter indicators  26 . Pointer  52 , shown to include pointing indicia such as embossed arrow  58 , is rotatably attached to flat surface  50  at the center of the circle formed by segments  54 , such that pointer  52  is operable to randomly indicate a segment, or more particularly, the group of letter indicators in a segment, via arrow  58 . For example, the arrow on pointer  52  in  FIG. 8  indicates the segment (indicated as  54   a ) that includes the letters “O,” “F,” “G,” and “M.” 
   Consistent with the game components described above, each letter indicator  26  on the spinner may include distinguishable secondary recognition indicia. For example, in  FIG. 8 , each letter indicator is colored according to the color correspondence that appears on the illustrated letter tokens and game cards of the exemplary embodiment. However, in some embodiments, the letter indicators on the spinner may be presented against a colored background, or the spinner may contain nondistinguishable secondary recognition indicia (or no secondary recognition indicia), as desired. 
   Although other configurations of game components are possible, the illustrated embodiment of the game includes four game cards  14 . As described above, each game card includes a three-letter word (such as “OWL,” “BAT,” “LOG,” or “MAP”) on a first side  32  and a four-letter word (such as “FROG,” “BOWL,” “BOAT,” or “LAMP”) on a second side  34 . These eight words include a total of eleven different letters, each of which is represented as a letter indicator  26  on one or more letter tokens  14 , and is also represented in one or more of the groups  56  of letter indicators  26  on spinner  16 . One segment, a “wildcard” segment (indicated as  54   b ), contains all eleven letters used in the illustrated embodiment. 
   As explained in more detail below, spinner  16  may be used to indicate a group of letter indicators from which a player may choose a corresponding letter token, to attempt to spell a word on a game card. However, although a spinner is discussed and illustrated, any suitable selection device (including one or more dice, cards, and so forth) may be used. 
   Methods of game play utilizing the concepts and components discussed above may include use of the game as an instructional aid for teaching young children to spell words and/or to recognize letters. In some methods, game play may consist of turns or rounds, each round including: operating the selection device to indicate a group of two or more letter indicators; determining if a selected game card includes one or more letter indicators in the indicated group; if the selected game card includes one or more letter indicators in the indicated group, choosing a letter token that has a letter indicator included in both the indicated group and the selected game card; and placing the chosen letter token on the letter space including the letter indicator on the chosen letter token. 
   For example, according to one exemplary method of play using the game components of the exemplary embodiment, each player selects a game card and decides whether to spell the three-letter word or the four-letter word on the game card. (In the alternate embodiment described with reference to  FIGS. 4 and 7 , the players may decide whether to use the “colored” sides of the letter tokens and game cards or the neutrally-colored sides.) The object of this exemplary method of game play is to spell the word by matching each letter space on the game card with a letter token bearing the same letter indicator. Each player spins the spinner in turn, and is allowed to choose one letter from the segment designated by the pointer to match one of the spaces on the game card. If the “wildcard” segment (the segment including the group of all letter indicators) is indicated, the player may choose from any of the available letter tokens. Play continues until each player completes spelling the word on that player&#39;s game card. 
   Optionally, a game backstory or theme may provide a contextual framework or setting, according to which the game may be played, and/or which may be manifested in one or more game components or attributes, such as to aid player comprehension of the rules, to enhance entertainment value, and so forth. For example, as mentioned above, the game according to the exemplary embodiment is based generally upon the theme of alphabet soup, and the exemplary game components further this theme. Game container  18  is shaped, and may further be labeled, to resemble a can of soup. Each game card  14  resembles a top view of a bowl of alphabet soup, and may be marked with additional indicia to further this resemblance. Pointer  52  of spinner  16  is shaped like a soup spoon. Letter indicators  26  are depicted in a stylized font and are shaped to resemble alphabet soup noodles. 
   The following is an example of instructions and rules that might be used for the game according to the exemplary embodiment and based on the exemplary theme of alphabet soup. 
   Object: 
   Be the first to fill your bowl by matching the alphabet noodle tokens. 
   Set Up: 
   
       
       Decide which level of play is most comfortable for the each player.
       Level 1—Use the 3-letter word side of the soup bowls.   Level 2—Use the more challenging 4-letter word side of the bowls.   
     
       Once everyone has decided which level of play is best, each player chooses a soup bowl. Play either the 3-letter side or the 4-letter side. 
       Spread out the alphabet noodle tokens in the middle of the playing area. 
       Place the spinner near the alphabet noodle tokens.
 
Let&#39;S Play:
 
       The youngest player goes first; spin the spinner. Give the spoon a good flick and see what letters you can scoop up! Where is the arrow at the end of the spoon pointing? 
       If the spoon is pointing to a space that includes a letter you need to fill your bowl, you may choose one of the alphabet noodle tokens and match it to your word. Match both the letter and the color! 
       If the spoon points to a space with all the letters showing, you may choose any one alphabet noodle token and match it to a letter in your bowl. 
       If the spoon points to a space that has none of the letters you need, your turn ends. 
       After you spin once, it&#39;s the next player&#39;s turn. Play passes to the left until a player fills his/her bowl by matching all the alphabet noodle tokens.
 
Winning:
 
The first player to fill his/her bowl wins! Continue playing to see who comes in second, third and fourth.
 
     
  
   Although these specific game component configurations are illustrated, numerous variations are possible, either for a game based on an alphabet soup theme, upon another theme, or upon no theme. 
   It is believed that the disclosure set forth herein encompasses multiple distinct inventions with independent utility. While each of these inventions has been disclosed in a preferred form, the specific embodiments thereof as disclosed and illustrated herein are not to be considered in a limiting sense as numerous variations are possible. The subject matter of the inventions includes all novel and non-obvious combinations and subcombinations of the various elements, features, functions and/or properties disclosed herein. Similarly, where the claims recite “a” or “a first” element of the equivalent thereof, such claims should be understood to include incorporation of one or more such elements, neither requiring nor excluding two or more such elements. 
   It is believed that the following claims particularly point out certain combinations and subcombinations of features, functions, elements and/or properties that may be claimed through amendment of the present claims or presentation of new claims in this or a related application. Such amended or new claims, whether they are directed to a different invention or directed to the same invention, whether different, broader, narrower or equal in scope to the original claims, are also regarded as included within the subject matter of the inventions of the present disclosure.