Abstract:
A projectile throwing game. The present system is a game that involves throwing a projectile into the interior of a receiving unit. The receiving unit is equipped with a sensor that detects when a projectile enters the receiving unit. The receiving unit additionally has a transceiver configured to relay information to a processor unit. The processor unit is connected to a visual output and displays virtual images representing the physical receiver units. The object of the game is to throw specific projectiles into specific receiver units, as instructed by the virtual images.

Description:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to games involving projectiles, in particular to games involving projectiles and projectile receptacles that are connected to a display output. Games have long been used to pass time and stimulate thinking while honing certain physical or cognitive skills. More recently, games have been designed and used by many child therapists to help establish comfort and trust, to provide a window into a child&#39;s experiences, and to serve as a tool for skill building. One such set of skills is quick decision making and hand-eye coordination. Some games incorporate exercise and an augmented reality or an enhanced gaming experience, while others require a user to master fine and gross motor movements. Many such games are either completely virtual through a gaming system, lacking any physical aspect, or entirely physical, limiting the amount of customization able to be applied for each individual user. 
         [0002]    Therefore, there exists a need in the prior art for a gaming system that uses physical projectiles and projectile receiving units in conjunction with a virtual gaming system that is configured to require projectiles be thrown into certain receiving units and able to adapt to each individual user. Moreover, there exists a need for a gaming system that uses an advanced sensor capable of distinguishing between individual projectiles in order to require specific projectile to be thrown at specific receiving units. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of projectile gaming systems now present in the prior art, the present invention provides an interactive projectile gaming system wherein the same can be utilized for providing convenience for the user when engaging in an interactive gaming activity involving throwing projectiles within a digitally integrated game. The present system comprises a projectile receiving unit having a housing, an aperture on the housing, an interior of the housing adapted to admit projectiles and a sensor designed to detect when a projectile enters the receiving unit. The system further comprises a logic and a projectile equipped with a transceiver. The logic is configured to connect to a visual output device and output virtual images representing the physical receiver units. The object of the game is to throw specific projectiles into specific receiver units, as instructed by the virtual images. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0004]    Although the characteristic features of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims, the invention itself and manner in which it may be made and used may be better understood after a review of the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein like numeral annotations are provided throughout. 
           [0005]      FIG. 1A  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the projectile receptacle of the invention. 
           [0006]      FIG. 1B  shows a cutaway view of an embodiment of the projectile receptacle of the invention. 
           [0007]      FIG. 2  shows a perspective view of a projectile of the present invention. 
           [0008]      FIG. 3  shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the projectile receptacle unit of the present invention. 
           [0009]      FIG. 4A  shows a perspective view of an embodiment of the logic of the present invention. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4B  shows a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the logic of the present invention. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a diagram view of an embodiment of the visual output of the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
       [0012]    Reference is made herein to the attached drawings. Like reference numerals are used throughout the drawings to depict like or similar elements of the interactive projectile gaming system. The figures are intended for representative purposes only and should not be considered to be limiting in any respect. 
         [0013]    As used herein, “logic” refers to (i) logic implemented as computer instructions and/or data within one or more computer processes and/or (ii) logic implemented in electronic circuitry. According to some embodiments, the operations, techniques, and/or components described herein can be implemented as (i) a special-purpose computing device having specialized hardware and a logic hardwired into the computing device to persistently perform the disclosed operations and/or techniques or (ii) a logic that is implementable on an electronic device having a general purpose hardware processor to execute the logic and a computer-readable medium, e.g. a memory, wherein implementation of the logic by the processor on the electronic device provides the electronic device with the function of a special-purpose computing device. 
         [0014]    Referring now to  FIGS. 1A, 1B and 2  there is shown an embodiment of the receiver unit of the invention. The receiver unit comprises a housing  10  with an interior  12  and an aperture  11  adapted to receive a projectile  20 . The receiver unit further comprises a sensor  13  and a transceiver  14 . The receiver unit is in communication with a logic via the transceiver  14 . When the sensor  13  detects a projectile  20  entering the interior  12 , the sensor conveys a signal to the transceiver  14 , which in turn conveys to the logic that a projectile  20  has entered the interior  12 . 
         [0015]    In one embodiment of the invention, the sensor  13  is an optical sensor. In another embodiment of the invention, the sensor  13  is a radio frequency identification sensor. The projectile  20  that is used in this embodiment contains a radio frequency identification tag  21  that contains a unique identifier, such as a serial number, for that particular projectile  20 . When the projectile  20  enters the interior  12  of the housing  10  through the aperture  11 , the sensor  13  detects which projectile  20  has entered based on the radio identification tag  21 , and relays that information to the transceiver  14 . 
         [0016]    In one embodiment of the invention, when the projectile  20  lands in the interior  12  of the receiving unit, it rests on the bottom of the interior  12 . In another embodiment, there is a channel  15  inside the housing  10 , the channel  15  having an a first opening  16  in communication with the interior  12  and a second opening  17  disposed on an exterior of the housing  10 . When a projectile  20  enters the interior  12 , the sensor  13  detects the projectile  20 , relays that information to the transceiver  14 , and the projectile  20  is then ejected out of the receiving unit via the channel  15 . In yet an additional embodiment of the invention, there are multiple channels  15  inside the housing with separate openings on the exterior of the housing  10 , and a projectile can be ejected in several possible directions. 
         [0017]    In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the aperture  11  of the receiving unit is disposed on the housing  10  at an inclined angle. This allows for a first side of the interior  12  to be exposed above the opposite second side, and thus allow the first side to act as a backboard to assist in deflecting the projectiles into the interior  12 . 
         [0018]    Referring now to  FIG. 3 , there is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of the receiving unit of the invention. There is a single housing  30  that comprises a plurality of receiving units, each receiving unit having an aperture  11 , interior  12 , and sensor  13 . The sensors  13  are all operably connected to the transceiver  14 . The transceiver  14  is configured to relay to a logic which aperture a projectile  20  has entered. In another embodiment of the invention, each sensor  13  is a radio frequency identification sensor that is configured to detect which projectile  20  has entered which aperture based on the radio identification tag  21  and relay that information to the transceiver  14 . 
         [0019]    There is a channel  15  within the housing  30  that is made up of multiple paths, each path leading to a unique interior. The paths converge to a common second opening  17  wherefrom the projectile  20  is ejected. Another embodiment of the invention comprises an audio speaker  32 , which is operably connected to the logic and configured to play back audio from the logic, as relayed through the transceiver  14 . For example, the speaker can play music that accompanies and enhances the gameplay experience. Additionally, the speaker can play audio that is streamed through the transceiver  14 , such as audio from an internet source. 
         [0020]    Referring now to  FIGS. 4A and 4B , there are shown perspective views of the logic unit of an embodiment of the invention. The logic unit comprises a housing  40 , a logic  44  disposed in the housing, a transceiver  45  and a visual output. In one embodiment of the invention, the visual output is an image projector  42  that can display an image on a flat surface such as a wall or a projector screen. In another embodiment of the invention, the visual output is a port  50  configured to output an image signal to a device capable of receiving the image signal. For example, the port  50  can be a High-Definition Multimedia Interface (HDMI) port, which can be connected via an HDMI cable to a television monitor that is equipped with an HDMI input port. In yet another embodiment of the invention, the logic is operably connected to a physical port  51  and communicates with the receiving units through a wired connection as opposed to a wireless connection. 
         [0021]    Referring now to  FIG. 5 , there is shown a diagram of an embodiment of the visual output of the invention. There is a virtual image  60  that includes virtual versions of receiving units  61 . Each receiving unit  61  is uniquely identified, such as through a numbering system  62 . The virtual image  60  includes an indicium  63  indicating which receiving unit a projectile  20  must be thrown into. Furthermore, the virtual image  60  can indicate which projectile  20  must be used. For example, if there are projectiles  20  that are red, yellow and blue, the indicia  63  used to indicate which receiving unit to throw into can be red, indicating that only a red projectile can be used for that throw. If a user either throws a red projectile into another receiving unit, or throws a yellow or blue colored projectile in the correct receiving unit, the user is penalized. 
         [0022]    It is therefore submitted that the instant invention has been shown and described in various embodiments. It is recognized, however, that departures may be made within the scope of the invention and that obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art. With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by the present invention. 
         [0023]    Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention.