U.S. patent application number 11/582120 was filed with the patent office on 2007-04-19 for code letter system and method.
Invention is credited to David L. Hoyt.
Application Number | 20070085268 11/582120 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 37947435 |
Filed Date | 2007-04-19 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070085268 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Hoyt; David L. |
April 19, 2007 |
Code letter system and method
Abstract
A system and method using codes or symbols for solving word,
numbers or trivia puzzles or game in which a correct answer or
portion of an answer to one part of the puzzle provides the player
with the correct answer or portion of the correct answer for the
remaining unanswered portions of the puzzle.
Inventors: |
Hoyt; David L.; (Venice,
CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Jeffrey A. Pine;BANIAK PINE & GANNON
Suite 1200
150 N. Wacker Drive
Chicago
IL
60606
US
|
Family ID: |
37947435 |
Appl. No.: |
11/582120 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
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60727426 |
Oct 17, 2005 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
273/153R |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2003/0431 20130101;
A63F 3/0423 20130101; A63F 2003/0428 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
273/153.00R |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/00 20060101
A63F009/00 |
Claims
1. A puzzle comprising a grid, said grid containing a plurality of
boxes, wherein each box must be filled in with a correct indication
to complete the puzzle, wherein in order to fill in a portion of
the puzzle a player must answer a question, said puzzle containing
a first group of at least two boxes in the plurality of boxes that
each contain a first symbol, said first symbol represents a first
indication, such that upon determining the value of the first
indication for one box of the first group of at least two boxes,
the player can enter the same first indication into each of the
remaining boxes from the first group of at least two boxes that
contain said first symbol.
2. The puzzle of claim 1, further comprising a second group of at
least two boxes containing a second symbol different than the first
symbol from the first group of at least two boxes, and within the
plurality of boxes, said second symbol represents a second
indication different from said first indication, such that upon
determining the value of the second indication for one box of the
second group of at least two boxes, the player can enter the same
second indication into each of the remaining boxes from the second
group of at least two boxes that contain said second symbol.
3. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of boxes are set
forth in an array having at least one column.
4. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the plurality of boxes are set
forth in an array having at least one row.
5. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the puzzle is completed by
entering words into at least one of the plurality of boxes.
6. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the puzzle is completed by
entering numbers into at least one of the plurality of boxes.
7. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the indication is a letter.
8. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the indication is a number.
9. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the first symbol is a shape.
10. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the first symbol is at least one
dot.
11. The puzzle of claim 1, wherein the first symbol is
distinguishable by a color.
Description
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional
Application Ser. No. 60/727,426, filed Oct. 17, 2005.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] The present invention relates to a word, number or trivia
game, puzzle, system or method, and in particular a system or
method in which by answering a portion or portions of a game,
puzzle, or system, the player learns other answers or portions of
other answers throughout the puzzle based on common codes or
symbols located throughout the puzzle.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Games, puzzles, systems and methods have existed for many
years in which a player is provided a grid or layout, in many cases
including blank boxes or spaces. These puzzles are often found in
newspapers, computer and traditional games, books, and on the
Internet. Along with the grid or layout, the game provides numerous
clues or questions to assist the player in filling in the blank
boxes or spaces in the grid. As the player determines the correct
answer to each clues or question, the correct answer to other clues
may become more evident. Such games are known for example as
crossword puzzles, Jumbles, or Sudoku puzzles.
[0004] As an example, a crossword puzzle may contain a
two-dimensional layout in a newspaper with a number of empty boxes,
many having a number associated with that box. The crossword puzzle
also contains a number of questions or clues. The question or clue
will have a number corresponding to the number on one of the boxes
in the grid. Depending on whether the clue is from the "across" or
"down" list of clues, the answer to the clue can be entered into
the empty boxes.
[0005] In this example, a down answer may intersect an across
answer, such that when the down answer is correctly entered, one of
the letters for the across answer will be known. The player may
then have an easier time determining the answer to the across clue.
The player continues to determine the answers to the clues until
all of the boxes in the puzzle have been correctly entered.
[0006] Although these types of puzzles or games inherently become
easier as the clues are correctly determined and the grid is
completed, there exists a need for a puzzle of this type in which
additional boxes throughout the puzzle may be filled in with the
correct number or letter based on correctly answering the clue.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] The present invention allows for codes or symbols to be
placed in various boxes or spaces throughout a puzzle layout or
grid. These codes represent an answer, such as a letter, number or
word. Once the player knows the correct letter or number answer for
one particular code or symbol, all of the letter or number answers
for the rest of the similar codes or symbols throughout the grid
will be known and can be entered into the grid.
[0008] For a crossword puzzle, some of the boxes in the crossword
puzzle may contain a symbol, for example a small circle, in the
lower right corner of the box (of course, any symbol or
representation can be used in any part of the box or space). Once
the player provides a correct answer that includes a letter for the
box that contains the symbol, in this case a small circle, the
player will know the letter that belongs in each box that contains
that small circle. After answering a number of questions and
obtaining the answer for some or all of the codes or symbols, the
player can then place the correct letter in each box that
corresponds to the similar code or symbol. The same process could
be used for trivia games, number games and Sudoku puzzles.
[0009] Further, these various types of games or even a number of
the same games, can be combined using the same codes or symbols for
the different games in a crossover fashion. For example, if in a
correct answer to a crossword puzzle, the small circle code
represents the letter "L," that same code may be used in an answer
to a Jumble-type puzzle (or to another crossword puzzle). There is
no limit to how many of these different types of games (or number
of same games) can be combined with the same codes or symbols.
[0010] Also, some of the puzzles may be linked or overlapped, and
use the same codes or symbols throughout the linked puzzles. The
codes or symbols can be anything that differentiates the codes from
each other, for example, shapes, letters, numbers, or colors.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] FIG. 1 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
crossword-type puzzle;
[0012] FIG. 2 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
trivia-type puzzle;
[0013] FIG. 3 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
combination crossword-type/trivia-type puzzle;
[0014] FIG. 4 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
combination of multiple puzzles;
[0015] FIG. 5 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
crossword-type puzzle;
[0016] FIG. 6 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
crossword-type puzzle;
[0017] FIG. 7 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
crossword-type puzzle;
[0018] FIG. 8 is an embodiment of the present invention showing
math and sudoku-type puzzles;
[0019] FIG. 9 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
Sudoku-type puzzle; and
[0020] FIG. 10 is an embodiment of the present invention showing a
multiple Sudoku-type puzzle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION
[0021] The present invention relates to codes or symbols placed in
various boxes or spaces throughout a puzzle layout or grid which
represent letters or numbers as part of an answer to a question or
problem. Once the correct answer is known, the player will know the
letter or number that corresponds to that code or symbol. Then, all
of the blank boxes or spaces that correspond to that code or symbol
can be filled in with the same letter or number, making the puzzle
easier to solve.
[0022] In other words, the present invention relates to using codes
or symbols in a system by which certain letters, numbers or answers
can be filled into the empty boxes or spaces on the grid or layout
of a puzzle or game. The code or symbol will correspond to or
represent an indication such as a letter or number as part of the
answer. That letter or number placed in the box or space having
that code or symbol can then be filled in throughout the puzzle or
game at all of the boxes with similar codes or symbols to
facilitate the completion of the puzzle or game by the player.
[0023] FIG. 1 shows a (crossword-type) puzzle 10 in which a grid 12
is used with codes or symbols 14, such as circles 16, diamonds 18,
stars 20, squares 22 and triangles 24. The top of FIG. 1 shows the
completed puzzle and an answer key for reference only. The symbols
14 are placed in certain boxes or spaces 26 (only one indicated by
numeral) of the puzzle layout or grid 12. The letters 28 are
obtained from a correct answer 30 located in the boxes 26 that
contain a symbol 14. For example, a circle 16 corresponds to the
letter L 30. In this case, the symbol 14 is located in the lower
right-hand corner of a box 26, but it can be placed anywhere in the
box 26, or even outside the box 26, but relating to a particular
box 26.
[0024] The boxes 26 that contain a small square symbol 22 in FIG. 1
correspond to the letter N 32, the boxes 26 that contain a small
star symbol 20 correspond to the letter T 34, the boxes 26 that
contain a small diamond symbol 18 correspond to the letter R 36,
and the boxes 26 that contain a small triangle symbol 24 correspond
to the letter E 38.
[0025] These codes 14 apply only to the grid 12 of the puzzle 10
shown in FIG. 1, and other puzzles (and games) would have different
codes or symbols 14.
[0026] Once a player fills in a portion of a puzzle or game 10,
such as a single answer 30, and they feel confident that their
answer 30 is correct, then they can fill in certain letters 28
throughout the rest of the puzzle or game 10 that contain the same
code or symbol 14.
[0027] In FIG. 1, the player has filled in "Banker" as the answer
30 for the portion of the crossword puzzle 10 that corresponds to a
question (not shown, for example, "an occupation that manages
money"), which relates to question 1 across on the puzzle 10. If
the answer 30 is correct, then the player can fill in the Rs 36, Ns
32 and Es 38 that correspond to the diamonds 18, squares 22 and
triangles 24, respectively, throughout the rest of the puzzle 10 at
those boxes 26 that contain those particular codes or symbols
14.
[0028] There is no limit to the number of codes or symbols 14 used
in a puzzle or game 10. In most cases, the more symbols 14 used,
the easier the puzzle 10 will be to solve. Anything can be used to
represent a code or symbol 14; for example, different shapes,
colored boxes, numbers (to represent letters), letters (to
represent numbers); anything that allows the player to
differentiate one symbol 14 from the next.
[0029] The code or symbol 14 can also be used to link boxes 26 in
puzzles and word games other than grid-type crossword puzzles 10.
In FIG. 2, the codes or symbols 14 are used in conjunction with a
trivia game 40. A correct answer 42 to a question 44 that contains
codes or symbols 14, allows the player to fill in certain letters
46, providing the answers or portions of the answers for some or
all of the remaining unanswered questions 48. As with the
crossword-type puzzle 10, there is no limit to the number of
possible codes or symbols 14 that can be used in a trivia-type
puzzle 40.
[0030] In FIG. 2, the player reads the question 44 and comes up
with the correct answer 42 (THREE). Those letters are entered into
the boxes 26. Since three of the boxes 26 contain a symbol 14, the
letters 46 pertaining to those symbols can be entered into other
boxes 26 that contain those same symbols 14. For example, the
letter E 50 corresponds to the star symbol 52, so that the letter E
50 can be placed in the answer boxes for the second question 54
(and any other boxes that contain the star symbol 52). The same
exercise can be performed for the letter R 56 and the square symbol
58. Once each and every symbol 14 has a corresponding letter, the
answers to the questions will be easier to determine.
[0031] The codes or symbols 14 can also be used to link multiple
games or puzzles 60. In FIG. 3, a crossword-type puzzle 62 is
combined with a trivia-type game 64, each using the same codes or
symbols 14. In this embodiment, two games 62, 64 become part of one
larger game 60.
[0032] Once a correct answer 66 to one of the trivia puzzle 62
questions 68 is known, and therefore any letters corresponding to
the particular codes or symbols 14 in that answer 66 are known,
those letters can be entered into the remaining corresponding boxes
26 in both the crossword-type puzzle 62 and the trivia-type puzzle
64. In FIG. 3, THREE is the correct answer 66 to the first trivia
question 68, which allows the player to enter the letter E 70 in
all of the boxes with a small star 72 (not all indicated), and the
letter R 74 in all of the boxes 26 that contain the small square 76
(not all indicated).
[0033] There is no limit to the number or types of games or puzzles
62, 64 that can be connected using the same codes or symbols 14. In
FIG. 4, a game 80 is made up of five different games or puzzles
connected using the same codes or symbols 14. In FIG. 4, the same
codes or symbols 14 are used for a math puzzle 82, an animal-trivia
puzzle 84, a country-trivia puzzle 86, a mystery-person puzzle 88,
and a guess-the-quote puzzle 90. Determining the correct answer to
any of the question from any of the individual games will then
allow the player to place letters in some or all of the other
puzzle's answers, thereby simplifying the answers to each of the
five puzzles.
[0034] Although the embodiments disclosed so far relate to
historically print versions of these puzzles or games, each of
these systems can be incorporated into computer games, cell phone
games, video slot machines, scratch-off tickets, and the like. For
example, if a player attempts to solve a puzzle in an electronic or
computer game (not shown), the result, whether correct or
incorrect, may be used to populate the remaining boxes in the
puzzle that correspond to the similar code or symbol. In an
alternative embodiment, the player may not know which boxes
correspond to which codes or symbols, such that when an answer is
provided on the computer screen, or cell phone display, other boxes
are automatically populated with the same letter or number.
[0035] Although codes and symbols 14, such as shapes, icons,
colors, etc., have been used in the present invention, there is an
unlimited number of ways in which answer boxes can be "coded." In
FIG. 5, colors (described, not shown) are used for the boxes 26 of
the puzzle 10 instead of shapes. These colors serve the same
purpose as the shapes previously described for the codes or symbols
14. As shown in the answer key, the yellow-shaded boxes 92
represent the letter L 94, while the blue-shaded boxes 96 represent
the letter N 98.
[0036] In yet another embodiment, disclosed in the puzzle 10 shown
in FIG. 6, dots 100 are incorporated instead of shapes or colors,
again serving the same purpose. In the FIG. 6 example (and shown in
the answer key), one dot 102 represents the letter L 104, while two
dots 106 represent the letter N 108.
[0037] Further, the game or system using the codes or symbols 14
can be incorporated or placed over existing puzzles 110, such as
crossword-type or trivia-type puzzles, generating a new game-play
experience. FIG. 7 shows a crossword-type puzzle 110 which was
created without the codes or symbols 14. Subsequently, the codes or
symbols 14 are incorporated or added into the puzzle 110, thereby
changing the game play and thought process for the player.
Different overlays (not shown) or a different number of codes or
symbols 14 may be added to any existing puzzle 110 in order to
change the difficulty level of the puzzle 110. For example, once a
crossword puzzle is created, one overlay may have five symbols,
while another overlay for the same puzzle may have seven symbols.
The seven-symbol overlay would make the puzzle easier than the
five-symbol overlay, which is easier than solving the puzzle
without an overlay. Further, the codes or symbols 14 can be
associated with particular boxes 26 using a list instead of an
overlay.
[0038] FIG. 8 shows a puzzle 120 using codes or symbols 14 with
mixed-up letters 122 as clues to the answers for a math-based logic
puzzle 124. Although the puzzle set forth in FIG. 8, like the
others, could be played without the codes or symbols 14 by
unscrambling the "Mixed Up Equation" 126 only, by adding the codes
or symbols 14 to the puzzle 120, the game play changes creating a
different thought process in order to solve the puzzle 120.
[0039] The code or symbol system of the present invention also
works with number games such as Sudoku puzzles. FIGS. 8 and 9 show
Sudoku puzzles 130 in which the codes or symbols 14 represent
numbers 132 instead of letters. The game play is similar to that
described above, if a player can determine the correct number 132
corresponding to a code or symbol 14, then they can populate other
portions of the puzzle 130 that correspond to those codes 14. Once
the puzzle 130 is populated with the correct numbers 132, the
puzzle 130 becomes easier to solve. Also, the player is forced or
encouraged to solve certain portions of the puzzle 130 first to
establish the correct numbers 132 corresponding to the code or
symbol 14. The same holds for letter-type puzzles.
[0040] In the Sudoku example set forth in FIG. 8, once the player
determines that the circle 134 represents the number 9 136, then
the number 9 136 can be placed in all of the remaining boxes 26
that contain a circle 134, simplifying the solution to the puzzle
130.
[0041] FIG. 10 shows two Sudoku puzzles 140 that are connected by
one box having the same value 142 (there could be other overlapping
values). Using the codes or symbols 14, the player can attempt to
solve one or both puzzles, which may play as part of one larger
puzzle.
[0042] Thus, while the invention has been described herein with
relation to certain embodiments and applications, those with skill
in this art will recognize changes, modifications, alterations and
the like which still come within the spirit of the inventive
concept, and such are intended to be included within the scope of
the invention as expressed in the following claims.
* * * * *