A multi-media interactive play system has a number of play elements situated in a variety of play environments or play media. The play elements are linked to a common record of participant performance, progress, character attributes, etc. The participant's performance in the play elements determines the play elements to which the participant may proceed as well as the play parameters of the play element in which the participant is currently involved. The play elements are thus interlinked to define a sequence or path network along which the participant advances. By advancing through the play elements the participant carries out a plot, story, theme, etc. that attaches a significance to the successful completion of a given play element or elements. Also disclosed in a variety of play elements suitable for use in the system, an example of a plot or theme that may be carried out by the system, and a send/receive radio frequency network that may be used to track play participants in a play center.

A multi-media interactive play system has a number of play elements situated in a variety of play environments or play media. The play elements are linked to a common record of participant performance, progress, character attributes, etc. The participant's performance in the play elements determines the play elements to which the participant may proceed as well as the play parameters of the play element in which the participant is currently involved. The play elements are thus interlinked to define a sequence or path network along which the participant advances. By advancing through the play elements the participant carries out a plot, story, theme, etc. that attaches a significance to the successful completion of a given play element or elements. Also disclosed in a variety of play elements suitable for use in the system, an example of a plot or theme that may be carried out by the system, and a send/receive radio frequency network that may be used to track play participants in a play center.

A method of interactive game play is provided wherein a seemingly magical wand toy is provided for enabling a trained user to electronically send and receive information to and from other wand toys, a master system and/or to actuate various play effects within a play environment. The toy wand or other seemingly magical object is configured to use a send/received radio frequency communications protocol which provides a basic foundation for a complex, interactive entertainment system to create a seemingly magical interactive play experience.

A variety of games and methods for enhancing game play are provided. In one aspect, a secondary or ancillary game is played in parallel with a first game, such as a lottery ball draw. Yet another embodiment of game play provides for the repurposing of an existing taped game show. The previously recorded game show would be segmented into subsets of issues, for example, presentation of questions or answers (as in the case of Jeopardy), those issues would be presented to one or more players, a response would be received from those players, and the answer would be compared to the correct answer. Scoring would then rank players relative to one another or to indicate the amount of the prize.

A method of interactive game play is provided wherein a seemingly magical wand toy is provided for enabling a trained user to electronically send and receive information to and from other wand toys, a master system and/or to actuate various play effects within a play environment. The toy wand or other seemingly magical object is configured to use a send/received radio frequency communications protocol which provides a basic foundation for a complex, interactive entertainment system to create a seemingly magical interactive play experience.

A poker-like guessing game uses an electronic device with a display and an audio generator to display a picture or play music for a predetermined period of time. The electronic device may be a smartphone, tablet computer or other portable electronic device. Participants bet that the players willor will notbe able to identify the picture displayed or the music generated by the electronic device. The participants are rewarded when they bet correctly. Even if a player is able to identify the picture or sound, an object of the game is to fool or mislead the others (i.e., bluff) with a poker face or other evasive tactic. A picture is displayed, or the music is played, for a short period of time, preferably in the range of a few or several seconds. Participants may select favored categories which the electronic device may or may not allow them to use in play.

A method and apparatus for teaching power distribution with an educational board game includes providing a game board that includes a power station location, power pole locations, and a target building location. A power pole indicator is placed at a power pole location and a power line indicator is connected from the power station location to the power pole indicator during the player's turn. Additional power pole indicators are positioned at additional power pole locations during the player's subsequent turns and the power line indicator is connected from the power station location to the target building location via the power pole indicator and the additional power pole indicators.

An automotive head unit wirelessly retrieves quiz questions and quiz answers from a quiz server; receives data from vehicle sensors regarding whether the vehicle is in a low-risk-driving situation. When the vehicle is in a low-risk-driving situation, the head unit: verbally administers a quiz by playing one or more quiz questions through a speaker associated with the head unit; receives, via a microphone associated with the head unit, one or more quiz answers spoken by one or more vehicle occupants; and checks the quiz answers for accuracy.

Navigation systems and associated methods for providing navigation services are provided. Information associated with a desired route for a vehicle, such as a route between a current location and a desired destination, may be determined. Additionally, contextual information associated with the vehicle may be identified. Based upon the desired route and the contextual information, a direction may be generated for presentation to one or more users, and the generated direction may be output for presentation.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for detecting placards in a captured image, comprising: input circuitry operable to receive the captured image; detector circuitry operable to detect placards in the captured image on a basis of a predetermined shape and/or color of the placards, the detector circuitry being operable to detect placards of a plurality of different shapes and/or colors; and counter circuitry operable to count a number of detected placards of each different shape and/or color.