System and Methods for Generating a Game Board and Playing Games Therewith

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a system and methods for a board game in which boards, each containing multiple letters are combined in numerous combinations and configurations in order to generate and play different board games on different game boards. The object of the board game is for a player or team to place that team's colored translucent chips or tokens on letters and adjacent letters to create words, thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chips and adding to the line at each turn, the player or team can meet certain objectives, such as connecting various locations or ends on the game board, or racing from one end of the game board to the other, and other objectives as necessary to play each game.

Claims

1. A board game that incorporates a game board for generating words during game play, comprising a plurality of boards, each of said plurality of boards comprising a plurality of letters, said game board created by placing at least a first of said plurality of boards adjacent to at least a second of said plurality of boards such that some of said plurality of letters on said first board are adjacent to some of the plurality of letters on said second board, and such that words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the first board by using the plurality of letters on the first board, words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the second board by using the plurality of letters on the second board, and words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on both the first and second boards by using the plurality of letters on both the first and second boards, wherein during the game play, a player places a plurality of translucent colored chips on top of the plurality of letters on said first board, said second board or both said first and said second boards to create words and a path, said path being generated by the connection of the words, with the objective of the board game to be a path of translucent colored chips from one edge of the plurality of boards to the opposite edge of the plurality of boards.

2. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each of said plurality of boards.

3. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each side of said plurality of boards.

4. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a four by four array for use during game play.

5. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a six by two array for use during game play.

6. The board game of claim 1, wherein said plurality of translucent chips are a single color.

7. The board game of claim 6, wherein said plurality of translucent chips are a single color for a particular player or team.

8. The board game of claim 1, wherein words are generated by a plurality of players alternatively generating words by placing the translucent colored chips on the plurality of boards.

9. A method of playing a board game that incorporates a game board made up of a plurality of boards, each of the plurality of boards containing a plurality of letters, each of said plurality of boards configured to be placed adjacent to another of the plurality of boards, such that at least one of the plurality of letters on a first board of said plurality of boards is adjacent to at least one of the plurality of letters on a second board, and such that words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the first board by using the plurality of letters on the first board, words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the second board by using the plurality of letters on the second board, and words can be generated by connecting at least three letters on the first and second boards by using the plurality of letters on both the first and second boards, comprising the steps of: a) placing at least two of said plurality of boards adjacent to each other; b) allowing for a first player to place a first plurality of translucent colored chips onto the plurality of letters on the first board, the second board and the combination of the first and second board, said first plurality of translucent chips creating a first path; c) allowing for a second player to place a second plurality of translucent colored chips onto the plurality of letters on the first board, the second board and the combination of the first and second board, said second plurality of translucent colored chips being a different color than said first plurality of translucent colored chips, said second plurality of translucent chips creating a second path; d) alternating steps b and c until either said first path or said second path continues unbroken from one edge of said plurality of boards to the opposite edge of said plurality of boards.

10. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each of said plurality of boards.

11. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of letters are arranged in a four by four array on each side of said plurality of boards.

12. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a four by four array for use during game play.

13. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a six by two array for use during game play.

14. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of boards are arranged in a five by five array for use during game play.

15. The method of playing a board game of claim 9, wherein said plurality of translucent chips are a single color for a particular player or team.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The preferred embodiments of the invention will be described in conjunction with the appended drawings provided to illustrate and not to the limit the invention, where like designations denote like elements, and in which:

[0026] FIG. 1 illustrates an individual board containing a four by four array of letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] FIG. 2 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array of individual boards in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates a portion of a game board containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] FIG. 4 illustrates a portion of a game board containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] FIG. 5 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array of individual boards in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] FIG. 6 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array of individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] FIG. 7 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array of individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] FIG. 8 illustrates a game board containing a four by four array of individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] FIG. 9 illustrates game boards containing various arrays of individual boards in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] FIG. 10 illustrates a portion of a game board containing a various array of individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of a game board containing a various array of individual boards containing chips placed on certain letters in accordance with an alternative embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] FIG. 12 illustrates a game board that can be played on an electronic device, the game board displaying a six by six array of letters provided for an exemplary game in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] FIG. 13 illustrates a game board that can be played on an electronic device, the game board displaying a six by six array of letters provided for another exemplary game in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] FIG. 14 illustrates a game board that can be played on one or more electronic devices by multiple players, the game board displaying a sixteen by sixteen array of letters provided for an exemplary game in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; and

[0040] FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary computer system or network architecture that may be used to implement the system and methods according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

[0041] FIG. 1 shows a preferred embodiment of an individual board 12 containing letters 14 imprinted on the board 12. In the preferred embodiment, the board 12 contains a four by four array of letters, such that each board 12 contains 16 letters 14. The number of letters 14 and the size of the array can be varied and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure, such that the array could be five by five with 25 letters 14, or three by five with 15 letters. Further, each individual board 12 will have a different array of letters 14 from the other boards 12 and can be imprinted with the letters 14 on both sides.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows a preferred embodiment of a game board 10 configured with 6 individual boards 12 placed in a four by four array. With this game board 10 configuration, there are 16 letters 14 across each row and 16 letters 14 down each column, creating 256 letters 14. With this game board 10 configuration, a number of different game boards 10 can be generated by simply rearranging the location of the boards 12 in the game board 10 configuration. Further, as described above, by printing different letters 14 on each board 12, 16 different boards 12 (32 total) can be used to generate many different four by four game boards 10 for playing the same game with a different game board 10 each time.

[0043] Once a game board 10 has been created by placing the individual boards 12 in a pattern as required by the rules of a particular game, the game can be played. Further, most of the games played using the individual boards 12 and the game board 10 (regardless of how the game board 10 is configured), incorporate chips (see FIG. 3 for an example). In the preferred embodiment, colored translucent chips are used to indicate both a player or team and the letter 14 that has been used by that team.

[0044] To begin a particular game, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged in a pattern designed for the particular board game 10 to be played. In the preferred embodiment, the board game 10 consists of 16 boards 12 arranged in a four by four array. Each player or team selects a set of colored chips. In the board game 10 of the preferred embodiment, two to four players play individually or four to eight players play in teams of two. The game begins by the roll of a die (or any other determination) to decide will start the game. After the first player or team finishes its turn, play can continue to the left.

[0045] Each player or team takes a turn attempting to spell a single word on the game board 10 by placing their colored chips on the squares containing the printed letters 14. Each player can announce the word being spelled as the chips are placed.

[0046] FIG. 3 shows a portion of the game board 10 containing a two by six array of letters 14. During player A's turn, player A would announce GARNET and place six translucent chips 16 corresponding to player A's color over the letters 14 G A R N E and T. The adjacent letters 14 can be to the right or left, above or below, and diagonal to the previous letter 14. In FIG. 3, the R and the N are adjacent diagonally.

[0047] In the preferred embodiment, words may be spelled in any direction, from left to right, right to left, up or down, diagonally, or any combination of these, as long as the square of each letter 14 in the word is adjacent to or touching the square of the word's very next letter 14. In the preferred embodiment, a player may not use the same letter 14 more than once in the same word, however, alternative embodiments may allow such usage.

[0048] FIG. 4 shows another portion of a game board 10 with a six by four array. FIG. 4 shows how chips 16 can be laid down on the game board 10 to create the two words ROMP and HINTED, which can be combined to create a path or line for a particular player or team. The P in ROMP sits below the H in Hinted to create two paths, from the P in ROMP up to the T in HINTED, and from the 0 in ROMP to the D in HINTED. As such, regardless of the beginning or end of a word, the path may use other letters 14 to get from point to point on the game board 10.

[0049] As stated above, a player may re-use letters 14 which were covered previously by that player's colored chips 16, in order to spell a new word. The player does not have to lay another chip 16 on top of any chip 16 placed on the game board 10. Instead, the previous letter 14 is included as part of the word. However, a player may not use another player's chip 16 to spell a word.

[0050] In team play, there can be two players per team. Play passes back and forth between the teams with partners taking turns to make the next word. Partners on a team share the same set of colored chips 16. In the preferred embodiment, team members are not allowed to help by pointing out words or direct play.

[0051] In the preferred game play, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged into the four by four configuration or pattern shown in FIG. 5 in which each square is a board 12 and each board 12 contains a four by four array of letters 14. The object of the game is to create a continuous winding path or line of same colored chips 16 stretching from one edge of the game board 10 to the other edge, either from side to side or from top to bottom. A player may spell words anywhere on the game board 10 and any new word does not have to touch any previous words, until the end of the game. Players must play offensively by extending their own line, and also play defensively by blocking the opponents' lines.

[0052] The winning player is the first player to create a continuous, unbroken winding line of chips 16 stretching from one edge of the game board 10 to the other edge, either side to side or from top to bottom. As described above, a path or line is continuous as long as the player's chips 16 are touching adjacent chips 16 laterally, vertically, or diagonally.

[0053] FIG. 6 shows the first six plays of a game between two players, a player using red chips (Red) 18 and a player using blue chips (Blue) 20. First, Red spells JUMPING 22 and Blue spells RIDER 24. Red then spells EATS 26 and Blue spells SLIPPING 28. Next, Red spells CANED 30 and Blue spells DRIP 32. FIG. 6 shows that a number of lines or paths have been created by each player in both offensive and defensive strategy. These paths may or may not be used later in the game.

[0054] Each player's next three plays are shown in FIG. 7. The Red player's line from left to right was cut off by the Blue player's simple word NOR 34, at the right edge 36. After being cut off from the right edge 36, the Red player then tried to impede Blue's vertical line with the words DENTED 38 and TREAT 40. But the Blue player successfully connected the Blue line through to the bottom edge 42 with the pair of words GINS 44 and SET 46.

[0055] FIG. 8 shows the game board 10 after the Blue player made the final moves and won the game. The yellow line 48 indicates Blue's winning line from the top edge 50 of the game board 10 to the bottom edge 42. The last few plays began with Red locking the upper right corner 52 with TATERS 54. Next, Blue cut through Red's line with DOGS 56. Red sealed one upper right gap with CENT 58, however, Blue won the game by connecting through to the top edge 50 with the word YEARLY 60.

[0056] Other games, similar and different to the game described above can be played using these boards 12 and the game board 10. Various modifications can be made to the rules of the preferred embodiment set forth above and still be covered by the scope of the present disclosure. Further, a player can be handicapped by the game play so that players of different ages or abilities can play against each other with a level playing field. For example, in one embodiment, an adult may be prohibited from using three letter words to make their path while the child does not have that same prohibition. In another embodiment, a ratio of turns can be established such that, for example, the younger player may be allowed two turns for each of the adult's turn, or the younger player is allowed three turns for each of the adult's two turns.

[0057] In an alternative game play using the boards 12 and game board 10 of the present disclosure, the boards 12 are shuffled and arranged in either a two by eight 62 or three by five 64 array as shown in FIG. 9. For this game, of which the object is to race the other player or team from the top edge 66 to the bottom edge 68, the two by eight array 62 can be used for two player or team games, while the three by five array 64 can be used for three player or team games. Of course, other board 12 patterns or configurations can be used.

[0058] As stated above, the object of the game is to create a continuous winding line of the player's colored chips 16 starting at the top edge 66 and extending continuously from the game board's top edge 66 to its bottom edge 68. Each player's first word must include at least one letter which is in the very top edge 66 row of letters 14. After this first word, each subsequent word must touch at least one letter 14 from one of the player's previous words.

[0059] This game allows for players to block the other player's line. The winning player or team is the first player or team to create a continuous, unbroken winding line of chips 16 starting at the very top edge 66 and extending all the way to include a letter 14 from the very bottom edge 68 of letters 14.

[0060] FIG. 10 shows the alternative game play in which Blue spells the word TRADE 70 using at least one letter E 72 in the top edge 66. Red then spells the word RAILS 74, with the letters L 76 and S 78 in the top row 66. Blue then extends its line with the word REARS 80 using the R 82 from TRADE 70 as the first letter in REARS 80. Red then spells EGRETS 84 and cuts through Blue's line. Next, Blue places its chips 16 to form the word RENEGADE 86 and Red creates the word LUGERS 88.

[0061] FIG. 11 shows the ending moves of the alternative game. The Red and Blue players have laid down a number of words creating the game board shown in FIG. 11. The Blue player spells ALIGN 90 to move its line to the game board's 10 center. Red then spells NOBS 92 to pull even with Blue. Blue closes off the board with the word OPENS 94 almost cutting off Red completely, but Red lays down CROON 96 and cuts through Blue's line. Red can next play either DUDE 98 or GIN 100 to win, however, it is Blue's turn and Blue can play RETIRE 102 to connect to the previous word OPENS 94 and win the game.

[0062] In order to make the games more playable, the boards 12 contain the same frequency of letters as most words in the English language, however, the boards have been configured for letters such that there is an increase of frequency of ING, ED and ER endings.

[0063] In the unlikely event of a tie, the tie breaker rule is that the winner is whichever player or team has the most chips 16 on the board at the end of the game.

[0064] The game play described above can be incorporated with a clock that requires players or teams to create a word within a limited amount of time and helps move the game along.

[0065] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board using 16 individual boards in a four by four array is set up. Any number of boards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array of boards. At the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and each player or team reviews the game board for a period of time (i.e., one minute) to determine the longest word the player or team can make from the letters on the game board. Each player or team has a fixed number of chips (i.e. 40), and the objective is for each player or team to place all of the chips on the board.

[0066] When time expires, each player or team states the number corresponding with the number of letters in the longest word that they have determined from the game board. The player or team states the number at the same time as the others. The players with the highest number are allowed to place their chips on those letters. Next, and to the extent there are no chips placed on a particular board (of the 16 in this example), the uncovered boards are then lifted, shuffled and replaced to again generate a four by four array. The game continues in the same manner with the objective to place all of the chips on the ever changing game board, before any other player or team has placed all of their chips.

[0067] In yet another embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board is created using 16 individual boards shuffled and placed in a four by four array for a game of solitaire. Any number of boards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array of boards. At the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and the object is for one player to create a continuous line of chips that touches at least one letter on each of the 16 boards that make up the game board. The goal is to complete the line using the least number of words possible. Accordingly, the player may place a chip on the side of the game board for each word used thereby keeping track of the number of words needed to complete the line.

[0068] In yet another similar embodiment of the present disclosure, a game board is created using 16 individual boards shuffled and placed in a four by four array. Any number of boards can be used for this game, however, the preferred embodiment utilizes a four by four array of boards. Similar to the game of solitaire above, at the beginning of the game, the boards are set out and the object is for one player to create a continuous line of chips, however the line must travel first from one side of the game board to the other, and then, from the top of the game board to the bottom. The second line must break through the first line without using any letters from the first line, thus the break through. Again, the goal is to complete the lines using the least number of words possible. Accordingly, the player may place a chip on the side of the game board for each word used thereby keeping track of the number of words needed to complete the lines.

[0069] In another embodiment, the individual boards 12 can be printed with designs taking up one or more of the letters 14 on the array. These designs overlap or replace the letters 14 and serve to force the player to go around the space to make the line or path. These designs can be mountains, ponds, devils, etc. or just black squares indicating that the square is not available to use for the line or path. The designs can also be separate physical pieces that can be placed or located on the boards 12 or on the game board 10. Once placed or located (or if previously printed on the board 12) the game board 10 now contains certain impediments or blocks to stop the progression of a players line or path. The pieces can be the size of one or more squares thereby taking up the space of one or more letters and can be placed on the game board 10 before or during the game play.

[0070] FIG. 12 shows an example of a separate blocking piece 120 that can be placed or located on a game board 10 along with other separate blocking pieces 122, 124, 126, to create a game board 10 with various blocks. In this example, the four separate blocking pieces 120, 122, 124 and 126 force the players to change the line or path to go around the block. Using this example, a game of race, around the game board 10 can be played. For example, in order to win the game, a player has to start at one end 128, and generate a path around the block and back to the same end. Any of the games described herein can be played or modified using these or other similar blocks.

[0071] In a similar embodiment, instead of a block, the boards 12 can be printed with wild symbols, so that a player can use that particular wild symbol as any letter when creating the path or line. Again, the wild symbols can be included on the board 12, by printing, or incorporated as a separate piece placed prior to or during game play.

[0072] Another embodiment provides for any of the game play described herein, but using numbers instead of letters. In order to create a path or line, the player must generate a mathematical formula using the numbers in the array next to each other. For example, if a 3 is adjacent to a 4 and a seven, the path may include the 3, 4 and 7 in a equation (such as 3+4=7). Using equations, the player or team places that team's chips or tokens on numbers and adjacent numbers to create mathematical equations, and thereby creating a line or path of chips. By using this line of chips and adding new mathematical equations at each turn, the player or team can form a line and connect various locations or ends on the game board, as described herein, or race from one end of the game board to the other, etc.

[0073] In yet another embodiment, a board or computer game is provided in which an array of letters is revealed on a display to a player or players. Such a display can be associated with a game board, computer, mobile phone or computer tablet. The various games described herein or variations on those games can be played and displayed.

[0074] In one non-limiting example, the display shows a six by six array of letters and a clue is provided for the player for each word to be found on the array along with an arrow indicating the direction that the resulting word(s) must travel. For example, the clue might be SISTINE with an arrow to the right with a result containing six letters. If the player finds the word CHAPEL by depressing or selecting the correct letters starting on the left side and moving across and ending on the right side, an indication will show that the answer is correct. There may be four (or more or less) hints or clues and resulting answers before the player completes this round.

[0075] In an alternative embodiment, one clue is provided for all the answers. For example, the clue might be for eight letter words that are mammals and the arrows are pointing down. The player must find four mammals with the word starting at the top and ending at the bottom. Again, the timer starts and keeps track of how long it takes for the player to find all four mammals. The score is greater for shorter times to complete the array. Bonuses can be given to the player depending on the time; for example, every minute a multiplication bonus is reduced. Further, for touch screen displays, the player can enter the results by touching the letter on the array and the game will indicate the selection by changing colors, etc.

[0076] In yet another embodiment for a similar device, the player is provided a four by four array and one clue. The object is to find a single word that answers the clue and also touches all four corners of the array in the shortest amount of time.

[0077] In yet another embodiment for a similar device, the player is provided a five by ten array and a representation of a phrase or sentence with a few letters filled in but all of the remaining letters shown as underlines or boxes (blanks). The object is identify all of the unknown letters in the phrase (blanks) by touching the letters on the array, thereby forming a continuous connected line of letters which is all of the letters in the phrase, excluding punctuation and spaces, in correct beginning-to-end order.

[0078] These four exemplary games can be played on a device or as a board game, in segments or levels such that the player has to succeed at one level to be allowed to try the next level. Further, each of these games, either combined or separately, can be played against other players by sharing the device or remotely. Points can also be accumulated at each level and the final score can be compared to other players during a specific time period (one day, etc.) or at the same time.

[0079] In yet another embodiment, a game play similar to the game play described above for board games can be played in which a player attempts to join the top to bottom and the left and right side in the least number of connected words. Points can be established based on the size of the words used to make the connection and/or a greater score for using fewer words to connect the ends.

[0080] In yet another embodiment, a game play is provided in which, for example, a six by six array of letters is provided and the player must find a certain number of words have the required number of letters. For example, the player is timed to find five words containing three letters, four words containing four letters, three words containing five letters, and two words containing six letters. The player score is based on time to locate all the words, with the objective to complete the game in the shortest amount of time. Bonuses, or deductions of time, can be obtained for seven or more letter words (for example, subtract 30 seconds for each seven letter word), using all the words in the grid (for example, subtract 1 minute) and finding double words, a word in both directions (for example, subtract 20 seconds), among others. Deductions, or additions of time, can be incorporated for using hints (for example, add 20 seconds). Of course, numerous scoring methods can be used to achieve similar results.

[0081] In another embodiment, the games described herein can be part of a television or Internet game show. For example, each of the segments or levels detailed above can be a separate segment in which players compete against each other for points. The segments are the same or different formats of connecting words on an array or guessing the word on the array based on clues provided. The players must select the correct word or words to complete the game board. The player with the highest score after the three segments is allowed to play the bonus round, which can be the attempt to connect the top and bottom and side to side in the least amount of words. Further, players watching the show can also play along for prizes.

[0082] Each of the novel game boards and game play described herein can be played using the physical game board. Further, each of the games can be played by simulating the boards and game boards on a display, such as a computer screen, a handheld electronic game, a tablet, a cellular telephone, such as a smart phone, or any other visual display that is controlled by a microprocessor-based system.

[0083] The rules of the games described herein can be played in a similar manner using a microprocessor-based system and the games can be played by players in the same physical location or by players located remotely from each other. Such game play is understood by those having ordinary skill in the art by using a global communication network such as the Internet or an intranet. The game play can be provided to players using various social networks, such as Facebook, so that players can play against each other without the need for a physical board or being in the same location.

[0084] Further, the game play can be provided at or by websites that provide computer games and game play to subscribers of those website. In doing so, game statistics can be generated and recorded for individuals and team play. The game play of the present disclosure can also be provided to players as an application download to a computer tablet or smart phone, for example, as an iPhone application or a Google application.

[0085] Thus in some embodiments, the game board 10 may be electronic. With reference to FIG. 12, for example, an electronic game board 10 is shown for use on a computer, a tablet, a mobile phone, a microprocessor-based system, or other electronic device. Some of these electronic devices may in fact have touch-screens. Moreover, it should be understood that some or many of the principles and features described above may be equally applicable to game boards 10 that are electronic. For instance, similar to the various embodiments described above, the game board 10 shown in FIG. 12 may provide a variety of games for one or more players. Conversely, some or many of the principles and features described below may be equally applicable to the game boards 10 described above.

[0086] In the exemplary embodiment shown in FIG. 12, the game board 10 challenges a player to locate words hidden within a six by six array of letters 14. The player may tap each letter 14 of a continuously winding word in sequence to identify that word. In the alternative, the player may drag a pointer, stylus, finger, or other marker from letter 14 to letter 14 without having to individually tap each letter 14.

[0087] More specifically, at least one indicator 130 may inform a user of requirements for the types of words that must be located. Here, for example, four indicators 130 inform the player to locate one six-letter word extending generally left to right, one six-letter word extending generally top to bottom, one six-letter word extending generally right to left, and one six-letter word extending generally bottom to top. While all of the indicators 130 are shown to require six-letter words here, this is merely exemplary. Depending on the difficulty settings, the skill of the player, the round, or some combination thereof, the game board 10 may challenge the player to find words of varying length.

[0088] In some embodiments, a clue 132 may be provided near each indicator 130. The exemplary clues 132 shown here correspond, respectively, to the name of a desert, the capital of Ireland, a gaseous planet, and the name of an American actor. Further, a box 134 underneath each indicator 130 may show the correct word after the player has located the word.

[0089] A number of points 136 awarded for each correct word located may also be shown. For instance, the player was awarded 2,400 points for locating Sahara, 3,000 points for locating Dublin, and 2,400 points for locating Uranus. The point scheme may be based on the difficulty of locating a particular hidden word or an amount of time elapsed 138 since the game began, for example. In other words, the player may receive more points for locating words quickly. A multiplier 140 corresponding to a Time Bonus may inform the player of the benefit of finding words timely. In this example, one minute and eight seconds have elapsed, which corresponds to a multiplier 140 of 3. Thus assuming one hundred points per letter per word, the player would only receive 1,800 points based on the amount of time that has elapsed 138 for correctly identifying Bogart. As the player taps each letter 14 of a word, the game board 10 may display a sequence 142 of letters that the player has selected. If the sequence 142 is incorrect (e.g., if the player erroneously selected an incorrect letter or one out of order), the player may simply tap a clear button 144 to begin identifying the word again. As with many embodiments of the present disclosure, the game board 10 may notify the player once the player has correctly identified a word, when the player has incorrectly identified a word, or when the word does not exist.

[0090] The game board 10 may also display a player profile 146. The player profile 146 may be part of a larger player profile (not shown) and may indicate, for example, how many points the player has accumulated in a particular game and a name of the current player. The game board 10 may also provide a hint button 148 for players. The hint button 148 may give players a hint for locating a word. The hint may be substantive, such as providing the first and last letters of a word, for instance. Or the hint may be visual, such as highlighting several letters 14 of a word on the game board 10, for example. Use of the hint button 148 may detrimentally impact the player's score, such as by adding time or reducing points. Moreover, the game board 10 may provide different levels of hints.

[0091] The game board 10 may further provide a help button 150, a dictionary button 152, a pause/menu button 154, and an exit button 156 in some embodiments. The help button 150 may provide players with further information on the game, such as directions on how to play, for example. The dictionary button 152 may allow players to verify words in a dictionary, which depending on the electronic device may be stored locally or may be stored remotely. The pause/menu button 154 may pause the current game while displaying a menu for the player. In one embodiment, the letters 14 of the game board 10 may be masked when the pause/menu button 154 is selected so that a player may not stop the elapsed time 138 while continuing to locate words. Moreover, the exit button 156 may allow players to exit out of the game board 10 and return to an interface displayed by the electronic device.

[0092] Where the game board 10 is played on electronic devices having a screen, it should be understood that the game board 10 may operate similarly to that described above. For example, whereas a player may place a colored chip 16 on a letter 14 on a physical game board 10, the screen of an electronic device may display a virtual colored chip 16 on the letters 14 of a word that the player has correctly identified.

[0093] As the player interacts with the game board 10, visual aids may be displayed on the screen to assist the player. By way of example, circles 158 may be displayed around letters 14 as the player selects the letters 14 for a particular word. In FIG. 12, the player has currently selected B-O-G-A-R. As a further example, the circles 158 may be interconnected by lines 160 showing the path of letters 14 selected.

[0094] Although every feature of the game board 10 has not been fully enumerated, it should be understood that certain features of the game board 10 may vary from one embodiment to the next. To illustrate, in some games players may reuse letters 14, while in other games players may be prohibited from reusing letters 14. In some games the last letter of a word must terminate at an edge, while in other games the word must simply extend across the length or width of the array of letters 14. Hence the described features and embodiments are truly exemplary, and many variations of the game board 10 remain within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0095] In one embodiment, once the player locates the words the game board 10 may present the player with another game. For example, the game board 10 may challenge the player to locate a number of words that all relate to a particular theme or a single clue. Hints may again be available to assist the player with moving the game forward. Likewise, the player may be competing against a clock, and thus possible points may decrease as time elapses. The game board 10 may in some embodiments present the player with a still further game. For example, the game board 10 may challenge the player to find a 10- or 11-letter word winding through a four by four array of letters. In one variation, the game board 10 may provide a clue to the player, and the word corresponding to the clue must touch all four corners of the array.

[0096] Turning now to FIG. 13, yet another game is displayed on the game board 10. In this game, each indicator 130 may instruct the player to find a certain quantity 162 of words of a certain length. For example, the game board 10 here is instructing the player to find three 5-letter words. The player has already found two out of three 5-letter words, hence the 2/3. A list 164 beneath each indicator 130 may show the words that the player has already located. Thus one can see that the player has already found CHAPS and INDEX under the 5-letter word category. Moreover, this game may be based on elapsed time 136 rather than points.

[0097] Because some shorter-length words may form a portion of longer-length words, a button 166, for example ENTER, may be provided. The player may then tap that button 166 when he or she desires to register a located word. The game board 10 need not assume whether the player was trying for a shorter word or a longer word.

[0098] This game along with other games may accord the player more or less points depending on the type of words located. For instance, a double word that has a second meaning when its letters are reversed (e.g., tops and spot) may be worth more points or may reduce the elapsed time 136, depending on how the game is scored. As a further example, players that can utilize every letter 14 on an array may be awarded a bonus in the form of added points or reduced elapsed time 136. A status 168 on the game board 10 may inform the player of the percentage of letters 14 on the array that have been utilized thus far. Bonuses may also be awarded to players that locate words having seven or more letters, for example. Still further, a player may be docked points or time where the player locates words that are derivatives of one another (e.g., gap and gaps).

[0099] In another embodiment, the game board 10 may challenge a player to locate a string of words within a sixteen by sixteen array of letters 14. The game may first require the player to locate a string of words that connect the left and right sides of the array. The game may then require the player to locate a string of words that connect the top and bottom of the array. The words located in the left-right string may remain highlighted with virtual colored chips as the player locates a string of words from the top to bottom. In some variations, the player must cross over the left-right string so as not to use a letter 14 forming one of the words in the left-right string. In other words, the player must create a diagonal connection to cross the left-right string. In other variations, though, the game board 10 may allow the player to use letters from the left-right string of words to create the top-bottom string of words.

[0100] In this embodiment, the game may not necessarily track elapsed time. Rather, points may be based on the number of words required to create the left-right and top-bottom strings. Thus players that use longer words may be rewarded accordingly. Further, because of the size of the array in this embodiment, the game board 10 may include features that assist players. For example, once the player selects a letter 14, the screen may zoom in on the selected letter 14 and letters 14 nearby. Another example involves the use of a rotate button. The rotate button may allow the player to rotate the array 180 degrees while maintaining the letters 14 in an upright, readable format. Such rotation allows players sitting across from one another to play the game on a device positioned between them without having to move the device between turns.

[0101] Still another game is shown in FIG. 14. The game shown can be played by multiple players (e.g., two, three, four) sharing a single electronic device or can be played by multiple players at different locations. The objective of the game may be to locate a string of words that connect the top and bottom or left and right sides of a sixteen by sixteen array. Virtual colored chips 16 may indicate which player located a word comprised of particular letters 14. Further, players may attempt to block one another by locating words in each other's paths. Players may only cross another player's string of words at diagonals, as described above in at least one of single player embodiments.

[0102] The game board 10 shown in FIG. 14 may also include a zoom button 170 and a rotate button 172. The zoom button 170 may allow players to zoom in on a particular section of the array. Once zoomed in, the player may move the view to different sections of the array. The rotate button 172 may allow the player to rotate the array 180 degrees while maintaining the letters 14 in an upright, readable format. The game board 10 may be returned to a default view after each player's turn.

[0103] In some embodiments, each player may be allotted a certain amount of total time, the idea being that once a player has run out of time, that player loses. During a player's turn, that player's allotment of total time may count down towards zero, and continue counting down with each successive turn. Once a player identifies a word on the array, though, the next player's total time starts counting down.

[0104] While the description thus far has focused largely on the game board 10 and its multitude of embodiments, also important is the hardware and infrastructure that support the game board 10. FIG. 15 illustrates an exemplary computer system 200, or network architecture, that may be used to implement the game board 10 in electronic devices according to the present disclosure. One or more computer systems 200 may carry out the methods presented herein as computer code. One or more processors, such as processor 220, which may be a special purpose or a general-purpose processor is connected to a bus 210. As shown in FIG. 15, bus 210 connects the processor 220 to various other components of the computer system 200, but it is contemplated bus 210 may connect processor 220 to components (not shown) such as, sensors, and servomechanisms. It is also contemplated that bus 210 connects the processor 220 to other computer systems. Via the bus 210, the processor 220 can receive computer code. The term computer code includes, for example, programs, instructions, signals and/or data. The processor 220 executes computer code and may further send the computer code via the bus 210.

[0105] The computer system 200 may include one or more memories, such as first memory 230 and second memory 240. It is contemplated that the first memory 230, secondary memory 240, or a combination thereof function as a computer usable storage medium to store and/or access computer code. The first memory 230 and second memory 240 may be, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), a mass storage device, or any combination thereof.

[0106] As shown in FIG. 15, one embodiment of second memory 240 is a mass storage device 243, although it is contemplated that first memory 230 may be the mass storage device. The mass storage device 243 comprises a storage drive 245 and a storage media 247. It is contemplated the storage media 247 may or may not be removable from the storage drive 245. Mass storage devices 243 with storage media 247 that are removable, otherwise referred to as removable storage media, allow computer code to be transferred to and/or from the computer system 200.

[0107] A mass storage device 243 may include, for example, a Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CDROM), ZIP storage device, tape storage device, magnetic storage device, optical storage device, Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), nanotechnological storage device, floppy storage device, hard disk device. Mass storage device 243 also includes program cartridges and cartridge interfaces (such as that found in video game devices), removable memory chips (such as an EPROM, or PROM) and associated sockets.

[0108] The computer system 200 may further or alternatively include other means for computer code to be loaded into or removed from the computer system 200, for example, input/output (I/O) interface 250 and/or communications interface 260. Both the I/O interface 250 and the communications interface 260 allow computer code to be transferred between the computer system 200 and external devices including other computer systems. This transfer may be bi-directional or omni-direction to or from the computer system 200.

[0109] Computer code transferred by the I/O interface 250 and the communications interface 260 are typically in the form of signals, which may be electronic, electromagnetic, optical, or other signals capable of being sent and/or received by the interfaces. These signals may be transmitted via a variety of modes including, but not limited to, wire or cable, fiber optics, a phone line, a cellular phone link, infrared (IR), and radio frequency (RF) link.

[0110] The I/O interface 250 may be any connection, wired or wireless, that allows the transfer of computer code. An I/O interface 250 includes, for example, an analog or digital audio connection, digital video interface (DVI), video graphics adapter (VGA), musical instrument digital interface (MIDI), parallel connection, PS/2 connection, serial connection, universal serial bus connection (USB), IEEE1394 connection, PCMCIA slot and card. In certain embodiments the I/O interface connects to an I/O unit 255 such as a user interface, monitor, speaker, printer, touch screen display, to name a few.

[0111] The communications interface 260 is also any connection that allows the transfer of computer code. Communication interfaces include, but are not limited to, a modem, network interface (such as an Ethernet card), wired or wireless systems (such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, IR), local area networks, wide area networks, intranets, etc.

[0112] One aspect of the present disclosures is also directed to computer products, otherwise referred to as computer program products, to provide software that includes computer code to the computer system 200. Processor 220 executes the computer code in order to implement the methods of the present invention. As an example, the methods according to the present invention may be implemented using software that includes the computer code, wherein the software is loaded into the computer system 200 using a memory 230, 240 such as the mass storage drive 243, or through an I/O interface 250, communications interface 260, or any other interface with the computer system 200. The computer code in conjunction with the computer system 200 described herein may perform any one of, or any combination of, the steps of any of the methods presented herein. It is also contemplated that the methods according to the present invention may be performed automatically, or may be invoked by some form of manual intervention.

[0113] The computer system 200, or network architecture, of FIG. 15 is provided only for purposes of illustration, such that the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment. It is appreciated that a person skilled in the relevant art knows how to program and implement the invention using any computer system or network architecture.

[0114] The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive, and the scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. Those of skill in the art will recognize changes, substitutions and other modifications that will nonetheless come within the scope of the invention and range of the claims.