Game board, pawn, sticker and system for detecting pawns on a game board

Abstract

A game board (2) with a board surface (3) and a scanning display, the scanning display comprises display means for displaying a game board layout on the board surface (3), and detection means for scanning a code surface of a pawn (20) for detecting a pawn code when the code surface of the pawn (20) is directed towards the board surface (3). The game board (2) further comprises or is coupled to a memory (6) for storing a set of codes, and a processor (5) for comparing the detected pawn code to the stored codes to identify the pawn (20). The detection means preferably comprise a plurality of light sensors (12).

Claims

1. A game board comprising: a board surface; a plurality of pawns each having a unique code; a scanning display configured to display a game layout on the board surface; and a detector configured to detect the code when the pawn is held above the board surface, and when the pawn is in contact with the board surface, detect an orientation of the pawn relative to the game board when the pawn is sufficiently close to the board surface, and provide a warning when the orientation of the pawn is inappropriate.

2. The game board as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: a memory for storing the plurality of codes; and a processor for comparing the detected code to at least one of the stored codes.

3. The game board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning display includes a plurality of light modulating cells and the detector includes a plurality of light sensors for scanning for the code, each of the plurality of light sensors being adjacent to at least one of the plurality of light modulating cells.

4. The game board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning display comprises a first layer including a plurality of light modulating cells for displaying the game board layout and a second layer including a plurality of light sensors for scanning for the code, the first layer and the second layer are stacked.

5. The game board as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light modulating cells are pixels of an LCD display.

6. The game board as claimed in claim 3, wherein the light modulating cells are pixels of an organic LED display.

7. The game board as claimed in claim 1, wherein the scanning display comprises a plurality of cells configured to modulate light for displaying the game layout, and sensing light for scanning for the code.

8. The game board as claimed in claim 7, wherein the cells comprise organic LEDs.

9. The game board as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a contact detector for detecting a contact of the board surface with the pawn.

10. The game board as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is arranged for detecting a position of the pawn when the code surface is directed towards the board surface.

11. The game board as claimed in claim 2, wherein the processor is configured to detect an orientation of the pawn relative to the game board when the code is directed towards the board surface.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) In the drawings:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the system according to the invention,

(3) FIGS. 2a to 2d show exemplary arrangements of light modulating cells and light sensors in a game board according to the invention,

(4) FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a game board according to the invention,

(5) FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show embodiments of pawns according to the invention,

(6) FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a pawn according to the invention, and

(7) FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a pawn according to the invention, placed on a game board.

(8) FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of the system 1 according to the invention. The system 1 comprises a game board 2 and pawns 20. The game board 2 comprises a board surface 3 whereon various board games can be played. The game board 2 may comprise or is coupled to a processor 5, a memory 6 and a graphics generation unit 4 to display a game board layout according to a selected board game on the board surface 3. Well known examples of board games are Chess, Backgammon, Scrabble, and Monopoly. The system according to the invention does not only enable the playing of classical, known board games, but may also be used for completely new board games. Such new board games may include, for example, board games wherein the game board layout changes according to the run of the game. The board surface 3 may, for example be the surface of a display device, such as a LCD monitor, or a transparent plate covering such a display device. The memory 6, the processor 5 and the graphics generation unit 4 may be included in a personal computer (PC), coupled to the game board 2. The game board further comprises light sensors 12, for detecting light, reflected by a code surface of a pawn 20. In FIG. 1 the light sensors 12 are schematically indicated by a block 12, in practice the light sensors are present in the game board 2 near the board surface 3. Different embodiments and arrangements of these light sensors 12 will be described later on.

(9) Preferably the system also comprises a user interface 8 to enable the user to select board games, start new games, save games, load previously saved games, choose playing modes etc. The user interface 8 may comprise well known devices, such as a keyboard, a mouse or a joystick. Alternatively, part of the board surface may function as a user interface 8 if the board surface is operative to detect a contact with a pointing object, such as a pen or a fingertip. The use of different types of touch screens for such user interfaces 8 is well known. Also the light sensors 12 may be used to detect a contact or a proximity of a pointing object to the board surface 3. The size and the elements of the user interface 8 may vary according to the game, game situation and/or available options. The system may comprise an Internet connection 9 which enables playing board games with or against other players from all over the world.

(10) Signals, supplied by the light sensors 12 may be used to detect whether the pawn 20 is above or in contact with the board surface 3. Possibly, the game board also comprises a contact detection unit 7 for detecting a contact of a contact surface of the pawn 20 with the board surface 3. In some board games it might be advantageous for the game board 2 to be able to distinguish the situation of a pawn 20 being held just above the board surface 3 by a user with the code surface directed towards the board surface 3 from the situation of a pawn 20 being placed at and in contact with the board surface 3. The contact detection unit 7 may, for example, use well known touch screen techniques and may also be used for providing the user interface 8.

(11) Many combinations of display and light sensing techniques may be used in the scanning display used in the game board 2 according to the invention. The display technique used for the scanning display may be any known display technique for televisions, personal, laptop or handheld computers, or other devices comprising a monitor. Preferably, a pixel based display is used with light sensors added to the pixels. Some examples of pixel based displays, used in the game board according to the invention, will be provided later on. Many types of known light sensors, like for example CCD or CMOS sensors as are often used in digital cameras, may be used as light sensing elements in the scanning display. The design of the game board 2 is such that the light reflected from the code surface of a pawn 20 can be detected by the light sensors and that a code can be identified by analyzing the light pattern detected by the light sensors. With respect to the prior art game system now the light sensors 12 and the display device are positioned very close to each other such that in fact, they form a single unit. It is much more reliable to detect a code on the code surface of the pawn 20 than to detect a shape of the pawn 20 with the prior art camera system.

(12) FIGS. 2a to 2d show exemplary arrangements of light modulating cells 11 and light sensors 12 in a game board 2 according to the invention. Preferably, the plurality of light modulating cells 11 is arranged in a grid, such as in an LCD display or an organic LED display. The scanning display further comprises a plurality of light sensors 12 for scanning the code surface of a pawn 20. An individual light sensor 12 of the plurality of light sensors 12 should be near to at least one light modulating cell 11 of the scanning display for being able to receive the light from said light modulating cell 11 after reflection at the code surface of a pawn 20. In FIG. 2a a light sensor 12 is provided next to each light modulating cell 11, the plurality of light sensors 12 thus forming a grid with a resolution equal to the resolution of the grid formed by the light modulating cells 11. In the scanning display shown in FIG. 2b the light sensors 12 are integrated in the light modulating cells 11 to form a combined light sensing/modulating cell 13. Such combined cells 13 may, for example, comprise polymer light emitting diodes (polyLED), which are capable of emitting as well as detecting light. FIGS. 2c and 2d show alternative arrangements of light modulating cells 11 and light sensors 12 in a game board 2. In the game boards 2 shown in FIGS. 2c and 2d the resolution of the grid formed by the light sensing cells 12 is lower than the resolution of the grid formed by the light modulating cells 11.

(13) FIG. 3 shows an alternative embodiment of a game board according to the invention. In this embodiment the light modulating cells 11 and the light sensing cells 12 are comprised in a first layer 31 and a second layer 32, respectively. For the scanning display to work properly, the first layer 31 is at least partly transparent for enabling light reflected by the code surface of a pawn 20 to reach the second layer. The design of the game board 2 is such that most light reaching the light sensors 12 comes directly from the code surface of the pawn 20. Light coming directly from the light modulating cells 11, or via internal reflections in the game board 2, may impair the capability of the game board 2 to detect codes on the code surface of pawns 20. In FIG. 3, the light modulating layer 31 is stacked upon the light sensing layer 32. Alternatively, the light sensing layer 32 may be stacked upon the light emitting layer 31. In this event, the light sensing layer 32 is partly transparent for enabling the game board lay out to be displayed on the board surface 3 and the light sensors 12 are not sensitive for light coming directly from the light modulating cells 11. Only light reflected at the code surfaces of the pawns 20 should be detected by the light sensors 12.

(14) FIGS. 4a, 4b and 4c show embodiments of pawns 20 according to the invention. All figures show a pawn 20 with a contact surface 23 comprising the code surface 21. In FIG. 4a the code 22 on the code surface 21 comprises characters. In FIG. 4b the code 22 comprises a bar code. Other coding systems based on visual contrast between a background colour and a colour of a foreground image may be used. For example, pictograms or differently shaped or sized polygons may be used as a code 22. In FIG. 4c a pawn 20 is shown, with a code 22, comprising a pictogram. If the game board is operative to detect the colour of the light reflected by the code surface 21, a colour scheme may be used for coding the different pawns 20.

(15) Alternatively a code sticker may be provided for applying to a pawn. The sticker may be used for coding a set of normal pawns without a code. The coded pawns may then be used with the game board 2 according to the invention, and will be recognized by the game board 2. The sticker may also be used for recoding pawns, which already have a code. Recoding may, for example, be required when a pawn from a first set of pawns comprises a code which is identical to a code of a pawn from a second set of pawns and both sets are to be used together for playing a game.

(16) When the pawn 20 is placed on or held just above the board surface 3 with its code surface 21 directed towards the board surface, the light sensors detect the light reflected at the code surface. The wavelengths and the intensities of the reflected light depend on the code 22 on the code surface 21. Darker parts of the code surface 21 reflect less visual light than lighter parts. The information about the reflected light, detected by the light sensors 12 is analyzed by the processor 5, for identifying and locating the pawn which is represented by the detected code 22. If the code is not completely symmetric, the processor may also derive an orientation of the pawn 20 from the light detected by the light sensors 12.

(17) FIG. 5 shows an alternative embodiment of a pawn according to the invention. The contact surface 23 of the pawn 20 shown in FIG. 5 does not comprise the code surface 21. When placed on the board surface 3, the code surface 21 of the pawn 20 is just above and directed towards the board surface 3.

(18) FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of a pawn according to the invention, placed on a game board 2. When placed on the game board 2, the code surface 21 is obscured from the view of the player. Part of the light emitted by the display, for showing a game board layout on the board surface 3, is reflected by the code surface 21 and used for identifying the pawn 20.

(19) It should be noted that the above-mentioned embodiments illustrate rather than limit the invention, and that those skilled in the art will be able to design many alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses shall not be construed as limiting the claim. Use of the verb “comprise” and its conjugations does not exclude the presence of elements or steps other than those stated in a claim. The article “a” or “an” preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. The invention may be implemented by means of hardware comprising several distinct elements, and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In the device claim enumerating several means, several of these means may be embodied by one and the same item of hardware. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.