US20060087083A1

US20060087083A1 - Pendulum game

Info

Publication number: US20060087083A1
Application number: US10/971,641
Authority: US
Inventors: W. Bond
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2004-10-22
Filing date: 2004-10-22
Publication date: 2006-04-27

Abstract

A pendulum game for answering questions posed to the pendulum having a transparent dome configured to enclose a pendulum bob connected to a string, which egresses through an aperture in an upper section of the transparent dome to be held by a user. Additionally, the pendulum game includes a base feature for positioning the transparent dome over a game board with answers inscribed on an answer diagram. The transparent dome and base feature prevent air currents or muscle movements from affecting pendulum movement over the game board. In operation, by asking specific questions and operating the pendulum bob over the game-board, the player can communicate with his or her intuitive energy and thereby communicate with his or her own deeper perceptions. The pendulum functions by synchronicity, and an answer given is symbolically related to the question asked. But, because the player holds the string of the pendulum outside of the dome, there is, however, still an energetic connection between the pendulum and the player. Thus, the user asks a question and the pendulum answers.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to question and answer games. Specifically, the present invention relates to a pendulum game with a transparent dome for answering questions.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is a proven axiom of psychology that mental processes, in the absence of a positive medium of expression, will reveal themselves by association with certain symbols. For instance, the trend of a person's conscious or sub-conscious mind will be revealed in an attraction for, or an aversion to, certain symbols suggestive of the nature of the trend of thought.
Pendulums are some of the oldest tools for gathering knowledge about the unknown. By asking a question and operating the pendulum, one can communicate with his or her own intuitive energy and thereby communicate the deepest perceptions. Many people use pendulums these days and hold them over maps to find a place to live, over person in pain to find out how to treat them, or over photographs of individuals to determine who to date or marry.
Using the pendulum requires no special training or skills; however it has always been shrouded in mystery. While watching the pendulum swing, the observer may think that minute muscular movements or air currents made by the person holding the pendulum are responsible for the swinging. Therefore, it is believed that if the pendulum is completely enclosed and is able to swing, then it would be truly moved by some thought power alone. If the muscle movement and the air currents are accounted for, and the pendulum still swings, then it would appear that the movement is by magic or by psychic powers.
Therefore, there is a need for a device that helps eliminate muscle movement and air currents when using a pendulum to prevent forces from affecting the swing of the pendulum. Additionally, there is a need for a game which uses a pendulum for answering questions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has been developed in response to the present state of the art, and in particular, in response to the problems and needs in the art that have not yet been fully solved by currently available pendulum games. Accordingly, the present invention has been developed to provide a pendulum game for answering questions posed to the pendulum.
More specifically, the present invention provides a transparent dome configured to enclose a pendulum bob connected to a string, which egresses through an aperture in an upper section of the transparent dome to be held by a user. Additionally, the pendulum game includes a base feature for positioning the transparent dome over a game board with answers inscribed on an answer diagram. The transparent dome and base feature prevent air currents or muscle movements from affecting pendulum movement over the game board. In operation, by asking specific questions and operating the pendulum bob over the game-board, the player can communicate with his or her intuitive energy and thereby communicate with his or her own deeper perceptions. The pendulum functions by synchronicity, and the answer given is symbolically related to the question asked. But, because the player holds the string of the pendulum outside of the dome, there is, however, still an energetic connection between the pendulum and the player. Thus, the user asks a question and the pendulum oracle answers.
These features and advantages of the present invention will become more fully apparent from the following description and appended claims, or may be learned by the practice of the invention as set forth hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In order for the invention to be more readily understood, a more particular description of the invention briefly described above will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, the invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings, in which:
FIG. 1 illustrates a pendulum oracle game according to one embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a pendulum according to the present invention;
FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of a game-board, consisting of various wells for receiving answer boards, upon which the transparent dome may be placed according to the present invention;
FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a non-specific answer diagram according to the present invention; and
FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a specific answer diagram according to the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For the purposes of promoting an understanding of the principles of the invention, reference will now be made to the exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings, and specific language will be used to describe the same. It will nevertheless be understood that no limitation of the scope of the invention is thereby intended. Any alterations and further modifications of the inventive features illustrated herein, and any additional applications of the principles of the invention as illustrated herein, which would occur to one skilled in the relevant art and having possession of this disclosure, are to be considered within the scope of the invention.
Reference throughout this specification to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” or similar language means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one embodiment,” “in an embodiment,” and similar language throughout this specification may, but do not necessarily, all refer to the same embodiment.
FIG. 1 illustrates a pendulum oracle game 10 according to one embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, the pendulum oracle game 10 comprises a transparent dome 12, a game board 14, and a pendulum 16. The pendulum 16 comprises a pendulum bob 17 connected to a string 18. The transparent dome 12 is open on a base end 20 and includes a small aperture 22 at a top end 24. The transparent dome 12 engages the base 14 within a groove 26 to prevent air current from affecting the movement of the pendulum 16. The string 18 is threaded through the small aperture 22 of the transparent dome 12 such that the string 18 may be grasped by a player 28.
The preferred manner in which the pendulum oracle game 10 is played starts with the player rolling a die, or spinning an arrow on a spinner wheel, which reveals a number or category corresponding to one of an answer diagram 30 (See also FIGS. 4-5). The player 28 places the corresponding answer diagram 30 on the base 14 and positions the transparent dome 12 over the answer diagram 30.
In operation, the player 28, by grasping the string 18 with the tips of the thumb and index finger of the major hand, holds the pendulum bob 17 over a center of the answer diagram 30. The player 28 selects a game card from a deck (not shown) that corresponds to the answer diagram 30 and reads a question from the card aloud. While suspending the pendulum bob 17, the player 28 thinks of an answer to the question on the game card. The pendulum bob 17 then swings in a certain direction or certain way over the answer diagram 30 which produces an answer to the question. The player 28 may ask a series of questions related to the answer diagram 30, or only the question on the game card.
FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of the pendulum. In this embodiment, the string 18 is sufficiently long to extend the pendulum bob 17 from near the base 20 (See FIG. 1) through the aperture 22 (See FIG. 1) at the top of the transparent dome 12 (See FIG. 1). The string 18 includes additional slack to enable the player 28 to grasp the end of the string 18. The pendulum bob 17 has an opening 38 through which the string 18 passes.
The player 28 may select a prefabricated pendulum 16, or the player 28 may construct his own pendulum. In this manner, the player 28 may individualize the pendulum 16 to his preferences. The string 18 may be a cord, cotton thread, rope, chain, etc. The pendulum bob 17 may be crystal rock, a type of metal, clay, ceramic, or any other material with sufficient density to hang from the string 18. In this embodiment, the pendulum bob 17 is diamond shaped but may also be conical, triangular, a combination thereof, or any other shape.
FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the game board 32 according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the game board 32 is rectangular but may also be circular, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or a combination thereof. The dimensions of the game board 32 may vary, so long as it is capable of accommodating various answer diagrams 30 (See FIG. 1). The game board 32 is configured to hold a plurality of answer diagrams 30 within wells, or receiving areas, 34 circumscribed into a top surface 36 of the game board 32. Each well 34 has a circumference that substantially matches the circumference of the base 20 (See FIG. 1) of the transparent dome 10 (See FIG. 1) to allow the transparent dome 10 to fit within the wells 34 of the board game 32.
The game board 32 may be comprised of cardboard, paper, plastic, metal, etc, a combination thereof. The game board 32 may be any variety of colors, or a combination of colors. The wells 34 in the present embodiment are circular, but may also be rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, a combination thereof, or any other shape. The answer diagrams 30 may be integrated into the game board 32, or they may be detachable or insertable.
FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a non-specific answer diagram 30, which is placed on the base 14 (See FIG. 1). In the present embodiment, the answer diagram 30 is circular. It may also be rectangular, triangular, hexagonal, octagonal, or any other shape. The answer diagram 30 is relatively flat, enabling the pendulum bob 17 (See FIG. 1) to swing over the surface unimpeded. The surface of the answer diagram 30 may include indentations or rises, so long as they do not impede the motion of the pendulum bob 17.
The arrows 40 are configured to help the player 28 (See FIG. 1) read the direction the pendulum 16 (See FIG. 1) swings to help identify an answer to the question. For example, if after asking the oracle game 10 (See FIG. 1) a question, and the pendulum 16 swings in the direction of arrow 42, then the answer to the question is “YES”. Similarly, if after asking the oracle game 10 a question, and the pendulum 16 swings in the direction of arrow 44, then the answer to the question is “NO”. The same applies for arrow 46, which indicates that the answer to the question is “MAYBE”.
FIG. 5 is a planar view illustrating one embodiment of a specific answer diagram 30. This particular embodiment corresponds to a question the game poses to the player 28 (See FIG. 1) concerning his or her love life, relationships, or marriage. If after posing a question, the pendulum 16 (See FIG. 1) swings in the direction of arrow 48 then the player 28 is “IN LOVE”. Similarly, if after posing a question, the pendulum 16 swings in the direction of arrow 50, the player is “NOT IN LOVE”. The same applies for arrow 52, which indicates that the player 28 is “SCARED OF LOVE”.
The answers on the answer diagram 30 may be delineated by arrows or sections divided as one would slice a pie into pieces. Other words or phrases representing the answers concerning the player's love life, relationships, or marriage are possible. Similarly, in addition to love, relationships, and marriage, specific answer diagrams 30 may consist of various topics, such as money, finances, success; happiness, philosophy and religion; career or employment status; travel and vacations; friends, relatives, or social status; physical health; and home and family. Certainly, other categories of questions exist. Additionally, the answer diagrams may be designed with numbers, days, months, years, body parts, colors, percentages, etc. Each category of specific answer diagrams 30 contains different words or phrases that represent answers to questions related to that theme.
In practice, after determining the category of answer diagrams 30, the player 28 places the corresponding diagram under the transparent dome 12 (See FIG. 1) and within the well 34 (See FIG. 3) of the game board 32, or the player 28 slides the transparent dome 12 over the corresponding answer diagram 30. He holds the string 18 (See FIG. 2) between the tips of the thumb and the index finger of the major hand and hangs the pendulum bob 17 (See FIG. 2) suspended over the center of the answer diagram 30.
While holding the pendulum 16, the player 28 selects a card from a card deck, which may have generic, but perhaps embarrassing questions, and reads the question aloud. He thinks of an answer to the question. The pendulum 16 then swings in a direction or certain way, which produces an answer to the question. The player 28 may ask a series of questions related to the answer diagram 30 or only the question on the card. There are no points to be won and no competition, rather, the player 28 can get used to the pendulum 16 and get answers more quickly or more precisely.
It is understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the presently illustrated invention. The present invention may, however, be embodied in other specific forms without departing from its spirit or essential characteristics. The described embodiments are to be considered in all respects only as illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is, therefore, indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description. All changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are to be embraced within their scope.
For example, it is envisioned that there are different types of games available, such as a serious game for a person who plays the game in order to find out specific answers to specific questions; a teenage game for-multiple game players asking questions that are funny; an adult game for multiple game players asking questions that are more suggestive in nature; a couples game for two game players asking questions that are partly serious and partly suggestive in nature; and a sports or college version may be devised.
Thus, while the present invention has been fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that numerous modifications, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use may be made, without departing from the principles and concepts of the invention as set forth in the claims.

Claims

1. A pendulum question and answer game, comprising:

a transparent dome with an aperture through a top end;

an answer diagram; and

a pendulum having a connecting member passing through the aperture and a pendulum bob, the pendulum bob configured to be free to move above the answer diagram.

2. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, further comprising a game board.

3. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, wherein the answer diagram indicates a yes or no answer.

4. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, wherein the answer diagram includes arrows inscribed on the surface to indicate a direction the pendulum moves.

5. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, wherein the answer diagram is divided into sections.

6. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 2, wherein the game board comprises a plurality of receiving areas, each receiving area configured to receive one of a plurality of answer diagrams.

7. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 6, wherein the receiving area is a well circumscribed into a surface of the game board and configured to receive a base of the transparent dome.

8. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, wherein the pendulum bob is selected from a group consisting of crystal, wood, rock, metal, clay, and ceramic.

9. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, wherein the connecting member is selected from a group consisting of string, chain, rope, straps, yarn, twine and floss.

10. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 11, further comprising a plurality of cards with questions corresponding to answers inscribed on at least one of the answer diagrams.

11. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 1, wherein the topics of the answer diagrams are selected from a group consisting of love, life, relationships, marriage, money, finances, success, happiness, philosophy, religion, career, employment, travel, vacations, friends, relatives, social status, physical health, home, and family.

12. A pendulum question and answer game, comprising:

a transparent dome having an open end on a base of the transparent dome and a top end, wherein the top end has an aperture;

a pendulum threaded through the aperture, having a connecting member passing through the aperture and a pendulum bob, the pendulum bob configured to be free to move within the transparent dome;

an answer diagram adjacent to the open end of the transparent dome, configured to associate a symbol with a motion of the pendulum bob.

13. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 12, further comprising a game board.

14. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 13, wherein the game board comprises a plurality of receiving areas, each receiving area configured to receive one of a plurality of answer diagrams.

15. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 14, wherein each receiving area is a well circumscribed into a surface of the game board and configured to receive the base of the transparent dome.

16. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 12, wherein the connecting member is selected from a group consisting of string, chain, rope, straps, yarn, twine and floss.

17. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of cards with questions corresponding to answers inscribed on at least one of the answer diagrams.

18. The pendulum question and answer game of claim 14, wherein the topics of the answer diagrams are selected from a group consisting of love, life, relationships, marriage, money, finances, success, happiness, philosophy, religion, career, employment, travel, vacations, friends, relatives, social status, physical health, home, and family.

19. A method for playing a pendulum question and answer game comprising the steps of:

choosing a pendulum with a connecting member;

running the connecting member through an aperture on a transparent dome;

hanging the pendulum over an answer diagram;

using a selector module to choose a category;

reading a question from the selected category;

thinking of an answer; and

using the pendulum to indicate an answer.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of placing the transparent dome over a game board such that the transparent dome and game board substantially enclose the answer diagram and a pendulum bob of the pendulum.