WO1997013563A1

WO1997013563A1 - Game board with light directing means

Info

Publication number: WO1997013563A1
Application number: PCT/GB1996/002485
Authority: WO
Inventors: William Nevil Heaton Johnson; William Alexander Gambling; David Colin Hanna; Robert William Eason
Original assignee: Durand (Assignees) Limited
Priority date: 1995-10-10
Filing date: 1996-10-10
Publication date: 1997-04-17
Also published as: AU7223396A; EP0854746A1

Abstract

A board game includes a board providing a playing or display surface and means for directing light preferentially and selectively, for example in accordance with player input and/or with the rules of the game and/or in accordance with an educational, illustrative or entertainment programme, to selected areas of the playing or display surface. Playing pieces are provided, the playing pieces being arranged to interact physically and either the board or the pieces or both incorporating electronic processing means and display means controlled thereby. Interaction between the board and pieces may be by way of transmission of lights (including infrared or ultraviolet radiation), by electromagnetic induction, by ultrasound or by electrical contact.

Description

Title: " Game board with light directing means »

THIS INVENTION relates to games and more particularly to games of the type which are normally regarded as "board games" .

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided a board game including a board providing a playing or display surface and means for directing light preferentially and selectively, for example in accordance with player input and/or with the rules of the game and/or in accordance with an educational, illustrative or entertainment program, to selected areas of the playing or display surface.

According to another aspect of the invention, there is provided a board game including a board and playing pieces, the board and pieces being arranged to interact physically and either the board or the pieces or both incorporating electronic processing means and display means controlled thereby.

The interaction between the board and pieces may be by way of transmission of light, (including infra-red or ultraviolet radiation) , by electromagnetic induction, by ultrasound, by electrical contacts or by any other convenient means.

According to a yet further aspect of the invention, there iε provided a board game including a board and means for selectively controlling and varying the colour and/or brightness of selected areas of the board. The board may, for example, have a thermochromic covering, for example comprising a layer of liquid crystal polymer film, and the board may incorporate heat-emitting devices operable, by control circuitry, to change the temperature of the thermochromic material and thereby effect a local change in colour of the board.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a generally opaque board for a board game, εuch as draughts, chess, snakes and ladders, has bonded to one side thereof, or incorporated within the board and extending generally parallel with its surfaces, a plurality of light guides such aε optical fibres or tubes, for example in the form of bundles of glass fibres, these light guides extending between light input "windows" and light output "windows" on one surface of the board. At each said window an appropriate optical structure, which may simply be a small block or bead of light transmitting plastics, appropriately configured directs light reaching it, from the associated light guide, in the plane of the board and reflects or deflects such light through around 90° to emerge, through the respective "window" in the plane of the upper board surface, at least approximately perpendicular to the plane of the board. Conversely each said "window" will allow light directed into it, from outside the board, in a direction generally perpendicular to the plane of the board, to be deflected so as to proceed along the respective light guides. In preferred embodiments of the invention certain such "windows", herein referred to as input windows, will serve for input of light into the respective light guides and certain other such windows, herein referred to as output windows, will serve for output of light from the light guides. In some embodiments, some of the output windows may have diffusers associated therewith so that, for example, with the board located on a table around which players are seated, players will see the respective output window areas as illuminated when light is emerging therefrom. However, other output windows may be arranged to deliver light in respective substantially collimated beams emerging substantially perpendicularly from the board, so that players εeated around the board will not normally see that light. However, playing pieces for the respective games are preferably made of or incorporate light transmitting and scattering or diffusing material so that such a playing piece, when placed upon such an output "window" will receive the light therefrom and will scatter or diffuse the light laterally so that such playing pieces will light up, glow or sparkle when placed upon such an output "window", thereby adding to the attraction of the game.

This facility for "lighting-up" playing pieces may be incorporated into the substance of the game, so that, for example, the player is required, under the rules, to take one course of action if a playing piece moved to a certain spot lights up and another course of action if it does not.

In preferred embodiments of the invention, the input windows of the light guides are all located in a predetermined small area of the board adapted to receive a light emitting device. Such device may, for example, have a rectangular housing or casing adapted to be placed upon a pre-defined area on the board, for example bounded by a boundary line conforming to the peripheral shape and size of the housing. Possibly the board may be provided with holes or recesses to receive locating pins on the underside of said housing for accurate location of the device relative to said input windows. The device preferably incorporates a plurality of electrically powered light sources, such as light bulbs or light emitting diodes, exposed on the underside of the housing in predetermined locations, for cooperation with predetermined respective input "windows" and further incorporates electrical circuitry supplying such light sources. The housing may house a battery or batteries for such circuitry.

The device is preferably so arranged that selected said light sources may be energised, or not, at choice, for example as determined by controlling circuitry, for example including a microprocessor, incorporated in said housing.

The housing may also carry one or more switches, for example push-button switches with operating buttons or toggles on the upper side of the housing for manual operation to control the operation of the device.

The facility for illuminating certain input and thus output "windows" at choice allows an additional dimension to be added to otherwise conventional games. For example, in a game of snakes and ladders, the illumination of a player's marker may signify a reversal of conventional rules, for example that a player's marker should descend a ladder or ascend a snake, or may signify a "reprieve" from a penalty.

Alternatively the facility for selective illumination may be used in teaching or monitoring the playing of board games so that, if for example, a player's piece placed upon a given square is lit up with red light rather than green, this signifies that an incorrect move has been made. Games may, of course, depend primarily upon said facility for lighting-up. Thus, for example, a board game version of "Grandmothers' Footsteps" can be envisaged in which players advance pieces over the board towards a goal, for example in accordance with dice throws, and the lighting of a piece placed upon a particular square signifies that the player has been "seen" by "grandmother" and must return to the starting line.

The light sources in the device may be of different colours, for example red, green and yellow LEDs may be provided and the arrangement may be such that a particular region or spot on the board may be illuminated, at choice, with any of these three colours, for example with red light or with green light, according to which of two players is represented, or as an aid in teaching games.

The invention may be applied to certain games which are not, strictly speaking, board games and which may require, for example, a measure of physical skill. Thus, for example, the invention may be applied to the game of "shove-ha'penny", with the board incorporating the necessary circuitry and light guides, etc., and having light emitting areas in the form of transverse parallel narrow bands, constituting the "lines" on the board, and with the "ha'pennies" being in the form of translucent, light-diffusing discs, for example, whereby they will be illuminated if they come to rest on one of these lines.

It is also possible, in accordance with the invention, to provide a basic board, incorporating light sources and associated circuitry, together with the necessary light guides, extending to the respective light emitting regions on the upper surface of the basic board, and to provide a selection of supplementary interchangeable boards, each adapted to fit on the basic board and each appropriate to a respective board game, these supplementary boards merely having apertures to register with the respective light emitting regions on the basic board, or having only relatively rudimentary light-guiding arrangements for cooperation with the light emitting regions on the basic board.

A game in accordance with the invention has the advantage of being capable of being played in the dark or in poor light, but it is believed that the lighting up of playing pieces or areas on the board will itself enhance the appeal of such games, irrespective of available lighting.

Whilst the light used will, it is envisaged, generally be visible light, it will be understood that, for example, ultra-violet light sources may be used, with, for example, the pieces, counters, markers or the like used in playing the respective game, being arranged to fluoresce under such ultraviolet light. Similarly, infra-red light may be used and the pieces, counters, markers or the like may be arranged to undergo a visible change on exposure to infra-red light.

It will be appreciated that, whilst the preferred embodiments use light guides or fibre optics, a board fame which is similar, as perceived by the players, may be implemented using individual light emitting diodes (LEDs) embedded in the board directly below the "windows" therein and connected to energising and control circuitry by electrical conductors embedded in the board.

Further variants may additionally or alternatively incorporate the following features. In the following, for convenience, localised areas of the playing surface of the board are referred to as "squares", but it will be appreciated that the playing surface of the board may be divided into areas of any desired shape, according to the nature of the game, such as triangles, hexagons, or irregular shapes and the term "squares" as used below is intended to encompass such other shapes.

The playing pieces may incorporate electronic logic circuitry, receiving or sensing means for receiving signals transmitted thereto from respective squares on the board when the respective playing pieces are placed thereon, and output or display means for providing or displaying signals in dependence upon the operation of the logic circuitry, for example in accordance with the rules of the game or at random or with a random or pseudo-random element. Each playing piece may incorporate a battery for supplying its circuitry with electricity or may draw its power from the board, e.g. via contacts on the squares. For example, a playing piece may have a flat undersurface, for engagement with the surface of the playing board and which undersurface incorporates a photodetector or photodetectors and may have an electronic display, for example, a liquid crystal display mounted in its upper surface. The electronic circuitry and power source (e.g. a battery) mounted within the playing piece may be arranged to respond to light signals received by the photodetector or photodetectors and to operate the LCD accordingly. By way of example, the logic circuitry within the playing piece may be arranged to reεpond, according to predetermined rules, to the sequence of areas (e.g. "squares") on the board visited by the playing piece to determine the diεplay to be provided. The circuitry within the playing pieceε may be relatively complex and, indeed, each playing piece may incorporate a respective microprocessor. Alternatively, the playing pieces may be arranged, additionally, to transmit a signal to the playing board, for example, via respective output light signals provided by light-emitting means in the underside of the playing pieces and received by photosensors incorporated in the respective areas of the board. In the latter case, the circuitry incorporated in the playing pieces may be relatively simple and may serve, for example, merely to identify the playing piece to the board and to act as an interface for signals from the board to the respective LCD, with the processing circuitry being largely incorporated in the playing board. In a simpler variant, described later, the playing piece may simply comprise a photo-cell or solar cell exposed on the underside of the playing piece and electrically connected directly to an LCD on the upper surface of the playing piece. The light signals transmitted to the photoreceptors on the undersides of the playing pieces need not, of course, be visible light but may, for example, be infra-red or conceivably ultra-violet. In further variants sonic or ultrasonic εignalε may be transmitted from the board to the playing pieces or vice versa . It will be understood that other means of communication between the playing pieces and the board may be provided, for example, embedded electromagnetic coils, embedded capacitor plates, simple electrical contacts or the like. Thus, for example, signal transmitting means in the board may comprise induction loopε mounted within the board and located under the respective playing areaε of "squares" with complementary receivers, also in the form of induction loops, mounted within the respective playing pieces wherein electromagnetic signals may be transferred between the board and the playing pieces. Visual display means on the playing pieces may comprise liquid crystal displays, light emitting diodes, or other display devices. Instead of, or in addition to, such visual display means, the playing pieces may incorporate sound generating means, for example arranged to generate a spoken message, or a selected one of a number of possible spoken messages dependant on signals transmitted to the playing piece by the board, or upon operation of the microprocessor or the like incorporated in the playing piece. Similarly, the sound generating means may be arranged to play a tube, or a selected tune, or emit some other auditory signal. In further variants the playing pieces may incorporate a vibrator driven electrically so that blind players, for example, may feel the response of a playing piece, or may, (for the benefit of blind players) incorporate means adapted to project rods or pips slightly from a surface of the playing piece in a Braille or other pattern, to provide a tactile signal, when an appropriate signal iε sent to the board or the microproceεεor determineε that such a signal is appropriate.

The light or electromagnetic transmitting means incorporated in the board may be, in effect, static, in the sense that they provide a permanent marking of the respective squares or other playing areas which does not vary throughout the game. Alternatively, the signalε transmitted by different areas may be varied through the game so as to provide a variable "marking" of the εquares, for example in accordance with the rules of the game or at random. For example, certain squares may be "hazard" squares attracting a "penalty" for a player whoεe piece lands on such a square and different squares may be "hazard" squares at different times, so that the "hazardε" move around the board at random throughout the game εo that players do not have an opportunity to memorise the locationε of "hazard" squares. In a further variant, individual playing pieces may be arranged simply to act as a "connector" between an input and an output region in the respective square or other playing area of the board on which the playing piece may be placed. These spots may, for example, be electrical contact terminals with a cooperating means in the playing piece merely comprising cooperating contact terminals connected by an electrical conductor. By providing

"squares" on the board with a plurality of alternative output contacts distributed in a predetermined manner, and providing different playing pieces with different arrangements of connector terminals, it can, for example, be arranged that the microprocessing means in the board can identify a particular playing piece by the particular output which the playing piece connects with the respective board input when the playing piece is placed in that playing square. As illustrated in Figure 3 of the Appendix

(see later) , a similar arrangement may be provided using light guides rather than electrical connectors, the

"contacts" being replaced by windows in the board surface and the underside of the playing piece in which the respective light conductors, in the form of light guides or optic fibres, terminate.

In further variants, the playing surface of the board or parts of the playing surface, may be covered in thermochromic material such as heat-sensitive liquid crystal polymer sheet, overlying heat or infra-red emitting regions of the board, for example in the form of heating coils, infra-red emitting devices such as IR diodes, induction heaters or the like, the liquid crystal polymer sheet being arranged to undergo a marked and preferably contrasting colour change at an appropriate temperature provided by said heating means, preferably significantly above room temperature and yet low enough to present no danger. The heat or IR emitting means may be activated in accordance with the rules of the game, or in response to actions by players. For example, a player may be permitted a limited number of interrogations, via a keypad or the like, of the board, to check whether squares εelected by a player are "hazard" squares or not. Alternatively, the playing pieces may incorporate such thermochromic material to be heated by heat sources in the board.

The facility for changing the colours of the squares in this way may, for example, form an element in a game of which the aim is to capture a block of adjoining squareε.

A playing piece may be used made of a material baεed on phosphorescent powders allowing conversion of infra-red light into visible light (typically orange/red) . The image quality available with such materials degrades after a few seconds, following energising by infra-red, and such a playing piece would require recharging with white light illumination for several seconds.

This letter aspect can be built into a "surpriεe" element of a game, aε the counter would display the presence of the infrared light once only, and would then revert to the "off" state. This scenario could be intereεting in a game which relied on remembering which squares had been "hits".

It will be understood that a plurality of such boards in accordance with the invention may be superimposed one above the other with intervening spaceε, to form a three-dimensional game. It will also be understood that the board need not be square but may be of any shape, for example, circular. Thus it is envisaged, for example, that in some embodiments, a circular board may notionally be divided into a number of sectors, after the fashion of a pie chart, with different sectors, forming the playing areas of the game, being possibly arranged to change colour by any of the means set out above, in the progress of the game, according to the rules of the game and the eventualities arising in the game.

The possibility of illuminating or rendering visible selected areas of the board iε not, of courεe, restricted to selected areas in a regular array of such areaε but may, for example, be applied to irregularly or unsyste atically arranged areas or lines of light or visible colour change, for example delineating particular shapes. Such an arrangement might, for example, be used in a game based on the traditional "Battleships" game.

The following Appendix discuεεeε in more detail, and with reference to the accompanying drawingε, some aspects of the above and other posεible features which may be incorporated into a board game. In the Appendix, for convenience, the playing pieceε are referred to as "counterε".

APPENDIX

Numerous forms of counter design are envisaged, depending on which wavelength, visualisation technique and game format is adopted. Examples are the following:

A. Temperature εensitive counters;

B. Infrared sensitive counters;

C. Photo-cell/liquid crystal display counters; and

D. "Intelligent counterε".

A. TEMPERATURE SENSITIVE COUNTER DESIGN

Liquid cryεtal polymer εheetε are readily available at very low coεt, for viεualising temperature distributionε, in use as forehead thermometers, and for a range of other applications. In all cases, the material is designed to operate over a limited range of wavelengths, and the material appears black in colour, below its designed operating wavelength, then turns progresεively from one visible colour to another, before ending up at a final colour, which may be green for example, at the top end of the operating temperature. The temperature range from black to green is typically 5 degreeε Centigrade.

In the example shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings, the polymer film is embedded in or stuck to a transparent plastics counter without any form of heat-sinking. This is important, where the counters are adapted to cooperate with IR diodes in the board beneath the respective squares, as the film is sensitive to all ambient temperature differences, and the power from the diode is enough to heat the film to the required temperature, but not the whole counter, which is thermally massive in comparison.

The drawback of this arrangement is the limited temperature range over which the film will operate. At different times of the year, different room temperatures, and so forth, a range of counters would be required. However, this may be turned to advantage, as one element of a game could be to preεelect the counters appropriate to the temperature by playing εome "advance" game, in which those counters that worked formed the final operating set.

Listed in Table 1 are values determined for colour changes produced by heating the film via the rear surface by means of an IR laser diode embedded in the board. At power levels of 1 mW, it is seen from this table that εome of the temperature sensitive films can render visible the diode light in a few seconds. Additionally the heat produced by these diodes is also very effective in changing the colour of the films. By far the largest output of the diodes is in the form of heat. For ~ 100 mW of electrical input to the diode, only a few percent is emitted as light, the remainder being heat. The level of heating is entirely safe, but does provide yet another possibility for rendering visible those square that are "on" .

B. INFRARED SENSITIVE COUNTERS

Infrared sensitive materials have already been mentioned, such as used in infrared viewing cardε. Basically infrared viewing cards are sandwiches of phosphorescent powders, contained between clear plastic films. When exposed to visible light, photons are absorbed, exciting the material into a state that acts like a storage medium. A subsequent infrared photon can then de-excite the material, yielding an output photon which has more energy than the infrared photon, as the stored energy is added to the output light. A drawback of these materials is the fact that the card must be frequently recharged with white light, to remain infrared active. This is not usually any problem in the laser context, but in the format of the envisaged game, the cards would not provide continuous visible illumination when lit by an IR laser diode source, unless repeatedly charged by visible light.

This aspect of sudden illumination which then fadeε could provide an exciting addition to the game. An alternative iε to provide a time for recharging during the game, with typical times of 10 seconds being required using white sources.

C. PHOTOCELL/LIQUID CRYSTAL DEVICES

Solar cells based on silicon or amorphous silicon are readily available, and are comparatively cheap, being found in a range of throw-away items such as cheap calculators. They will provide a voltage of IV, but rather small currents in the μA-mA region, or even lower. Figure 2 illustrates a counter having a solar-cell and liquid crystal display operating back-to-back. That is to say, the counter has a solar cell exposed on its underside and directly connected, by electrical conductors, to a liquid crystal display exposed on its upper side. Such a counter might be used in conjunction with a board incorporating sources of visible light arranged to emit visible light from the surfaces of the respective squareε to energise the εolar cells.

The current required for a liquid crystal display is extremely small, of the order of nA, so very low light levels of visible light could be used to activate the device, and no question of laser safety would occur. This technique might allow splitting of the light from one or more sources to power up each square of the board.

D. "INTELLIGENT COUNTERS"

A further variant may incorporate features which would allow routing of light from one square to the next, depending on the internal design of the counter. Several options are poεsible, based on reflection, internal fibre guiding, or even scattering.

Figure 3 shows an arrangement in which the counter, accurately placed on the board, enables light to be routed from one place to another. The loss encountered in thiε routing could be acceptably εmall for suitably short lengths of fibre guiding. Figure 4 shows a development of this arrangement with several counterε providing consecutive guidance. Not all counters need be "active", which could add to the fun of the game. Some dummy counters would provide no guiding, and hence would not work. Establiεhing which were the dummies would be part of the game.

As an alternative to internal light guiding with a fibre, other schemes involving reflection from elliptical reflectorε, internal mirrors etc., could be used. In fact some geometries involving mirrors might be advantageous. Such mirrorε could be formed by εilvered parts of a counter of transparent plasticε. Several schemes using mirrors are shown in Figure 5. WORKING SUGGESTION FOR A GAME

In practice, this light activated game offers several advances over existing games, through the use of infrared light, routing possibilities, and effective use of liquid cryεtal devices. The novelty of dummy counters that were inoperative in routing, would also increaεe the range of games that could be "lit-up".

A typical game such as Snakes and Ladders could easily be implemented thus, by having the counters route light all the way up the snake. Encircling type games such as Go could also be implemented, but the internal optical wiring could be either unknown, changeable or random.

In addition, an arrangement in which some of the counters fade with time (phosphorescent counters) may be utilised in a game of speed, for example in which each player must place another counter quickly, before the previously placed counter stopε glowing. A game might use counters having a wide range of fade times, the arrangement being such that players would not know which counters were which.

The light sources used in a game embodying the invention need not be continuously lit when the respective square iε active but may, for example, flash on and off. In embodimentε where electrical power is derived from a battery, such an arrangement may assist in increasing battery lifetime. Thus, simple electronic timing circuitry can make the diodes flash on and off, which would extend the battery considerably. Also, two-colour LEDs (known per se) or even now three-colour LEDs (also known per se) may be used. Various games of the inventor's devising which may be played utilising a board and playing pieces in accordance with the present invention are described briefly below:-

The "SAYES" Game

In this game the board is divided into a plurality of regularly arrayed squares or cells of other shape. Each player is issued with an equal number of counters selected at random from a supply of such counters provided with the game or alternatively each player may simply pick a counter from a "pool" of such counters at each turn. Some of these counters are "intelligent" counters of the kind referred to above whilst others are "dummies". It is proposed that the

"intelligent" counters will be marketed under the name

KLEVA COUNTERS and they are referred to by this name in the following. Playerε place counters in turn with the aim of forming an uninterrupted line (or other predetermined array according to the rules of the game such as a block) , of, for example, four counters placed in respective adjacent squares or cells on the board whilst, and/or with the aim of occupying squares or cells which his opponent would require to occupy to form a such a line, something after the fashion of the well-known game of noughts and crosses but without such εevere limitation as to the number of available cellε. The first player to complete such a continuous row of four counters εays "yes" and is the winner. If a player completeε a continuous row of four counterε but doeε not εee that he has, another player may call "Yes!" and win the game. There is, however, a random element in the game, in that if a player places one of his counterε or playing pieces on a square or cell and the playing piece does not respond positively in an appropriate manner (see below) , the player must remove it again and may not place another piece until after the other player has played, that is to say, if a player places a piece and the placed piece does not respond appropriately, the player effectively misses a turn. The playing pieces, or at least the "intelligent" playing pieces or KLEVA COUNTERS , may be arranged to respond positively, where appropriate, simply by lighting up or may, as described above, carry LCDs, which are energised for such a positive responεe (for example, to display the word "yes") or may each incorporate speech synthesising circuitry with an associated sound transducer arranged to εpeak the word "yes" when a εuccessful move has been made and/or to speak the word "no" when the piece muεt be removed again according to the rules of the game. Whilst, in a simple version of the game, some playing pieces may be, permanently, "dummies" and some permanently "intelligent", the pieces nevertheless being made so as to be identical in appearance, feel, etc. In a more sophisticated version of the game, all of the playing pieces may be "intelligent", but may be arranged on a random basis to "decide", at any one play, to be "dummies". Alternatively, or additionally, processing circuitry within the board may determine, again on a substantially random basis, that certain squareε, for the next game or for a period during the next game, will be "forbidden" squareε on which, in accordance with the rules of the game, no player may leave hiε pieceε. The squares that are active on the board will be activated at random before each new game is εtarted and will remain active until the game iε concluded. Thuε no one will know which εquareε are activated.

Such a game would, it iε believed, have worldwide appeal, with appropriate adaption of the word, if any, displayed on the "intelligent" counters or spoken thereby. It will be understood that, as indicated above, much of the processing circuitry for the functions described, and, for example, the speech reproduction components, may be incorporated in the board, rather than in the individual counters. If all the counters are used up and no one has one, counters may be taken off by players and placed onto a 20 square board. Each player can remember what counter is where, also which square it was taken from, i.e. active or otherwise. They can resume the game with the advantage of memory enabling them to win.

The "ELECTRICK" Game

This is an anagram game for up to four players and is again played on a board divided into a plurality of square or cells. A predetermined word is established, at least for the duration of one particular game. By way of example, this word may be "ELECTRICK". Each player is issued with four counters for each letter of the word established, each counter being "marked" with the respective letter, so that, for example, in the example given, each player would have four counters marked "L"; four counterε marked "T"; eight counters marked "E"; eight counterε marked "C", and so on. Each player may also be issued with a number of blank counters which can be used as "wild" counterε. In playing the game, each player, in turn, placeε a εelected counter on a εelected εquare. The object of the game iε for each player, uεing the counters isεued to him, to make up a word of, for example, four or more letterε, at each play, uεing hiε counters, the counters being placed on the reεpective cells or squares on the playing board. At any play, a player may make a word by incorporating and adding to a word placed by another player, thereby, effectively, "trumping" the other player's word.

The board may comprise an area set aside for the placing of counters to form words, in this way and an area marked in the likenesε of a figure or person, who may, for example, be identified as "Rick", the game may carry the slogan "Elect-Rick and be the Clever Dick" and/or such slogan may be used in packaging or sales literature, advertising, etc. The representation of "Rick" on the board may be divided into four parts and the aim of the game may be to "Elect-Rick to make him complete". As with the preceding game, if a counter is placed and does not, for example, light up or otherwise provide a positive outcome as provided by the rules of the game, the "move" is invalid and the player must retrieve the counter and loses a turn. Again, the software within the board or within the individual counters determines, preferably at random or on some other baεiε, whether or not a counter placed will light up. There is also in each game the hazard of no player knowing which squares are active, so a word cannot be finished because the square is dead. As an educational element, the board may be arranged to detect which particular kind of counter has been placed on each square, i.e. whether an "E" or an "L" or a "T" and so on and may be arranged to provide a visual or audible indication when the deposition of a counter by a player has resulted in a word being completed on the board which is an anagram of four or more letters of the designated word (e.g. "electrick") . If a player "trumps" another player's word, the other player yields one of his cells of "Rick" to the trumping player. By way of example, one player may just have completed the word "RICE" and in consequence gained a cell of "Rick". A following player may add a "T" to make "TRICE" thereby trumping the previous word and gaining from the previous player the respective part of "Rick". Likewise, one player's word "TICK" may be "trumped" by another player adding "ER" to make "TICKER" and so on. A player who succeedε in completing a four or more letter word in this way is awarded a point to occupy or fill in a corresponding part or cell of "Rick". The winner of the game is the player who occupies all of, or the greatest part of, "Rick". It may be that each word made will carry one point for each letter but the fourth word made ("Rick" being four parts, head, chest, abdomen, legs, may be more, i.e. arms) will receive a bonus of e.g. five points or more etc.

The board electronics may include the facility for different players to light up in corresponding colours respective cells of "Rick" for respective points gained, or to change the colour in which a cell is lit. Thus, the players may have the colours red, green, blue and yellow assigned to them, so that the progreεε of the game may be seen from the sizes, of the areas of different colours lit up. The board electronics may be adapted to receive software for different games, or for different predetermined words for the same "Electrick" game, for example, in the form of ROM cartridges or the like adapted to be plugged into a corresponding portion of the board. Hence εupplementary packε, each comprising a ROM cartridge for a particular designated word, and corresponding counters, could be sold to persons who already possessed the basic game to expand and enhance the game. Likewise, where the board software iε not sensitive to any particular predetermined or key word, supplementary packs comprising counters but without ROM cartridges may be εold. Thuε, it is proposed to sell packε of nine letter wordε. Thus 9 x 4 = 36 + 14 blank counters equalling 50 counters in a box to make a new game, i.e. the first fame "ELECTRICK", second "ALPHABETS" etc.

The "HALO" Game

In this game, primarily for younger children, the board is, again, divided up into a plurality of cells or squares, the object is to reveal a "halo" or ring or an outline of some other shape such as a rectangle or triangle, formed by selected squares or cells "hidden" in the board (that is to say, determined by the board circuitry but invisible until appropriate counters are placed on the corresponding squares) and are lit-up, or not, as the case may be. Each player again is allocated a number of counters, some of which are "intelligent" counters as discussed above and some of which are "dummies". Players place the counters in turn and must guess where the next square which will produce a "light up" or otlier positive response may be located. To this end, the "halo" or other shape is preferably somewhat irregular in εhape to add uncertainty. Players gain points for each play which yieldε an illuminated counter, the winner being the player with the highest score. The winner is the "Angel of the Game" or "My Little Angel".

In a variant, the light may be carried in a chain, each counter having a fibre optic light guide able to pasε the light displayed in a square on the board (as described above in relation to Figures 3 to 5) . Each counter is therefore able to pass the chain of light until a "Halo" is formed, the player to complete the chain circle becoming "My Little Angel". The game may carry the slogan "It is not the idea of who is winning but who makes the halo. The person who makes the halo is the "Angel of the Game"", or such wording may be used in packaging, saleε literature or advertising. TA3LE 1

wavelength power 20-25°C 25-30°C 30-35°C

940 nm 2.0 mW 1 sec 4 sec -

1.5 mW 3 sec 5 sec -

1.0 mW 5 sec 15 sec -

0.5 mW 6 sec - -

880 nm 2.1 mw 2 sec 3 sec -

1.5 mW 5 sec - -

1.0 mW faint - -

The behaviour of liquid cristal sheets as used for thermometers. The room temperature under which these values have been obtained was 22°C.

Claims

CLAIMS :

1. A board game including a board providing a playing or display surface and means for directing light preferentially and selectively to selected areas of the playing or display surface.

2. A board game according to Claim 1, wherein said board is substantially opaque and said means for directing light compriεeε a plurality of light guides, said light guides extending εubstantially parallel to the plane of said board and between light input windows and light output windows formed in one surface of the board, said light guides being adapted to transmit light between the input and output windows.

3. A board game according to Claim 2, wherein εaid light guides comprise optical fibres.

4. A board game according to Claim 2 or Claim 3, wherein each of said windows is provided with an optical structure adapted to deflect light passing through said light guides, such that the light emerges through a respective output window substantially perpendicular to the plane of the board, and to deflect light entering an input window substantially perpendicular to the plane of the board such that light passes through a respective light guide.

5. A board game according to any one of Claims 2 to 4, wherein said input windows are located in a predetermined area of the board adapted to receive a light-emitting device.

6. A board game according to Claim 5, wherein said light-emitting device compriseε a housing and a plurality of electrically powered light sources on the underside of said housing for cooperation with respective input windows.

7. A board game according to Claim 6, wherein εaid light-emitting device comprises electrical circuitry adapted to selectively energize said light sources.

8. A board game according to Claim 7, wherein said light-emitting device is provided with means to manually energize selected light sources.

9. A board game according to Claim 1, wherein said board is εubstantially opaque and said means for directing light compriseε a plurality of light-emitting diodes, each of which iε located directly below a respective output window formed in one surface of the board, said output window being adapted to allow passage of light subεtantially perpendicular to the plane of said board.

10. A board game according to any one of Claims 2 to 9, wherein said output windows are provided with light diffusing means.

11. A board game according to any one of the preceding claims, further provided with playing pieces, said board and said pieces being arranged to interact physically.

12. A board game according to Claim 11, wherein interaction between said board and said playing pieces is by way of light transmission.

13. A board game according to Claim 12, wherein said playing pieces comprise light diffusing means adapted to diffuse light emerging from said output windows when placed thereupon.

14. A board game according to Claim 12 or Claim 13, wherein said light is ultraviolet light and said playing pieces are adapted to fluoresce under said ultraviolet light.

15. A board game according to Claim 12 or Claim 13, wherein said light iε infrared light and εaid playing pieceε are adapted to undergo a visible change on exposure to said infrared light.

16. A board game according to Claim 12, wherein some of said playing pieces are adapted to route light from one area of said board to another area of said board.

17. A board game according to Claim 16, wherein each playing piece so adapted is provided with an internal light guide to route light emitted from an output window to a respective input window.

18. A board game according to Claim 14, wherein each playing piece so adapted is provided with an internal reflector to route light emitted from an output window to a reεpective input window.

19. A board game according to Claim 12, wherein said playing pieceε are provided with a substantially flat undersurface for engagement with the surface of said board, εaid undersurface incorporating a photodetector adapted to receive light signals generated by said board, said playing pieces incorporating electronic circuitry comprising senεing means to respond to said light signalε and display means to provide a display output in response to such a light signal.

20. A board game according to Claim 19, wherein said electronic circuitry comprises a microprocessor.

21. A board game according to Claim 19 or Claim 20, wherein said electronic circuitry is powered by a power source located within each playing piece.

22. A board game according to Claim 19 or Claim 20, wherein said electronic circuitry draws power from said board.

23. A board game according to any one of Claims 19 to 22, wherein said playing pieceε are further provided with light-emitting means in said substantially flat undersurface for communication ith photosensors located in said board.

24. A board game according to Claim 11, wherein εaid board is provided with induction loops adapted to generate electromagnetic signalε and said playing pieceε are provided with induction loops adapted to receive said electromagnetic signals and display means to provide a display output in response to said electromagnetic signals.

25. A board game according to any one of claims 19 to

24, wherein said diεplay means comprises a liquid cryεtal display.

26. A board game according to any one of Claimε 19 to

25, wherein said playing pieces are provided with sound generating means adapted to generate sounds in response to said signalε generated by the board.