Classifications

• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F3/00—Board games; Raffle games
  • A63F3/02—Chess; Similar board games
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F3/00—Board games; Raffle games
  • A63F3/00173—Characteristics of game boards, alone or in relation to supporting structures or playing piece
  • A63F3/00574—Connections between board and playing pieces
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F3/00—Board games; Raffle games
  • A63F3/00694—Magnetic board games
• • A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
  • A63—SPORTS; GAMES; AMUSEMENTS
  • A63F—CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • A63F3/00—Board games; Raffle games
  • A63F3/00173—Characteristics of game boards, alone or in relation to supporting structures or playing piece
  • A63F3/00574—Connections between board and playing pieces
  • A63F2003/0063—Magnetic

Definitions

• the present invention generally relates to the field of board games, and more specifically to a board game comprising a game board and self-moving game pieces.
• CN211215366U discloses a chess board in which individual chess pieces comprise a display system showing the type of the chess piece and wherein each chess piece can make a vertical movement away from the top of the surface so as to disappear.
• the individual chess pieces are not moving from one position to another position, and a user cannot remove and displace a chess piece on his or her own, resulting in a diminished user experience.
• the present invention seeks to further enhance the experience of a human player of a board game comprising automatically moving game pieces.
• a single board game system that is capable of playing different games, wherein the user can choose the game to be played.
• a board game that can move several game pieces simultaneously.
• a game board that lacks any visible robotic system for fetching and displacing game pieces.
• the present invention provides a board game comprising: a game board comprising a game surface, and a plurality of automatically displaceable game pieces, provided to displace and/or to be displaced on said game surface when said board game is played.
• said board game comprises a second magnetic element that is provided movably in said game board and/or below said game surface.
• said board game is configured to use and/or exploit said magnetic force of attraction to automatically displace one or more of said game pieces, and/or when automatically displacing one or more of said game pieces.
• the board game is configured to use and/or exploit said magnetic force of attraction to change the orientation of a game piece, for example a game piece that is placed on the game surface and/or layout.
• each game piece of said plurality of game pieces is configured to be present in at least one of two different orientations on said game board and/or on said game surface, a first orientation A of placement and a second orientation B of displacement.
• said second orientation B covers a smaller area on said game surface and/or on said game layout than said first orientation A.
• said second magnetic element is configured to be able to change, and/or to induce the change of, the orientation of one or more game piece of said plurality of game pieces from said first orientation to said second orientation, and/or to displace said game piece on said board.
• said second magnetic element is configured to displace said game piece on said board when said game piece is in the second orientation.
• said second magnetic element is configured to displace a game piece of said plurality of game pieces on said game board so as to cause the displacing game piece to pass between two game pieces that are present in the first orientation A of placement on the game surface of said game board, said two game pieces being preferably on neighbouring fields or positions of the game surface.
• this is facilitated and/or enabled by the displaced game piece being in the second orientation B, in particular during the displacement and/or when being displaced.
• said second magnetic element is configured to induce a rotation of a game piece.
• the rotation may be conducted when the game piece is in the second orientation (B).
• the rotation of the game piece is used when automatically displacing the game piece, for example if helpful for displacing the game piece on the game surface and/or for guiding the game piece between other game pieces that are already on the game surface.
• the other game pieces may be in orientation A.
• the board game and/or the game board is configured to cause the game piece to displace automatically, wherein automatic displacement may include linear and rotational movements, and movement along straight and curved lines.
• the displacing game piece stays on and/or in contact with the game surface and/or remains on the game layout when it automatically displaces according to the invention.
• said first magnetic element is provided inside and/or at the surface of said game piece. In other embodiments, the first magnetic element may be provided at the outer surface and/or on said game piece.
• said first magnetic element is provided in proximity of the side zone.
• the first magnetic element comprises an annular form and/or a disk- or coin-like form comprising a central opening or hole.
• one or more game piece of said plurality of game pieces comprises a top zone, wherein the role and/or value of the piece is indicated on said top zone.
• the role and/or value of the piece is graphically represented on said top zone.
• one or more game piece of said plurality of game pieces comprises a top zone, wherein said top zone comprises an electronic display.
• the electronic display is a passive reflective display.
• the game pieces may but need not be flattened and/or disk-like, but may have the 3D shape as is typical for international chess pieces.
• the game piece need not mandatorily but may possibly change its orientation when being displaced in accordance with the invention.
• said game board comprises a space provided below said game surface, wherein said second magnetic element is provided movably under the effect of one or more electric motors and/or actuators in said space.
• said one or more electric motors and/or actuators are provided in said space to be able to move said second magnetic element.
• said game board comprises one or more moveable array, said one or more array each comprising two or more second magnetic elements, which are array magnetic elements, wherein said one or more array is preferably suitable and/or configured to displace simultaneously two or more game pieces of said plurality of game pieces.
• the board game comprises a plurality of array magnetic elements, for example from 2 up to 200, from 3 up to 100, from 5 up to 70 or up to 50 array magnetic elements. The numbers preferably refer to the total number of array magnetic elements, which may be provided on one or more arrays.
• array magnetic elements may be configured to be able to conduct rotational movements. In an embodiment, all array elements of an array may conduct a rotation in a uniform, synchronized manner together. In another embodiment, one or more array magnetic elements may conduct a rotational movement independently form other magnetic elements of the same array. In an embodiment, the board game is configured to conduct both types, synchronized and independent rotations of array magnetic elements.
• the board game is configured to play, at the option of a user, any one game selected from two or more different games.
• said two or more games comprise one or more selected from international chess, Chinese chess, Go, draughts, checkers, Mill, Shogi, Backgammon, Gomoku, Chinese checkers and other board games.
• said game surface comprises a display and/or screen, for example an electronic screen.
• the screen may be a passive reflective, for example a bistable display, or any other type of display, including active displays, such as a liquid-crystal display (LCD), or a light-emitting diode display (LED, OLED, AMOLED, etc).
• the map (or mat) and/or the display shows the game plan or game layout of a game that is played on the board game.
• Exemplary game layouts are shown in Figs 8A-8C .
• the board game is configured for enabling one or two players playing a game on the board to play remotely.
• said box and/or said two or more boxes comprises an opening, said opening being preferably oriented toward said game surface.
• said opening or openings allows for said plurality of game pieces to be placed in said box or boxes through said opening(s).
• the present invention thus provides many innovative and advantageous aspects, such as a board game with self-moving and/or automatically moving game pieces.
• the invention allows for remote playing of one or more players.
• the invention allows for simultaneous movement of a plurality of game pieces.
• the invention allows for a single board game to be used for playing a plurality of board games.
• a visible system for example comprising robotic arms, actuators, and/or picker arms is preferably absent, thanks to the arrangement of the displacement assembly inside the game board and/or below the game surface.
• a robotic system that is provided visibly on or above the game surface is preferably absent.
• the present invention relates to a real-world board game, comprising a 3D, physical and/or material game board and game pieces.
• the board game of the invention does preferably not concern a game that is only displayed on a screen and/or that is entirely virtual. Therefore, the board game of the invention may be provided in the form of a device.
• Such board games may be played by two or more human individuals, which will be referred to herein as "persons".
• the board game may be played by a person against a "computer”, between two computers, or possibly by more than two players encompassing computers and/or persons.
• a "computer” generally comprises a data processing entity, for example hardware and/or software for determining moves of one player by calculation and to provide an indication of the game move that was determined.
• a player wishes to make a move in a classical board game, the person is generally required to pick up a game piece 41 and to displace it, for example for changing the position of that piece on the game plan, for placing the piece on the game layout from an external position where it is not yet on the layout, or for removing a piece from the game layout to a position outside the layout. In this latter case, the piece is generally no longer involved in a particular game.
• the person generally uses his or her hand, and thus muscular force, for displacing a piece 41.
• a person may play against a computer, in which case the person usually also displaces the pieces of the computer according to the computer's instructions, said instructions being indicated by way of an output, such as a display or light arrays, for example.
• the board game 10 preferably comprises a plurality of automatically displaceable game pieces 40.
• Automatically displaceable for the purpose of the present specification, is intended to mean that the game piece can move without any involvement of the person, in particular without the need for a person to seize and displace the piece using muscular force.
• the term “automatically displaceable” is preferably a "self-displacement”, meaning that the board game is capable of displacing the pieces by its own. More specifically, the term “automatically displaceable” preferably comprises a system, in which pieces are caused to move under the effect of magnetic forces.
• the game board 20 comprises magnetic elements and an assembly provided below the game surface 25, wherein the assembly is provided to move the magnetic elements, which in turn causes pieces to move on the game surface 25, said pieces also containing a magnetic element.
• each game piece of said plurality of game pieces comprises one or more magnetic element, which is referred to herein as the first magnetic element.
• the board game preferably also comprises one or more magnetic element, which is referred to as the second magnetic element.
• the second magnetic element is preferably provided in the board 20 and/or below the game surface 25. The extent of force of attraction, or possibly of a force of repulsion, may also depend on the orientation and/or positioning of the first and second magnetic elements in the piece and in the board, respectively.
• the first and second magnetic element are preferably selected independently from the group consisting of: permanent magnets, electromagnets, ferromagnetic materials, ferrimagnetic materials and possibly other magnetic or magnetizable materials in such a manner so as to enable the occurrence and exploitation of a magnetic force of attraction between said first magnetic element and said second magnetic element.
• the feature of automatic movement of pieces 40, 41 may apply to the pieces of one or both players. If there are more players involved in a game, the pieces of one, several or all of the players may be displaced automatically.
• a person may play against a computer, wherein the person displaces his/her own pieces and the computer displaces its pieces automatically.
• two persons play against each other from different spatial locations, wherein the pieces of a player that is absent or remote move automatically in accordance with instructions provided by the absent player. The invention is not limited to these exemplary configurations.
• Said plurality of pieces preferably encompasses pieces which are automatically displaceable.
• the board game may comprise additional and/or other game pieces that are not automatically displaceable and/or which are not part of said plurality of pieces.
• the board game 10 comprises boxes 47, in which pieces 40 may be placed when the pieces are not present on the game surface 25, for example when they do not take part in a particular game or when no game is played at all and the pieces are just put away or stored.
• Figure 2A shows the game board 20 from which the top cover 23 ( Fig. 1 ) comprising the game surface 25 has been removed.
• a space 60 can be seen, which here is in the form of a hollow space in the board 20, such that the game board is sort of a box with said space 60 provided inside.
• the box may comprise sidewalls 31 and a bottom wall defining and/or delimiting said space.
• the board game or board lacks lateral walls 31 and/or a bottom wall defining a space specifically, such that said space 60 could also be any not specifically confined or delimited space preferably below or laterally the game surface 25 or the cover 23.
• the invention envisages that the space be provided by placing the top cover and/or the game surface 25 on pillars, so as to create a space below the game surface and a surface (for example of a table) on which the board comprising the pillars is placed.
• the space 60 comprises preferably an arrangement 21, 27, 28, 29, 30 connected with the one or more second magnet component 50, 51, 52, the arrangement being provided for causing the one or more second magnet component to conduct defined movements in said space and preferably below the game surface 25.
• the arrangement may comprise a mechanical part or a frame part, such as robotic arms, articulated mechanical structures, rails, on the one hand, and actuators and/or electric motors on the other hand, with said actuators or motors being provided to act on the mechanical part to move said one or more second magnets.
• an individual or independent magnetic actuator 29 is provided on the bridging structure 28, so as to be able to displace along the bridging structure, along axis X, and also to rotate.
• Figure 2B illustrates the rotational movement enabled by the independent actuator 29, causing the magnetic element 50 attached thereto to rotate accordingly. Consequently, the game piece that is displaced by the magnetic element 50 may conduct a rotation, and this is preferably valid independently of the orientation A or B of the game piece.
• the space 60 may comprise more than one individual magnetic actuators 29, for example provided on separate and/or independent bringing structures 28 and/or on the same bridging structure, each bridging structure preferably being connected to two lateral sliders 27.
• the arrangement just described allows for the magnetic elements 50, 51, 52 provided and/or connected to the arrangement to be moved inside said space and/or below the game surface.
• Fig. 2A further shows a magnetic actuator array 65, which comprises a bridging structure 30 on which a plurality of array magnets 52 is provided.
• the array magnets 52 may displace uniformly with the bridging structure 30 along axis Y, by way of sliders 27, but preferably may also displace to some extent along axis X, on the bridging structure 30.
• the array magnets 52 on a bridging structure 30 may thus be provided to move all simultaneously and uniformly, but in some embodiments an array magnet 52 of a given array 65 may also be provided to displace relative to another array magnet 52 of the same array 65, for example along axis X, or a rotational movement, generally within the plane X-Y, similar to what has been described above with respect to independent magnetic actuator 29.
• the board game 10 may comprise two or more magnetic actuator arrays.
• the data processing entity may also comprise hardware and/or software for playing the one or more board games as a "computer", that is, for playing against a human player or against another computer.
• This hardware and/or software would thus be able to determine a next move that is advantageous and/or to identify moves that are disadvantageous.
• the height z is smaller than breadth x, such that the overall game piece appears as a flat, flattened, flat, slabbed, and/or disk-shaped object. It is noted that in many board games, such as Go, Mill, and draughts, the game pieces are actually present as disk-shaped objects.
• the breadth x and/or length y of a game piece is > z, preferably x and/or y are > 1.5z, more preferably ⁇ 2z, more preferably ⁇ 2.5z, and most preferably ⁇ 3z.
• Fig. 3A shows a top zone 49 of the piece, on which a representation 35 is imaged.
• the representation 35 may indicate the value, power, role and/or nature of the game piece 41 in the game.
• the representation 35 might show the two-dimensional symbols of a particular piece, such as a pawn, rook, bishop, knight, etc.
• the invention also encompasses classical 3D game pieces, for example in the case of international chess.
• the height z of the game piece may (but need not) be larger than the extensions along axis x and y as shown in Fig. 2A .
• the representation 35 may comprise one or more selected from an image, a logo, text, numbers, symbols, and the like.
• the representation 35 may be a graphical representation.
• the top zone 49 comprises a display, for example an electronic display, such that the representation 35 on a given piece may be changed, for example depending on the particular game played, the language of the region where the board game is used, and so forth.
• the display may be an active, light emitting display or a passive, reflective display, for example.
• the transition zone 45 is rounded or, when seen in longitudinal section, curved.
• the bottom zone 44, or at least some lateral, non-central part thereof, is preferably also rounded/curved, but preferably to a minor extent than the transition zone.
• the rounded/curved zones assist, favour and/or are required for changing the orientation of the piece in accordance with some embodiments of the invention.
• the game piece further comprises a magnet or other detectable element 46, which here is provided centrally, on the inner surface of the bottom part.
• the purpose of the detectable element 46 is to allow the board game to detect, locate, and/or potentially identify the piece, for example when it is present on the game surface 25. If the detectable element is a magnet, the board game, for example the board 20, may comprise Hall-effect sensors.
• the game piece is a 3D object, therefore extending in a space, which can be expressed by the axis of space X, Y, Z.
• the height h of the piece may be considered as the extension of the piece along axis Z, while the extension of the piece along Y and X may correspond to the length and breadth of the piece, for example.
• the length and breath of the piece may be identical.
• the piece may, however, have a length that is different from the breadth, or vice versa. Generally, the thickness, breadth and length of the piece may be different.
• each of said plurality of game pieces (41) extends in a space defined by perpendicular axis X, Y, and Z in such a manner that the length of the piece along at least one of said axis (Z) is smaller than the length along one or two of the other axis (X, Y), as has also been specified herein above.
• the invention envisages changing the orientation of a game piece such that is occupies less surface on the plane X-Y of the game surface 25.
• the second magnetic element 50 in space 60 below the cover 23 of the game board has not yet been activated.
• the magnetic element 50 has just been activated, such that a magnetic force of attraction between the second magnet element 50 and the first magnetic element 55 of the piece is generated, causing the piece to move from the horizontal orientation A to a vertical or verticalized orientation B.
• the choice of the position of the first magnetic element 55 in piece 41, (ii) the particular position of the second magnetic element 50 below cover 23 (relative to the position of the first magnetic element), and (iii) the rounded surfaces of the piece all contribute in determining both, the movement for changing the orientation and the final orientation B of the piece as shown in Fig. 5 .
• Figure 6 left panel, shows the second magnetic element 50 having a longitudinal, cuboid, shape, forming preferably a parallelepiped rectangle.
• the invention is not limited to such a particular form and envisages other forms, but Fig. 6 illustrates a form of the second magnetic element that is suitable to facilitate the change of the orientation of the game piece in accordance with embodiments of the invention.
• the second magnetic element 50 has generally separate parts, defining opposed, north and south poles of the magnetic element, wherein the magnetic element is oriented so as to optimize or maximize magnetic forces exerted on the first magnetic element 55 in the game piece.
• one of the two poles will be oriented closer to the game surface or top cover 23, while the opposed pole may be oriented away from the game surface.
• FIG. 6 In the middle and right panels of Fig. 6 , perspective and front elevation views of the game piece 41, the second magnetic element 50 and the layer or separation between the former is shown.
• the layer in between is generally the top cover or wall 23 of the board 20, on which the game surface 25 is shown.
• the layer may also include an interchangeable layout map 26, as described elsewhere in this specification.
• the layout map may be a mat or another, preferably flat, thin, or convex sheet or disk on which the layout of the game is reproduced, for example printed or embossed.
• Figures 7A , 7B and 7C show different possibilities of the second magnetic element 50 to induce the change of the orientation of the game piece 41.
• the second magnetic element is a permanent magnet 53, which is provided at the top extremity of a bar 62.
• a push-pull solenoid 61 is provided to act on the bar and to move the magnet 53 closer to or away to the top cover 23 and/or gaming surface 25.
• the push-pull solenoid pushes the magnet closer to the game surface such that the magnetic field of the second magnetic element 53 exerts a magnetic force on the game piece 41 that is sufficient to induce the change of the orientation of the game piece from orientation A (left panel) to orientation B (right panel in Fig. 7A ).
• the invention envisages other devices, such as electric motors, actuators, pneumatic actuators, to mention a few.
• Fig. 7C shows another possibility of causing the game piece to change its orientation by way of magnetic interactions.
• the second magnetic element comprises an electro-permanent magnet 56.
• the orientation of the magnet 56 is such that the activation of the electromagnetic part by closing an electric circuit 58 results in magnetic field forces to exert magnetic attraction on the game piece 41 and cause the game piece to change orientation as shown.
• the change of the orientation from orientation A to orientation B is preferably reversible. Therefore, once the second magnetic element 53, 54 or 56 is disactivated, the game piece changes back from orientation B to orientation A, for example due to the geometric configuration of the game piece, such as the rounded side and transition surfaces described elsewhere.
• Figures 8A, 8B and 8C show the game layouts 73-75 of different board games, with the board game 10 of the present invention being preferably configured to allow players any one of a plurality of games to be played, at the option of the player.
• Figs 8A-8C show the layouts of Chinese chess 73, Go 74 and international chess 75, respectively.
• Figure 8D shows an overlay or superimposition of the layouts 73-75, illustrating that these games can be played on the basis of a two-dimensional general plan or on the basis of coordinates that are common or overlapping between these different game layouts. It is also known that different board games can be played with the layout of international chess alone, for example.
• the board game 10 of the invention comprises a plurality of different maps or mats 26 ( Fig. 1 ) with different layouts shown on the different maps, wherein a player can place the map with a particular game layout on the surface or cover 23 of the board 20, in accordance with the particular game a player wishes to play.
• the presence of different mats that can also be removed from the game surface 26 and/or exchanged with other game layouts makes it possible to offer the player the possibility to select a particular board game out of a plurality of board games that the board game of the invention is preferably configured to play.
• the layout of international chess is shown alone, illustrated with genuine (not disk-like) game pieces, assuming 3D forms of pawn, bishop, etc.
• the game pieces when seen from above, may cover a diameter of about 1.5xd (reference numeral 92), and the breadth of individual fields may be about 3d (reference numeral 94).
• the distance d (reference numeral 90) is preferably 0.4 mm to 5 cm, more preferably 0.8 mm to about 4 cm, and most preferably 1 cm to about 2.5 cm. Oversized or miniaturized versions of the board game of the invention are not excluded, such that game layouts that largely exceed and/or fall short of these exemplary and preferred 2-dimensions (2D) dimensions.
• Figure 10 illustrates the displacement of a single game piece 41 in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
• an extract of a layout of Go is shown, with three game pieces 42 of a player playing with white game pieces are at their positions on the game layout, assuming the "usual" orientation A as previously described.
• the top right panel contains a dotted line that shows the displacement of a game piece 41 in orientation B (the verticalized orientation) from outside the game layout to a target position on the layout. Thanks to the reduced dimension in at least one direction of the game piece 41 when in orientation B, it can pass between two game pieces 42 that are present in orientation A on neighbouring lines or fields of the game plan.
• the game piece 41 has changed its orientation from orientation B to it destined orientation A, due to deactivation of the second magnetic element as described with reference to Figs 7A-7C , for example.
• the dimensions of the game pieces and of the game layout are preferably selected such that an automatically displaced game piece can pass between two game pieces that are present on neighbouring fields and/or lines of the game layout, said two game pieces preferably being in an orientation A, of play, and said displacing game piece 41 being preferably in an orientation B, of displacement.
• the game piece may conduct a curved and/or meandering movement on the game surface.
• the displacing game piece may conduct any change of direction and/or orientation when being displaced on the game surface (or from outside the game layout to a position on the game layout), for example as required for avoiding a collision with game pieces that are already on the game surface.
• the game piece may also conduct rotational movements, as described, for example, with reference to Fig. 2B , for example for reaching the target position of the displacing game piece, which target position may be on or outside the game layout.
• the game pieces in this embodiment are disc-like, and may be stored in the box in a verticalized orientation, corresponding to or being similar as orientation B used for moving the game pieces in accordance with an embodiment.
• FIG. 11B some of the game pieces 42 have been moved from inside to box to a position on or close to the game layout, close to their target position. In this case, the game pieces 42 have the same value as illustrated by the Chinese symbol.
• This displacement is preferably realized by way of a movable array 65 comprising an array of second magnetic elements, as illustrated in Fig. 2A .

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Citations (7)

• 2024
  • 2024-03-28 EP EP24167666.7A patent/EP4624006A1/de active Pending
• 2025
  • 2025-05-16 CN CN202510635180.9A patent/CN120714222A/zh active Pending

Patent Citations (7)

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