Illuminated pin game platform
AssigneeFowling Enterprises, LLC
InventorChristopher Hutt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A game platform and process of setting up and scoring individual game pins on the game platform is provided. The platform and process has utility to mitigate the negative impact of recurring manual setup of individual game pins on a game surface prior to beginning or continuing play such as the misalignment of individual game pins potentially creating an unfair advantage or disadvantage to those playing the game. The platform and process also has utility to increase the efficiency and uniformity of game setup and game play. The platform affords automatic identification of a misaligned game pin and notifies a player of the need to realign the game pin. The platform has further utility to automatically score the game and generate additional game information in real-time.
Claims18
An illuminated game platform for supporting game pins comprising:
- a gaming board having a front edge, a back edge, side edges, and a surface, said gaming board defining a rectangular cuboid;
- a plurality of inserts, each of said plurality of inserts being transparent or translucent and flush and contacting with the surface of said gaming board;
- a base supporting said gaming board elevated above said base;
- at least one light source aligned with each of said plurality of inserts;
- a plurality of game pins each of said plurality of game pins having a pin top, a pin base having a pin base diameter, a pin height, and a waist diameter, each pin base being opaque;
- a set of photometer or pressure sensors that are individually positioned proximal to each of said plurality of inserts, each sensor adapted to detect at least one of concentric alignment of one of said plurality of game pins with said one of said plurality of inserts, the presence of one of said plurality of game pins, or the dislocation of one of said game pins;
- wherein each of said plurality of inserts is configured to support the pin base of one of said plurality of game pins in plane with the surface of said gaming board and wherein each of said plurality of inserts has an insert diameter adapted for concentric alignment of one of said plurality of game pins;
- and
- wherein the insert diameter is between 1% and 10% greater than the waist diameter of the pin.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.