Electronic game apparatus
AssigneeSaitek Limited
InventorPaul T. Ryan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An electronic game apparatus for determining the presence and optionally the identity of playing pieces. Each playing piece (10) is provided with a resonator circuit (12,14,16), which may be tuned so that each playing piece or type or piece has a unique resonant frequency. A board (2) defining a number of particular playing positions is provided with transmit and receive coils (4,6) underneath it to stimulate the resonator circuit of a piece and to sense the resonant signal respectively. An amplifier is provided between the two sets of coils to amplify the signal generated by the resonant circuit. A resonant signal results if a playing piece is placed on a particular position on the board (2). The frequency of this signal is detected and may then be determined and the piece thereby identified.
Claims10
An electronic game apparatus comprising:
- a plurality of playing pieces each including an electrical resonant circuit;
- means forming at least one surface and having a plurality of transmit and receive coils beneath the surface defining a number of discrete playing positions for the playing pieces on the surface;
- means for selecting a transmit and a receive coil and hence a unique playing position, an amplifying circuit being connected between the transmit and receive coils whereby a resonant signal is generated when a playing piece is positioned on a selected playing position;
- and
- means for detecting the generated resonant signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.