US 5,393,062 A · Word transformation game

Abstract

The present invention is a word game to be played by two or more persons, in which the object of the game is to assemble solutions to word transformation puzzles. The game of the present invention requires the use of a computer (or processor), a display, and a keyboard (or other input device). At the beginning of the game and at various times during the game, the processor must find a solution to a word transformation puzzle or determine that one does not exist. Efficient solution of puzzles by the processor is accomplished by creating two minimum-length search trees, each tree having a number of nodes that contain words generated via a predetermined relationship with respect to one another. The first tree is based on the first Doublet word (the source), while the second tree is based on the second Doublet word (the destination). An intersection of the two search trees is discovered by repeatedly comparing at least one word of the first search tree with at least one word of the second search tree. The nodes of the search trees are stored in memory in such a fashion that the path from the root of the tree to any node may be recovered.

Claims19

Dependent claims

A method of solving word transformation puzzles by transforming a first word into a second word in the shortest possible sequence, the steps comprising:

a) growing a first tree having a plurality of adjacent nodes with words disposed thereon, the root node of said first tree having said first word disposed thereon;
b) generating one or more words for each of said nodes occurring in the topmost level of said first tree, each of said generated words having a predetermined relationship to the word from which it was generated;
c) growing a second tree having a plurality of adjacent nodes with words disposed thereon, the root node of said second tree having said second word disposed thereon;
d) generating one or more words for each of said nodes occurring in the topmost level of said second tree, each of said generated words having a predetermined relationship to the word from which it was generated;
e) comparing at least one word of said first tree with at least one word of said second tree in order to identify a word common to both of said trees;
f) identifying a sequence of words in each of said trees connecting the respective roots thereof to said common word;
and
g) combining said first and second sequences of words into a single sequence connecting the respective roots of said trees to one another via said common word.

5 more elements

A computer-based game for one or more players, the object of which game is to transform a first word into a second word through a sequence of words, in accordance with a set of predetermined rules, said computer-based game comprising:

a) means for growing a first tree having a plurality of adjacent nodes with words disposed thereon, the root node of said first tree having said first word disposed thereon;
b) means for generating one or more words for each of said nodes occurring in the topmost level of said first tree, each of said generated words having a predetermined relationship to the word from which it was generated;
c) means for growing a second tree having a plurality of adjacent nodes with words disposed thereon, the root node of said second tree having said second word disposed thereon;
d) means for generating one or more words for each of said nodes occurring in the topmost level of said second tree, each of said generated words having a predetermined relationship to the word from which it was generated;
e) means for comparing at least one word of said first tree with at least one word of said second tree in order to identify a word common to both of said trees;
f) means for identifying a sequence of words in each of said trees connecting the respective roots thereof to said common word;
and
g) means for combining said first and second sequences of words into a single sequence connecting the respective roots of said trees to one another via said common word.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Word transformation game

Life of this patent

Word transformation game

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims19