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US 8,740,684 B1Granted
Method and apparatus for football board game
OwnerWalter J. Tencza, Jr.inventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A plurality of first team player game pieces, a plurality of second team player game pieces, a football designation device, and a game board are provided for playing a football board game. At least one of the player game pieces may have an advantage over one or more of the other player game pieces. One or more of the player game pieces, may be allowed to move twice as fast as one or more other player game pieces, when a first designation is associated with the one or more player game pieces that are given the advantage. The player game pieces given the advantage may move from a “fast” space, marked with a graphic, to another “fast” space, marked with the same graphic, located a predetermined number of spaces away, such as two spaces away, in any direction.
Claims17
A computer implemented method of playing an American football game on a game board displayed on a computer display, the game board having an image of a football field comprised of a grid of a plurality of spaces, said grid having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the plurality of rows having a subset of spaces of the plurality of spaces, and each of the plurality of columns having a subset of spaces of the plurality of spaces, wherein the football game includes a plurality of player game pieces, which includes a first team comprised of a plurality of first team player game pieces, including a first team first player game piece and a first team second player game piece, and the plurality of player game pieces includes a second team comprised of a plurality of second team player game pieces, including a second team first player game piece and a second team second player game piece and the method comprising:
- receiving by at least one computer processor, inputs on a computer interactive device from a first player and a second player to respectively move the plurality of first team player game pieces and the plurality of second team player game pieces;
- processing by the at least one computer processor the received inputs to execute the football game and display the football game on the computer display in accordance with the received inputs, the at least one computer processor programmed to allow the first player and second player to respectively move the plurality of first team player game pieces and the plurality of second team player game pieces in a plurality of offensive plays and defensive plays;
- as part of a first offensive play, placing the first team first player game piece on a first space of the plurality of spaces, on a first side of a line of scrimmage, so that a first designation is associated with the first team first player game piece, wherein the first designation as associated with the first team first player game piece is hidden from view when the first team first player game piece is placed on the first space, but the first designation as associated with the first team first player game piece is configured so that a first person controlling the first team first player game piece is able to reveal the first designation as associated with the first team first player game piece;
- wherein the line of scrimmage is a line between a row of the plurality of rows and another row of the plurality of rows;
- as part of the first offensive play, placing the first team second player game piece on the first side of the line of scrimmage and on a second space of the plurality of spaces, different from the first space, so that the first designation is not associated with the first team second player game piece;
- as part of the first offensive play, initially placing a football designation device on either the first team first player game piece or the first team second player game piece, so that the football designation device is not hidden from view, wherein the football designation device is different from the first designation;
- as part of the first offensive play, placing the second team first player game piece on a second side of the line of scrimmage opposing the first side, and on a third space of the plurality of spaces, different from the first and second spaces, so that the first designation is associated with the second team first player game piece, wherein the first designation as associated with the second team first player game piece is hidden from view when the second team first player game piece is placed on the third space, but the first designation as associated with the second team first player game piece is configured so that a second person controlling the second team first player game piece is able to reveal the first designation as associated with the second team first player game piece;
- as part of the first offensive play, placing the second team second player game piece on the second side of the line of scrimmage, and on a fourth space of the plurality of spaces, different from the first, second, and third spaces, so that the first designation is not associated with the second team second player game piece;
- and
- wherein the plurality of spaces includes a plurality of fast spaces and a plurality of non fast spaces;
- wherein the plurality of fast spaces includes a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth fast space;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the first fast space and the second fast space in a first straight line;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the third fast space and the fourth fast space in a second straight line;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the fifth fast space and the sixth fast space in a third straight line;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the seventh fast space and the eighth fast space in a fourth straight line;
- wherein each fast space of the plurality of fast spaces has a first graphic, such that any space of the plurality of spaces having the first graphic is a fast space;
- and
- wherein each non fast space of the plurality of non fast spaces does not have the first graphic, such that any space of the plurality of spaces not having the first graphic is a non fast space;
- and
- further comprising during a first team first offensive turn as part of the first offensive play, moving each of the first team player game pieces a predetermined number of moves;
- wherein the predetermined number of moves for the first team first player game piece includes moving the first team first player game piece from the first fast space to the second fast space, in the first straight line, and counting this movement as one move, without counting one or more non fast spaces that are between the first fast space and the second fast space in the first straight line;
- and
- wherein the predetermined number of moves for the first team second player game piece include moving the first team second player game piece from the third fast space to the fourth fast space, in the second straight line, and counting this movement as more than one move, by counting one or more non fast spaces that are between the third fast space and the fourth fast space in the second straight line;
- further comprising during a second team first defensive turn, which follows the first team first offensive turn, as part of the first offensive play, moving each of the second team player game pieces the predetermined number of moves;
- wherein the predetermined number of moves for the second team first player game piece include moving the second team first player game piece from the fifth fast space to the sixth fast space, in the third straight line, and counting this movement as one move, without counting one or more non fast spaces that are between the fifth fast space and the sixth fast space in the third straight line;
- and
- wherein the predetermined number of moves for the second team second player game piece include moving the second team second player game piece from the seventh fast space to the eighth fast space, in the fourth straight line, and counting this movement as more than one move, by counting one or more non fast spaces that are between the seventh fast space and the eighth fast space in the fourth straight line;
- wherein the at least one computer processor alternates turns between the first team and the second team, until one of the plurality of second team player game pieces occupies the same space of the plurality of spaces as the football designation device which ends the first offensive play.
25 more elements
An apparatus comprising
- at least one computer processor;
- at least one computer memory;
- a computer display;
- and
- a computer interactive device;
- wherein at least one computer processor is programmed by a computer program stored in the at least one computer memory to display a game board, on the computer display, the game board having an image of a football field, wherein the football field includes grid of a plurality of spaces, said grid having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the plurality of rows having a subset of spaces of the plurality of spaces, and each of the plurality of columns having a subset of spaces of the plurality of spaces;
- wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed by a computer program stored in the at least one computer memory to display on the computer display a plurality of first team player game pieces, including a first team first player game piece and a first team second player game piece;
- wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed by a computer program stored in the at least one computer memory to display on the computer display a plurality of second team player game pieces, including a second team first player game piece and a second team second player game piece;
- wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed by a computer program stored in the at least one computer memory to associate, in response to a user using the computer interactive device, a first designation with the first team first player game piece and as associated the first designation is hidden from view when the first team first player game piece is placed on a first space of the plurality of spaces, but the first designation as associated with the first team first player game piece is configured so that a first person controlling the first team first player game piece is able to reveal the first designation as associated with the first team first player game piece;
- wherein the first designation is not associated with the first team second player game piece;
- wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed by a computer program stored in the at least one computer memory to associate, in response to a user using the computer interactive device, the first designation with the second team first player game piece and as associated the first designation is hidden from view when the second team first player game piece is placed on a second space of the plurality of spaces, but the first designation as associated with the second team first player game piece is configured so that a second person controlling the second team first player game piece is able to reveal the first designation as associated with the second team first player game piece;
- wherein the first designation is not associated with the second team second player game piece;
- and
- wherein the at least one computer processor is programmed by a computer program stored in the at least one computer memory to display on the computer display a football designation device, which is different from the first designation, wherein the football designation device is configured to be placed on any one of the plurality of first team player game pieces or any one of the plurality of second team player game pieces so that the football designation device is not hidden from view;
- wherein the plurality of spaces includes a plurality of fast spaces and a plurality of non fast spaces;
- wherein the plurality of fast spaces includes a first, a second, a third, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth, a seventh, and an eighth fast space;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the first fast space and the second fast space in a first straight line;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the third fast space and the fourth fast space in a second straight line;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the fifth fast space and the sixth fast space in a third straight line;
- wherein there are one or more non fast spaces between the seventh fast space and the eighth fast space in a fourth straight line;
- wherein each fast space of the plurality of fast spaces has a first graphic, such that any space of the plurality of spaces having the first graphic is a fast space;
- and
- wherein each non fast space of the plurality of non fast spaces does not have the first graphic, such that any space of the plurality of spaces not having the first graphic is a non fast space.
20 more elements
A computer implemented method of playing a football game on a game board displayed on a computer display, the game board having an image of a football field comprised of a grid of a plurality of spaces, said grid having a plurality of rows and a plurality of columns, each of the plurality of rows having a subset of spaces of the plurality of spaces, and each of the plurality of columns having a subset of spaces of the plurality of spaces, wherein the football game includes a plurality of player game pieces, which includes a first team comprised of a plurality of first team player game pieces, including a first team first player game piece and a first team second player game piece, and the plurality of player game pieces includes a second team comprised of a plurality of second team player game pieces, including a second team first player game piece and a second team second player game piece and the method comprising:
- receiving by at least one computer processor, inputs on a computer interactive device from a first player and a second player to respectively move the plurality of first team player game pieces and the plurality of second team player game pieces;
- processing by the at least one computer processor the received inputs to execute the football game and display the football game on the computer display in accordance to the received inputs, wherein the football game is played by:
- placing the first team first player game piece on a first space of the plurality of spaces, on a first side of a line of scrimmage;
- wherein the line of scrimmage is a line between a row of the plurality of rows and another row of the plurality of rows;
- placing the first team second player game piece on the first side of the line of scrimmage and on a second space of the plurality of spaces, different from the first space;
- initially placing a football designation device on either the first team first player game piece or the first team second player game piece;
- placing the second team first player game piece on a second side of the line of scrimmage opposing the first side, and on a third space of the plurality of spaces, different from the first and second spaces;
- placing the second team second player game piece on the second side of the line of scrimmage, and on a fourth space of the plurality of spaces, different from the first, second, and third spaces;
- wherein the grid includes a plurality of passing zones;
- wherein each passing zone of the plurality of passing zones includes one or more adjacent rows of the plurality of rows;
- wherein spaces of the plurality of spaces in each passing zone have a substantially same characteristic as spaces in the same passing zone, and a substantially different characteristic from spaces in adjacent passing zones;
- wherein movement of the ball designation device, along the image of the football field of the game board, from one passing zone of the plurality of passing zones to an adjacent passing zone of the plurality of passing zones is a passing zone transition;
- the method further comprising:
- generating a random number;
- and
- moving the football designation device from a first team passer player game piece of the plurality of first team player game pieces to a first team receiver player game piece of the plurality of first team player game pieces if the random number satisfies a mathematical relationship with respect to a number of passing zone transitions when moving, in a first direction, the football designation device along the image of the football field of the game board from a first location on the game board on which the first team passer player game piece is located to a second location on the game board on which the first team receiver player game piece is located;
- wherein the first team passer player game piece and the first team receiver player game piece are not located in the same row of the plurality of rows, are not located in the same column of the plurality of columns, and there is not a straight diagonal line of spaces from and including a space at the first location of the first team passer player game piece to a space at the second location of the first team receiver player game piece;
- wherein the first team passer player game piece is the first team first player game piece and the first team receiver player game piece is the first team second player game piece, if the football designation device was initially placed on the first team first player game piece;
- and
- wherein the first team passer player game piece is the first team second player game piece and the first team receiver player game piece is the first team first player game piece, if the football designation device was initially placed on the first team second player game piece.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.