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US 9,174,116 B2Granted
System for developing, managing, acquiring and playing electronic board games
AssigneeIntel Corporation
InventorsRita H. Wouhaybi, Sai P. Balasundaram, David I. Shaw
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A device, method, and system for developing, managing, acquiring and playing electronic board games. Game developers may illustratively access one or more electronic game board, game piece templates and/or other game development application software from a game server to design and develop electronic board games. Such electronic board games may then be acquired by game players in the form of full, limited and/or modifiable versions. A game service module of the game server makes a number of electronic board game related services available to game players for managing, playing and acquiring electronic board game collections and/or for enhancing or facilitating electronic board game playing.
Claims22
A server to host an electronic board game service via a network, the server comprising:
- a game development module to provide one or more electronic board templates and a plurality of electronic board game piece templates to develop one or more electronic board games, wherein (i) at least one of the one or more electronic board games includes a plurality of unique hardware game pieces, (ii) each unique hardware game piece of the plurality of unique hardware game pieces comprises a communication device configured to produce a unique identification signal, (iii) the game development module comprises a game modification rules sub-module to define one or more rules for limiting modification of at least one electronic board game of the one or more electronic board games and a hardware game piece identification sub- module to assign a different one of the unique identification signals to each player of one or more corresponding players of the one or more electronic board games, and (ii) (iv) the at least one electronic board game comprises at least one of a plurality of different game features or at least one of a plurality of different types of game features,
- a game acquisition module to provide for acquisition of the one or more electronic board games by users of the electronic board game service, and
- a game services module to provide to users of the electronic board game service at least one service relating to the one or more electronic board games,
- wherein the game modification rules sub-module is to define at least one of:
- (i) at least one rule to limit a total number of features of the at least one electronic board game that may be modified to a subset of the plurality of different game features, (ii) at least one rule to limit the types of features of the at least one electronic board game that may be modified to a subset of the plurality of different types of game features, and/or (iii) at least one rule to disable any modification of the at least one electronic board game.
2 more elements
One or more computer readable media containing instructions for hosting an electronic board game service via a network, wherein execution of the instructions by one or more processors of a computing device causes the one or more processors to:
- provide one or more electronic board templates and a plurality of electronic board game piece templates for development of one or more electronic board games, wherein at least one of the one or more electronic board games includes a plurality of unique hardware game pieces, and wherein each unique hardware game piece of the plurality of unique hardware game pieces comprises a communication device configured to produce a unique identification signal,
- assign a different one of the unique identification signals to each player of one or more corresponding players of the one or more electronic board games,
- provide for acquisition of the one or more electronic board games by users of the electronic board game service, provide to users of the electronic board game service at least one service relating to the one or more electronic board games, and
- provide for selection in the development of the one or more electronic board games one or more rules for limiting modification of at least one electronic board game of the one or more electronic board games, wherein the at least one electronic board game comprises at least one of a plurality of different game features or at least one of a plurality of different types of game features,
- wherein the one or more rules includes:
- (i) at least one rule to limit a total number of features of the at least one electronic board game that may be modified to a subset of the plurality of different game features, and/or (b) at least one rule to limit the types of features of the at least one of the one or more electronic board games which may be modified to a subset of the plurality of different types of game features, and/or (c) at least one rule to disable any modification of the at least one of the one or more electronic board games.
3 more elements
A method for hosting an electronic board game service via a network, the method comprising:
- providing one or more electronic board templates and a plurality of electronic board game piece templates for development of one or more electronic board games, wherein at least one of the one or more electronic board games includes a plurality of unique hardware game pieces and wherein each unique hardware game piece of the plurality of unique hardware game pieces comprises a communication device configured to produce a unique identification signal,
- assigning a different one of the unique identification signals to each player of one or more corresponding players of the one or more electronic board games,
- providing for acquisition of the one or more electronic board games by users of the electronic board game service,
- providing to users of the electronic board game service at least one service relating to the one or more electronic board games, and
- providing for selection in the development of the one or more electronic board games one or more rules for limiting modification of at least one electronic board game of the one or more electronic board games, wherein the at least one electronic board game comprises at least one of a plurality of different game features or at least one of a plurality of different types of game features,
- wherein the one or more rules includes:
- (i) at least one rule to limit a total number of features of the at least one electronic board game that may be modified to a subset of the plurality of different game features, and/or (b) at least one rule to limit the types of features of the at least one of the one or more electronic board games which may be modified to a subset of the plurality of different types of game features, and/or (c) at least one rule to disable any modification of the at least one of the one or more electronic board games.
4 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.