US4046381A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Board game with selector die
Assignee: Individual
•
Filing: 1976-07-26
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Granted: 1977-09-06
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Expires: 1996-07-26
Abstract
Abstract A board game simulates competitive advancement in an organizational hierarchy by movement of tokens on sections of the board arranged in laterally extending rows and lying within distinct sectors radially arrayed about a central section of the board. Movement of a token within a row is preferentially in a predetermined direction of increasing hierarchial status and movement between rows is preferentially in a radial direction towards the central section. Digit dice and a selector die for determining the order in which the digit dice are read randomly generate a number. A set of action cards translate this number into a move code and a table of moves translates the move code into movement of the tokens on the board or other changes in the situation of the player affecting the advance of his token to the central section. Scorecards translate an initial roll of the dice by each player into a starting position on the board for a token associated with that player and also determine other characteristics associated with that player. The scorecards also preferably record the financial condition and transactions of the players.
Inventors
- 👤 George E. Comeaux
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 14:42
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F3/00; A63F3/00003; A63F3/00063; A63F9/00; A63F9/04; A63F2009/0484; A63F9/0413
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 28
Claim 1
Independent Claim
52 words
Game apparatus for selecting a sequence of game actions where each game action has associated therewith a distinguishing indicia, comprising, a die having a plurality of faces that each bear all of said distinguishing indicia, and means formed on each of said indicia bearing faces indicating a sequencing order between said indicia.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
52 words
Game apparatus for selecting a sequence of game actions where each game action has associated therewith a distinguishing indicia, comprising, a die having a plurality of faces that each bear all of said distinguishing indicia, and means formed on each of said indicia bearing faces indicating a sequencing order between said indicia.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
25 words
Game apparatus according to claim 1 wherein said indicia are different colors and said indicating means comprises a direction indicating pattern formed of said colors.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a game for two or more players where each player in turn takes one game action of a large, finite number of possible game actions each having associated therewith a number, means for selecting said one game action, comprising in combination. at least two dice that each have a digit associated with each of its faces, said dice each having a distinguishing indicia, a selector die for determining the order in which said digit dice are read, each face of said selector die bearing said distinguishing indicia and means for sequentially ordering said indicia to form one of said numbers, and means for translating said selected number into said one game action.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
113 words
In a game for two or more players where each player in turn takes one game action of a large, finite number of possible game actions each having associated therewith a number, means for selecting said one game action, comprising in combination. at least two dice that each have a digit associated with each of its faces, said dice each having a distinguishing indicia, a selector die for determining the order in which said digit dice are read, each face of said selector die bearing said distinguishing indicia and means for sequentially ordering said indicia to form one of said numbers, and means for translating said selected number into said one game action.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
14 words
Game action selecting means according to claim 3 wherein said distinguishing indicia are colors.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
36 words
Game action selecting means according to claim 4 wherein there are three digit dice, and said sequential ordering means is a direction indicating pattern formed on each face of said selector die of said three colors.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
41 words
Game action selecting means according to claim 3 wherein said translating means comprises at least one action card that associates each of said numbers with an action code, and a move table that associates said action code with a game action.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
69 words
Means for randomly selecting an ordered sequence of a plurality of digits comprising, in combination, at least two dice that each have a digit associated with each of its faces, said dice each having a distinguishing indicia, and a selector die for determining the order in which said digit dice are read, each face of said selector die bearing said distinguishing indicia and means for sequentially ordering said indicia.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
69 words
Means for randomly selecting an ordered sequence of a plurality of digits comprising, in combination, at least two dice that each have a digit associated with each of its faces, said dice each having a distinguishing indicia, and a selector die for determining the order in which said digit dice are read, each face of said selector die bearing said distinguishing indicia and means for sequentially ordering said indicia.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
16 words
Random sequential digit selection means according to claim 7 wherein said distinguishing indicia is a color.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
43 words
Random sequential digit selection means according to claim 8 wherein said means for sequentially ordering said indicia comprises a direction indicating pattern formed on each face of said selector die with aligned portions of said pattern formed of different ones of said colors.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
14 words
A sequential digit selection means according to claim 9 wherein said dice are cubical.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
29 words
Random sequential digit selection means according to claim 10 wherein there are three digit dice and each face of the selector die has a different order of said colors.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
18 words
Random sequential digit selection means according to claim 11 wherein a central portion of said pattern is V-shaped.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
104 words
A game for at least two players comprising in combination a board having a center section and at least one sector extending in a radial direction from said center section toward the periphery of said board, said sector being divided into a plurality of sections arranged in rows each extending in a direction generally transverse to said radial direction, selector means for randomly generating an ordered sequence of digits, a plurality of tokens each associated with one player and each occupying one of said sections, and means for translating said ordered sequence of digits into movement of said tokens between sections of said board.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
104 words
A game for at least two players comprising in combination a board having a center section and at least one sector extending in a radial direction from said center section toward the periphery of said board, said sector being divided into a plurality of sections arranged in rows each extending in a direction generally transverse to said radial direction, selector means for randomly generating an ordered sequence of digits, a plurality of tokens each associated with one player and each occupying one of said sections, and means for translating said ordered sequence of digits into movement of said tokens between sections of said board.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
49 words
A game according to claim 13 in which said selector means comprises a plurality of digit dice each of which has a distinguishing indicia, and means for determining the order in which said plurality of digit dice are read to form a number having a like plurality of digits.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
35 words
A game device according to claim 14 wherein said order determining means comprises a selector die having faces that each bear said distinguishing indicia and means for indicating an ordered sequence of said distinguishing indicia.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
14 words
A game according to claim 15 in which said distinguishing indicia are different colors.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
25 words
A game according to claim 16 in which said means for indicating an ordered sequence comprises a direction indicating pattern formed with said different colors.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
30 words
A game according to claim 13 wherein said movement is preferentially in a first lateral direction in each of said rows and in the radial direction toward said center section.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
20 words
A game according to claim 13 wherein said board has a generally square configuration and is divided into four sectors.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
21 words
A game according to claim 13 wherein said sectors are each divided generally along a radially extending centerline into two regions.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
40 words
A game according to claim 20 wherein one of said regions has a path formed of the sections adjacent a lateral radially extending edge of said sector for favored advancement to said central section of said tokens occupying said path.
Claim 26
Dependent Claim
75 words
A game according to claim 13 wherein said translation means includes a set of action cards for associating an ordered sequence of digits generated by said selector means with a move code, a table of moves for translating said move code into movement of at least one of said tokens between sections on said board, and means for translating on initial ordered sequence of digits for each player into a starting position on said board.
Claim 27
Dependent Claim
24 words
A game according to claim 13 further comprising means for recording a financial condition associated with each player and changes in said financial condition.
Claim 28
Dependent Claim
39 words
A game according to claim 18 wherein said sections are marked to simulate corporate occupations and said occupations are in a linear order of increasing status along said first direction and along said radial direction towards said center section.
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USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1980-09-05 | 1981-03-07 | 1981-09-06 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1984-09-05 | 1985-03-07 | 1985-09-06 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1988-09-05 | 1989-03-07 | 1989-09-06 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |