Set of playing blocks

Abstract

The present invention is directed toward a set of playing blocks for selectively invoking a player discernible effect depending on the upwardly facing game operation displaying face of a game controller playing block and the upwardly facing indicia displaying face(s) of at least one row of one or more electrically coupled playing blocks electrically coupled to the game controller playing block on its/their juxtaposition thereagainst by a player. The set of playing blocks of the present invention is readily amenable to children of different ages ranging from toddlers to about 1st Graders for playing a number of educational games depending on a player's age for teaching numbers, letters, names of objects, basic arithmetic, word composition, and the like.

1 . A set of playing blocks comprising: 
 (a) a plurality of playing blocks each having at least one indicia displaying face(s) and either one or two opposite contact faces, each contact face having electrical contacts in electrical connection with at least one electrical component(s) having an addressable value associated with at least one of said at least one indicia displaying face(s) whereby, in the case of playing blocks having two opposite contact faces, playing blocks are capable of being arranged into a row of two or more electrically coupled playing blocks by player juxtaposition of a contact face of one playing block against a contact face of another playing block; and    (b) a game controller playing block having at least one game operation displaying face and either one or two opposite contact faces, each contact face having electrical contacts in electrical connection with a controller capable of invoking a player discernible effect depending on said game controller playing block's upwardly facing game operation displaying face and the upwardly facing indicia displaying face(s) of one or more playing blocks electrically coupled to said game controller playing block.    
     
     
         2 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein said player discernible effect is an annunciation of one of the following list: a number, the individual letters making up a word, a complete word, the individual letters making up a word and the complete word, and a phrase.  
     
     
         3 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein said player discernible effect is the illumination of at least one face of at least one playing block.  
     
     
         4 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 3  wherein a playing block includes a reflector rotatably mounted about a centrally mounted light source for reflecting light upwardly through its upwardly facing face.  
     
     
         5 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein said game operation is the comparison between the upwardly facing indicia displaying faces of a first row of one or more electrically coupled playing blocks juxtaposed against a first contact face of said game controller playing block and the upwardly facing indicia displaying faces of a second row of one or more electrically coupled playing blocks juxtaposed against a second contact face of said game controller playing block.  
     
     
         6 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 5  wherein the comparison is between: a digit and a number of identical pictorial elements, an arithmetic operation and the result of an arithmetic operation, the letters of a word and a pictorial representation of a word.  
     
     
         7 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein a contact face has a centrally disposed electrical interface and at least one peripherally disposed electrical contact associated with at least one indicia displaying face.  
     
     
         8 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein an electrical component is constituted by an active memory storage device.  
     
     
         9 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein said game controller playing block includes a finger depressible face for closing a normally open (NO) electrical circuit for selectively invoking a player discernible effect.  
     
     
         10 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein a contact face of either said game controller playing block or a playing block is provided with a magnet.  
     
     
         11 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein said game controller playing block is capable of at least two different game operations.  
     
     
         12 . The set of playing blocks according to  claim 1  wherein at least some playing blocks of said plurality of playing blocks each have two pairs of indicia displaying faces, each pair of indicia displaying faces having a first indicia displaying face showing a number of one or more identical pictorial elements and a second indicia displaying face showing the digit of the number of identical pictorial elements of its associated first indicia displaying face, the two first indicia displaying faces displaying different numbers of identical pictorial elements.