Golf game and method of game play using same

Abstract

The present invention is directed to an apparatus and a method of game play for an amusement game wherein participants attempt to project a game piece into a receptacle and may include a game piece adapted to be projected by the at least one participant, a plurality of game figures, and a game base. The game base may include a plurality of first receptacles disposed in an upper surface of the game base, and each first receptacle may be adapted to receive one of the game figures and to retain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardly extended position and in a retracted position, and may also include a second receptacle adapted to receive the game piece. Each of the plurality of game figures may be adapted to engage the corresponding one of the plurality of first receptacles when the game figure is disposed in the upwardly extended position such that the game figure may disengage from the corresponding one of the plurality of first receptacles and move to the retracted position when the game figure is impacted by the projected game piece.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electronic game wherein participants take turns projecting a ball in an attempt to put the ball in a hole, the electronic game comprising: 
 a ball;    a plurality of game figures; and    a base comprising: 
 a plurality of first receptacles disposed in an upper surface of the base, each first receptacle being adapted to receive one of the game figures and to retain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardly extended position and in a retracted position;  
 a figure lift mechanism being adapted to move the plurality of game figures from the retracted position to the upwardly extended position;  
 a plurality of figure drop switches, each figure drop switch being disposed within one of the first receptacles and having a first figure state when the corresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the upwardly extended position and a second figure state when the corresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the retracted position;  
 a second receptacle adapted to receive the ball;  
 a ball drop switch disposed within the second receptacle and having a first ball state when the ball is not disposed in the second receptacle and a second ball state when the ball is disposed in the second receptacle;  
 a ball return mechanism disposed within the second receptacle and being adapted to project the ball disposed in the second receptacle from the second receptacle;  
 a motor operatively connected to the figure lift mechanism and to the ball return mechanism;  
 a speaker being adapted to output sounds; and  
 a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of figure drop switches, the ball drop switch, the motor and the speaker, 
 the controller being programmed to detect the first and the second ball states of the ball drop switch,  
 the controller being programmed to activate the motor to drive the lift mechanism and the ball return mechanism upon detecting the second ball state of the ball drop switch,  
 the controller being programmed to detect the first and the second figure states of the plurality of figure drop switches,  
 the controller being programmed to cause the speaker to output a first prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the upwardly extended position when the controller detects the corresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the first figure state, and  
 the controller being programmed to cause the speaker to output a second prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the retracted position when the controller detects the corresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the second figure state.  
 
   
     
     
         2 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the ball drop switch and the plurality of figure drop switches comprise an optical sensor.  
     
     
         3 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the ball drop switch and the plurality of figure drop switches comprise a pressure sensor.  
     
     
         4 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the ball drop switch and the plurality of figure drop switches comprise a displacement sensor.  
     
     
         5 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the first prompt sound and the second prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures are distinct from the first prompt sounds and the second prompt sounds corresponding to the other of the game figures.  
     
     
         6 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to cause the speaker to output one of the first prompt sounds and the second prompt sounds after a predetermined period of time in which all of the figure drop switches and the ball drop switch do not change states.  
     
     
         7 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to cause the speaker to output an end-of-game sound upon detecting the second ball state of the ball drop switch.  
     
     
         8 . An electronic game as defined in  claim 7 , wherein the end-of-game sound output by the speaker corresponds to the number of figure drop switches detected by the controller to be in the second figure state.  
     
     
         9 . An amusement game for use by at least one game participant, comprising: 
 a game piece adapted to be projected by the at least one participant;    a plurality of game figures; and    a game base comprising: 
 a plurality of first receptacles disposed in an upper surface of the game base, each first receptacle being adapted to receive one of the game figures and to retain the corresponding figure alternately in an upwardly extended position and in a retracted position, and  
 a second receptacle adapted to receive the game piece,  
   wherein each of the plurality of game figures is adapted to engage the corresponding one of the plurality of first receptacles when the game figure is disposed in the upwardly extended position such that the game figure disengages from the corresponding one of the plurality of first receptacles and moves to the retracted position when the game figure is impacted by the projected game piece.    
     
     
         10 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the game base further comprises a figure lift mechanism being adapted to move the plurality of game figures from the retracted position to the upwardly extended position.  
     
     
         11 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 10 , wherein each of the game figures includes a body, a figure base disposed at the bottom of the body, a tab extending outwardly from the body and the figure base, and a lift arm extending outwardly from the body and the figure base, and the figure lift mechanism comprises: 
 a hollow stationary cylinder having a top edge and a vertical slot, one of the game figures being disposed within the stationary cylinder with the lift arm extending outwardly from the stationary cylinder through the vertical slot, and wherein the tab engages the top edge when the game figure is disposed in the upwardly extended position to retain the game figure in the upwardly extend position, and    a hollow rotatable cylinder having an inclined surface, the one of the game figures and the stationary cylinder being disposed within the rotatable cylinder, the inclined surface being adapted to engage the lift arm to cause the game figure to move from the retracted position to the upwardly extended position when the rotatable cylinder rotates.    
     
     
         12 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 11 , wherein the game base further comprises a motor operatively connected to the figure lift mechanism and being adapted to rotate the rotating cylinder.  
     
     
         13 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the game base further comprises a game piece return mechanism disposed within the second receptacle and being adapted to project the game piece disposed in the second receptacle from the second receptacle.  
     
     
         14 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 13 , wherein the game piece return mechanism comprises: 
 a return arm pivotally mounted to the game base and having return end disposed within the second receptacle and a cam follower end disposed at the opposite end of the return arm as the return end,    a spring engaging the return arm and biasing the return arm to rotate in a direction whereby the return end moves upwardly and the cam follower end moves downwardly; and    a gear having a cam disposed thereon, the cam having an upper edge engaging the cam follower end of the return arm to elevate the cam follower end from a minimum elevation to a maximum elevation as the gear rotates in a first direction, and wherein the biasing force of the spring thrusts the cam follower end downwardly when a trailing edge of the cam rotates past the cam follower end.    
     
     
         15 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 14 , wherein the game base further comprises a motor operatively connected to the gear and being adapted to cause the gear to rotate in the first direction.  
     
     
         16 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the game base further comprises: 
 a plurality of figure drop switches, each figure drop switch being disposed within one of the first receptacles and having a first figure state when the corresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the upwardly extended position and a second figure state when the corresponding one of the game figures is disposed in the retracted position;    a speaker being adapted to output sounds; and    a controller operatively coupled to the plurality of figure drop switches and the speaker, 
 the controller being programmed to detect the first and the second figure states of the plurality of figure drop switches,  
 the controller being programmed to cause the speaker to output a first prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the upwardly extended position when the controller detects the corresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the first figure state, and  
 the controller being programmed to cause the speaker to output a second prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the retracted position when the controller detects the corresponding one of the game figure drop switches having the second figure state.  
   
     
     
         17 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the game base further comprises: 
 a figure lift mechanism being adapted to move the plurality of game figures from the retracted position to the upwardly extended position; a game piece drop switch disposed within the second receptacle and having a first game piece state when the game piece is not disposed in the second receptacle and a second game piece state when the game piece is disposed in the second receptacle;    a motor operatively connected to the figure lift mechanism; and    a controller operatively coupled to the game piece drop switch and the motor, 
 the controller being programmed to detect the first and the second game piece states of the game piece drop switch, and  
 the controller being programmed to activate the motor to drive the lift mechanism upon detecting the second game piece state of the game piece drop switch.  
   
     
     
         18 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the game base further comprises: 
 a game piece drop switch disposed within the second receptacle and having a first game piece state when the game piece is not disposed in the second receptacle and a second game piece state when the game piece is disposed in the second receptacle;    a game piece return mechanism disposed within the second receptacle and being adapted to project the game piece disposed in the second receptacle from the second receptacle;    a motor operatively connected to the game piece return mechanism; and    a controller operatively coupled to the game piece drop switch and the motor, 
 the controller being programmed to detect the first and the second game piece states of the game piece drop switch,  
 the controller being programmed to activate the motor to drive the game piece return mechanism upon detecting the second ball state of the game piece drop switch.  
   
     
     
         19 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 9 , wherein the game base further comprises: 
 a game piece drop switch disposed within the second receptacle and having a first game piece state when the game piece is not disposed in the second receptacle and a second game piece state when the game piece is disposed in the second receptacle, a speaker being adapted to output sounds; and    a controller operatively coupled to the game piece drop switch and the speaker, 
 the controller being programmed to detect the first and the second game piece states of the game piece drop switch, and  
 the controller being programmed to cause the speaker to output an end-of-game sound when the controller detects the game piece drop switch having the second game piece state.  
   
     
     
         20 . An amusement game as defined in  claim 19 , wherein the end-of-game sound output by the speaker corresponds to the number of game figures being disposed in the retracted position.  
     
     
         21 . A method of game play for an electronic game wherein participants attempt to project a game piece into a first receptacle in a base of the electronic game, the method comprising: 
 providing a plurality of game figures and a plurality of second receptacles adapted to receive one of the game figures, the game figures being disposed in an upwardly extended position within the second receptacles;    prompting a participant to project the game piece toward the first receptacle;    determining whether the projected game piece engaged one of the game figures such that the game figure moved from the upwardly extended position to a retracted position within the corresponding second receptacle;    outputting a knocked down figure sound corresponding to the one of the game figures engaged by the projected game piece and moved to the retracted position after determining that the one of the game figures was engaged by the game piece;    determining whether the projected game piece is disposed within the first receptacle; and    outputting an end-of-round sound after determining that the game piece is disposed in the first receptacle.    
     
     
         22 . A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in  claim 21 , further comprising ejecting the game piece from the first receptacle after determining that the game piece is disposed in the first receptacle.  
     
     
         23 . A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in  claim 21 , further comprising moving at least one of the game figures from the retracted position to the upwardly extended position after determining that the game piece is disposed in the first receptacle.  
     
     
         24 . A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in  claim 21 , further comprising: 
 determining that a predetermined amount of time has elapsed without any of the game figures moving from the upwardly extended position to the retracted position and without the game piece being disposed in the first receptacle; and    re-prompting a participant to project the game piece toward the first receptacle after determining that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed.    
     
     
         25 . A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in  claim 24 , further comprising; 
 determining that one of the game figures is disposed in the upwardly extending position after determining that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed; and    outputting a first prompt sound corresponding to the one of the game figures being disposed in the upwardly extended position after determining that the one of the game figures is disposed in the upwardly extended position.    
     
     
         26 . A method of game play for an electronic game as defined in  claim 24 , further comprising; 
 determining that one of the game figures is disposed in the retracted position after determining that the predetermined amount of time has elapsed; and    outputting a second prompt sound corresponding to one of the game figures being disposed in the retracted position after determining that the one of the game figures is disposed in the retracted position.