Computerized trivia game having golf environment

Abstract

A trivia game is provided, capable of being executed on a computer or game console. The game has a plurality of trivia topics and a plurality of questions within each topic, the questions ranging in the level of difficulty from relatively easy to relatively difficult. The game performs the steps of randomly selecting one trivia topic from the plurality of topics, asking a question based on a predetermined level of difficulty within the topic, timing the response to the question, receiving a response to the question, and providing a precise advancement calculated from both the speed and the accuracy of the response.

1 ) A trivia game, capable of being executed on a computer or game console, the game having a plurality of trivia topics and a plurality of questions within each topic, the questions ranging in the level of difficulty from relatively easy to relatively difficult, the game performing the steps of: 
 a. displaying a sport environment and a sport figure that is the subject of the sport environment, the sport figure being in a particular location on the sport environment;    b. randomly selecting one trivia topic from the plurality of topics;    c. asking a question, where the difficulty of the question is probabilistically related to a predetermined gauge;    d. timing the response to the question;    e. receiving a response to the question;    f. providing advancement based upon both the speed and accuracy of the received response, and probabilistically based upon the location of the sport figure.    
   
   
       2 ) The game of  claim 1 , where the sport environment comprises a golf course, the course having a ball, at least one hole, the hole having a tee, a fairway, a green, a pin, and a cup, the game having a plurality of golf clubs, each club having a different swingweight, where a club with a greater swingweight sends the ball a predetermined distance, where the distance is farther on the hole than a club with a lesser swingweight, the game performing the steps of: 
 a. locating a ball at a predetermined first position on a hole;    b. having a club chosen to drive the ball towards the pin;    c. asking a trivia question, where the difficulty of the question is probabilistically related to the weight of the chosen club;    d. responsive to receiving a correct answer to the trivia question: 
 i. increasing the recorded value of the number of swings on the hole by one; and  
 ii. placing the ball at a second position, between the first position and the pin, where the position is at least a predetermined minimum distance towards the pin;  
   e. responsive to receiving an incorrect answer to the trivia question: 
 i. increasing the recorded value of the number of swings on the hole by one.  
   
   
   
       3 ) The game of  claim 2 , wherein if the player is outside the green, then the timer having a first predetermined maximum time for answering the question, wherein responsive to receiving the correct answer the question, the game performing the steps of: 
 a. calculating the unused time for responding to the question, multiplying that value by a predetermined factor, and adding the result to the predetermined distance for the club;    b. wherein if the calculated yardage places the ball outside the green, then advancing the ball towards the pin by the calculated distance.    
   
   
       4 ) The game of  claim 3 , wherein the course having a plurality of trouble spots comprises rough and sand, and if the calculated yardage places the ball on the green, then: 
 a. calculating the time taken to answer the question, and: 
 i. if the time taken to answer the question was less than a predetermined time, and the ball was not in the rough or sand, placing the ball in the hole;  
 ii. if the time taken to answer the question was greater than a predetermined time, or the ball was in the rough or sand: 
 1. multiplying the time by a predetermined factor;  
 2. placing the ball on the green at a distance to the hole being equal to the calculated time;  
 3. presenting a question having a difficulty that is proportional to the distance from the pin.  
 
   
   
   
       5 ) The game of  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of trouble spots comprises out of bounds, in water, ricocheting off of an object, or behind an object, where responsive to receiving an incorrect answer to the question or no answer to the question in the first period of time: 
 a. placing the ball from the first position to a trouble spot; 
 i. wherein if the trouble spot is out of bounds then the program performs the step of placing the ball in the first position; and  
 ii. wherein if the trouble spot is in water, then the program performs the step of placing the ball at a location on the hole where the ball crossed into the water;  
   b. wherein responsive to receiving no answer to the question in the first period of time: 
 i. increasing the recorded value for swings on the hole by one.  
   
   
   
       6 ) The game of  claim 5 , having a second predetermined maximum time for answering the question, the second time being less than the first predetermined time, wherein if the trouble spot is the rough or sand then the program performing the step of: 
 a. timing the response to a next question on the hole by the second predetermined time.    
   
   
       7 ) The game of  claim 6 , wherein responsive to receiving an answer: 
 a. if the number of total swings on the hole has reached 10, then: 
 i. if the hole is the 18 th  hole, ending the game; and  
 ii. if the hole is not the 18 th  hole, advancing to the next hole.  
   
   
   
       8 ) The game of  claim 7 , wherein responsive to putting the ball into the hole: 
 a. if the hole is the 18 th  hole, ending the game; and    b. if the hole is not the 18 th  hole, advancing to the next hole.    
   
   
       9 ) The game of  claim 8 , where the program performs the steps of: 
 a. recommending a club for a question;    b. displaying the correct answer when a question is answered incorrectly;    c. providing nature sounds; and    d. commenting after each answer.    
   
   
       10 ) The game of  claim 2 , wherein, if the player is on the green, then presenting a question having a difficulty that is proportional to the distance to the pin.  
   
   
       11 ) The game of  claim 10 , wherein: 
 a. responsive to receiving the correct answer to the question, the game performing the steps of: 
 i. placing the ball within the hole;  
 ii. increasing the number of recorded swings by a predetermined amount; and  
   b. responsive to receiving the incorrect answer to the question, the game performs the steps of: 
 i. allowing the time to continue running;  
 ii. advancing the ball half way to the pin;  
 iii. increasing the number of recorded swings by a predetermined amount.  
   
   
   
       12 ) The game of  claim 11 , wherein responsive to receiving an answer: 
 a. if the number of total swings on the hole has reached 10, then: 
 i. if the hole is the 18 th  hole, ending the game; and  
 ii. if the hole is not the 18 th  hole, advancing to the next hole;  
   b. if the number of strokes on the green has reached 5, then: 
 i. if the hole is the 18 th  hole, ending the game; and  
 ii. if the hole is not the 18 th  hole, advancing to the next hole.  
   
   
   
       13 ) The game of  claim 12 , wherein responsive to putting the ball into the hole: 
 a. if the hole is the 18 th  hole, ending the game; and    b. if the hole is not the 18 th  hole, advancing to the next hole.    
   
   
       14 ) The game of  claim 13 , where the program performs the steps of: 
 a. selecting a club for a question;    b. displaying the correct answer when a question is answered incorrectly;    c. providing nature sounds; and    d. commenting after each answer.    
   
   
       15 ) A trivia golf game, capable of being played on a computer or game console, the game having a preliminary screen, the screen having: 
 a. a location capable of receiving an identity;    b. a check box capable of activating or deactivating background sound;    c. a check box capable of activating or deactivating the showing of a correct answer;    d. a check box capable of activating or deactivating program comments;    e. a check box capable of activating or deactivating an automatic selection of a club;    f. a list of available courses capable of being engaged for picking a particular course, each course containing at least one hole, each hole containing a tee, a fairway, a green, a pin and a cup;    g. a list of available golf bags, capable of being engaged for selecting a particular golf bag, each bag containing a plurality of topics, each topic containing a plurality of questions ranging in difficulty from least to most difficulty;    h. a toggle switch capable of advancing the game past the preliminary screen.    
   
   
       16 ) The game of  claim 15 , wherein the preliminary screen further comprising: 
 a. a toggle switch capable of displaying tips for playing the game;    b. a toggle switch, capable of displaying rules for playing the game;    c. a toggle switch, capable of loading a previously saved game.    
   
   
       17 ) The game of  claim 16 , wherein the preliminary screen further comprising a toggle switch, capable of entering into a chat room.  
   
   
       18 ) The game of  claim 17 , the game having a hole preview screen, the screen having: 
 a. a scorecard;    b. a list of golf clubs, and a list of minimum yards each golf club sends a ball upon the program receiving a correct answer to a question, wherein: 
 i. each club having a swingweight that differs from each other club, where a club having a greater swingweight is capable of driving a ball farther toward the pin than a club having a smaller swingweight;  
   c. an elevated perspective preview of the next hole, the preview having a tee, a fairway, a green, a pin, and a cup;    d. a toggle switch providing: 
 i. a check box capable of activating or deactivating background sound;  
 ii. a check box capable of activating or deactivating the showing of a correct answer;  
 iii. a check box capable of activating or deactivating program comments;  
 iv. a check box capable of activating or deactivating an automatic selection of a club;  
 v. a toggle switch capable of displaying tips for playing the game; and  
 vi. a toggle switch, capable of displaying rules for playing the game;  
   
   
   
       19 ) The game of  claim 18 , where the hole preview screen having a toggle switch capable of initiating the play screen, the play screen having: 
 a. a display area for displaying a selected topic or a selected question;    b. a second area of the hole, the second area being the location of the ball;    c. a third area, adjacent to the second area, wherein a timer is located, wherein if the ball is not on the green: 
 i. the timer capable of limiting the time for selecting a club to a first predetermined time period, wherein: 
 1. the program being capable of allowing the selection of a club if the selection is made in a time being less than the first time period; 
 a. wherein the program asks a difficult question, the question having a difficulty that is probabilistically related to the selection of a club having a greater swingweight;  
 
 
 ii. the timer being capable of limiting the time to answer a question to a second predefined period, wherein: 
 1. upon receiving the correct answer to the question, the program being capable of driving the ball, in real time, additional yards towards the pin in a time being less than the second predefined period;  
 2. upon receiving the incorrect answer to the question, the program being capable of driving the ball, in real time, towards a trouble spot comprising sand, water, behind an object, out of bounds, or ricochet back onto the fairway  
 
   d. on said third area, wherein if the ball is on the green: 
 i. the timer capable of limiting the time for answering the question a predetermined time period, and the program selecting a club and wherein the program asks a question having a difficulty that is proportional to the distance from the pin; and 
 1. upon receiving the correct answer to the question, the program being capable of driving the ball, in real time, into the cup;  
 2. upon receiving the incorrect answer to the question, the program being capable of driving the ball, in real time, half way towards the pin;  
 
   e. a golfer is located in the second area of the hole, wherein: 
 i. the golfer capable of the holding a club;  
 ii. the golfer capable of swinging the club;  
   f. an aerial perspective image of the entire hole, the image of the entire hole having an indicator for indicating the location of the golfer;    g. a yardage indicator capable of indicating the total yardage from the ball to the pin.