Game playing device

Abstract

There is described a game playing device ( 10 ) for receiving input data by scanning graphical information ( 160 ). The device ( 10 ) comprises a scanning arrangement ( 50 ) for transducing said input data from said graphical information ( 160 ). Moreover, the scanning arrangement further comprises computing hardware ( 30 ) coupled to the scanning arrangement ( 50 ) for receiving therefrom said input data comprising one or more of input parameters, software and solution parameters for controlling software execution within the computing hardware ( 30 ). Furthermore, there is also included a display arrangement ( 40 ) coupled to the computing hardware ( 30 ) for presenting graphical output information from the computing hardware ( 30 ) to one or more users of the device ( 10 ). Additionally, the device ( 10 ) further includes a user interface ( 60 ) coupled to the computing hardware ( 30 ) for receiving user input information and conveying said information to the computing hardware ( 30 ) for controlling operation of the computing hardware ( 30 ). The computing hardware ( 30 ) is operable to execute at least one of software pre-loaded thereinto or software subsequently loaded thereinto to drive the display arrangement ( 40 ), said software functioning in response to input information and/or parameters input to the computing hardware ( 30 ) from at least one of the scanning arrangement ( 50 ) and the user interfacing means ( 60 ).

1 . A game playing device ( 10 ) for receiving input data by scanning graphical information ( 160 ), the device ( 10 ) comprising: 
 (a) scanning means ( 50 ) for transducing said input data from said graphical information ( 160 );    (b) computing means ( 30 ) coupled to the scanning means ( 50 ) for receiving therefrom said input data comprising one or more of input parameters, software and solution parameters for controlling software execution within the computing means ( 30 );    (c) displaying means ( 40 ) coupled to the computing means ( 30 ) for presenting graphical output information from the computing means ( 30 ) to one or more users of the device ( 10 );    (d) user interfacing means ( 60 ) coupled to the computing means ( 30 ) for receiving user input information and conveying said information to the computing means ( 30 ) for controlling operation of the computing means ( 30 ), 
 wherein the computing means ( 30 ) is operable to execute at least one of software pre-loaded thereinto or software subsequently loaded thereinto to drive the displaying means ( 40 ), said software functioning in response to input information and/or parameters input to the computing means ( 30 ) from at least one of the scanning means ( 50 ) and the user interfacing means ( 60 ).  
   
     
     
         2 . A device according to  claim 1 , further including network interfacing means ( 80 ) for communicating with at least one of other game playing devices ( 100 ,  105 ) compatible with the device ( 10 ) and the Internet.  
     
     
         3 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the displaying means ( 40 ) includes at least one of: one or more light emitting diodes (LEDs), one or more incandescent filament lamps, one or more liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and an interface for presenting information onto a television-type apparatus.  
     
     
         4 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the interfacing means ( 60 ) includes one or more of the following for entering data from one or more users to the computing means ( 30 ): one or more membrane switches, silicone conductive-material switches, conventional push-button switches, conductive pad switches, capacitance controlled switches, one or more stylus-type transducer.  
     
     
         5 . A device according to  claim 4 , wherein the interfacing means ( 60 ) is susceptible to receiving information from television-type remote controls.  
     
     
         6 . A device according to  claim 2 , wherein the network interfacing means ( 80 ) is arranged to support wireless communication, for example proprietary Blue-Tooth and/or mobile telephony.  
     
     
         7 . A device according to  claim 1 , wherein the scanning means ( 50 ) includes at least one of: a 1-dimensional array of photodetectors, a 2-dimemsional array of photodetectors, an optically-sensitive charge-coupled-device (CCD), an complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imaging device, a magnetic scanning device and an imaging scanning device.  
     
     
         8 . A device according to  claim 7 , wherein the scanning means ( 50 ) further comprises synchronization marker sensing means for assisting the scanning means to temporally synchronize to moving visual data presented thereto.  
     
     
         9 . A device according to  claim 7 , wherein the scanning means ( 30 ) is capable of reading and conveying visual and/or magnetic information presented thereto to the computing means ( 30 ), said information comprising at least one of: 
 (a) executable software;    (b) software operating parameters including at least one of: game configuration data, game difficulty parameters, game speed parameters, game character parameters, game layout parameters, device configuration data;    (c) one or more of: answers and solutions to one or more pre-programmed games and software games input to the device ( 10 ) via its scanning means ( 30 ), and    (d) one or more Internet URLs.    
     
     
         10 . A method of operating a game playing device ( 10 ) for receiving input data by scanning graphical information ( 160 ), the device ( 10 ) comprising: 
 (a) scanning means ( 50 ) for transducing said input data from said graphical information ( 160 );    (b) computing means ( 30 ) coupled to the scanning means ( 50 ) for receiving therefrom said input data comprising one or more of input parameters, software and solution parameters for controlling software execution within the computing means ( 30 );    (c) displaying means ( 40 ) coupled to the computing means ( 30 ) for presenting graphical output information from the computing means ( 30 ) to one or more users of the device ( 10 );    (d) user interfacing means ( 60 ) coupled to the computing means ( 30 ) for receiving user input information and conveying said information to the computing means ( 30 ) for controlling operation of the computing means ( 30 ), 
 the method including the steps of:  
   (e) executing at least one of software pre-loaded or software subsequently loaded into the computing means ( 30 ); and    (f) arranging for the computing means ( 30 ) to drive the displaying means ( 40 ), said software functioning in response to input information and/or parameters input to the computing means ( 30 ) from at least one of the scanning means ( 50 ) and the user interfacing means ( 60 ).    
     
     
         11 . A method according to  claim 10 , including the step of arranging for the device ( 10 ) to interface with one or more of other game playing devices and the Internet connected thereto so as to provide for interactive game playing between a plurality of users.  
     
     
         12 . A method according to  claim 10 , including the step of arranging for the scanning means ( 30 ) to be capable of reading and conveying visual and/or magnetic information presented thereto to the computing means ( 30 ), said information comprising at least one of: 
 (a) executable software;    (b) software operating parameters including at least one of: game configuration data, game difficulty parameters, game speed parameters, game character parameters, game layout parameters, device configuration data; and    (c) one or more of: answers and solutions to one or more pre-programmed games and software games input to the device ( 10 ) via its scanning means ( 30 ).