Gaming and learning system using sloped surfaces

Abstract

A gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players is provided. The gaming system may include a launch area, a target, and a runway extending between the launch area and the target. The runway may have a runway slope having an angle of between about 3 and 22 degrees from horizontal such that an elevation of the launch area is above or below an elevation of the target. The runway slope may handicap a difficulty level of a competition for two or more players attempting to advance a projectile toward a target by making the difficulty level more difficult for at least one player, easier for at least one player, or both.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players, the gaming system comprising:
 a launch area;   a target; and   a runway extending between the launch area and the target, wherein the runway has a runway slope having an angle of between about 3 and 22 degrees from horizontal such that an elevation of the launch area is above or below an elevation of the target, the runway slope handicapping a difficulty level of a competition for two or more players attempting to advance a projectile toward a target by making the difficulty level more difficult for at least one player, easier for at least one player, or both.   
     
     
         2 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a slope between the runway and the target, wherein the slope comprises an angle of between about 3 and 22 degrees from horizontal such that an elevation of the target is above an elevation of the runway.   
     
     
         3 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a bumper slope positioned between the runway and the target, the bumper slope comprising an upslope extending above a base of the runway and toward the target, the bumper slope being configured to slow down a rolling projectile, force the rolling projectile to launch off a surface of the bumper slope, or both to modify the difficulty level of the competition.   
     
     
         4 . A gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players, the gaming system comprising:
 a launch area;   a target;   a runway extending between the launch area and the target, wherein the runway has a runway slope having an angle of between about 3 and 22 degrees from horizontal such that an elevation of the launch area is above or below an elevation of the target, the runway slope handicapping a difficulty level of a competition for two or more players attempting to advance a projectile toward a target by making the difficulty level more difficult for at least one player, easier for at least one player, or both; and   a bumper slope positioned between the runway and the target, the bumper slope comprising an upslope extending above a base of the runway and toward the target, the bumper slope being configured to reduce momentum of a rolling projectile to modify the difficulty level of the competition.   
     
     
         5 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the target comprises a slope of between 3 and 22 degrees from horizontal.   
     
     
         6 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the runway is at an angle of between 136 and 177 degrees relative to the target.   
     
     
         7 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 reducing the momentum of the rolling projectile comprises slowing down the rolling projectile, forcing the rolling projectile to launch off a surface of the bumper slope, or both.   
     
     
         8 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 a texture of the target comprises one or more of ridges, bumps, grooves, or indentations.   
     
     
         9 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the target comprises one or more of grass, dirt, sand, gravel, mulch, artificial turf, or oiled sand.   
     
     
         10 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope is formed from a juncture of the runway and the target.   
     
     
         11 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope comprises a bump protruding above a surface of the runway, the target, or both.   
     
     
         12 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope comprises a dip extending below a surface of the runway, the target, or both.   
     
     
         13 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope is extends along a portion of a juncture between the runway and the target.   
     
     
         14 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 an angle of one or more of the runway slope, the upslope, or a slope of the target is variable.   
     
     
         15 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the runway comprises a lateral slope that is sloped inward or outward from a center of the runway.   
     
     
         16 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the upslope comprises an angle of between 3 and 22 degrees from horizontal.   
     
     
         17 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope comprises one or more of grass, dirt, sand, gravel, mulch, artificial turf, wood, or oiled sand.   
     
     
         18 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope is more firm than one or more of the runway or the target.   
     
     
         19 . The gaming system for providing a handicapped level of competition between two or more players of  claim 4 , wherein:
 the bumper slope is less firm than one or more of the runway or the target.   
     
     
         20 . A method of handicapping a competition between two or more players, the method comprising:
 determining a desired difficulty level of a competition for two or more players attempting to advance a projectile toward a target;   providing a launch area, the target, a runway extending between the launch area and the target, and a bumper slope positioned between the runway and the target;   selecting a slope of the runway, an upslope of the bumper slope, and a slope of the target based on the desired difficulty level to make the competition more difficult for at least one player, easier for at least one player, or both; and   selecting a material and a texture of the target based on desired difficulty level.