Magnetically differentiated and located board game pieces

Abstract

A device and method for differentiating and locating game pieces on a sensorized game board via magnets of distinct strength. A central processing unit coordinates with a sensorized physical structure of an amusement device to participate and/or govern gameplay. The device within the amusement device can be used with a graphic board operating as a board game. Playable and movable objects are tracked through sensors enabling progressive storage of positions assumed by the same objects resulting from voluntary user interactions. In an illustrative scenario, multiple identification units are positioned in the amusement device where game pieces are used. The sensorized board senses the presence of a game piece as the game is played. The identification unit produces an output signal read by the computer that identifies the location and type of game piece. The computer uses the location and identity of the game pieces to monitor or participate in gameplay.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A board game system comprising:
 a sensorized board including a set of magnetic field sensors;   a game token that includes an electromagnet configurable to a first magnetic moment, an energy storage apparatus, and a jiggle circuit that upon detection of motion causes the energy storage apparatus to power the electromagnet to emit a magnetic field at the first magnetic moment for a limited time;   a processor; and   a memory including instructions that when executed cause the processor to identify (1) a token ID of the game token as distinct from other game tokens and (2) a position corresponding to the sensorized board based on output of at least a first magnetic field sensor of the set of magnetic field sensors and a value of the first magnetic moment that the electromagnet is configured to.   
     
     
         2 . The board game system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a graphic overlay board that aligns with and is positioned on top of the sensorized board, the graphic overlay board including a graphic depiction of a board game including game spaces, and wherein identification of the position corresponding to the sensorized board localized the game token to a particular game space of the game spaces.   
     
     
         3 . The board game system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a game application executing on a mobile device that is communicatively connected to the sensorized board and is configured to maintain a game state including the position of the game token as identified by the token ID.   
     
     
         4 . The board game system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a game application executing on a mobile device that is communicatively connected to the sensorized board and is configured to maintain a game state including the position of the game token as identified by the token ID; and   a graphic overlay board that aligns with and is positioned on top of the sensorized board, the graphic overlay board including a graphic depiction of a board game including game spaces, and wherein identification of the position corresponding to the sensorized board of the game token is localized by the game application to a particular game space of the game spaces.   
     
     
         5 . The board game system of  claim 1 , wherein the position corresponding to the sensorized board is between the set of magnetic field sensors and the identification thereof is further based on measurements from at least three magnetic field sensors of the set of magnetic field sensors, the at least three magnetic field sensors each having known spacing between one another. 
     
     
         6 . The board game system of  claim 1 , the sensorized board further comprising:
 a charging cradle that is configured to receive the game token and wirelessly transmit power to the energy storage apparatus.   
     
     
         7 . The board game system of  claim 1 , the game token further comprising:
 a controller circuit configured to deliver power to the electromagnet from the energy storage apparatus corresponding to emitting the first magnetic moment.   
     
     
         8 . The board game system of  claim 7 , the sensorized board further comprising:
 a wireless transceiver configured to transmit instructions to the controller circuit that provision the controller circuit with the first magnetic moment.   
     
     
         9 . A method of detection of game tokens by a game system comprising:
 providing a sensorized board including a set of magnetic field sensors and a first game token that includes: (A) an electromagnet configurable to a first magnetic moment, (B) an energy storage apparatus, and (C) a jiggle circuit that detects motion of the electromagnet;   in response to a detected motion by the jiggle circuit, emitting, by the electromagnet, a magnetic field at the first magnetic moment for a limited time as powered by the energy storage apparatus;   detecting, by the sensorized board via at least a first sensor of the set of magnetic field sensors, a corresponding magnetic field of the first game token; and   deriving, by the game system, (1) a token ID of the first game token as distinct from other game tokens and (2) a position of the first game token corresponding to the sensorized board, wherein said deriving is based on a strength of the magnetic field of the first game token as detected and corresponding to a value of the first magnetic moment that the electromagnet is configured to.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 aligning a graphic overlay board on top of the sensorized board, the graphic overlay board including a graphic depiction of a board game including game spaces, and wherein identification of the position of the first game token corresponding to the sensorized board is localized to a particular game space of the game spaces.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 executing a game application on a mobile device that is communicatively connected to the sensorized board;   registering a graphic overlay board with the game application the graphic overlay board including a graphic depiction of a board game including game spaces that have known positioning relative to the set of magnetic field sensors; and   maintaining, by the game application, a game state including the position of the first game token localized to a particular game space of the game spaces as identified by the token ID.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein said maintaining further includes positions to the game spaces of a plurality of game tokens each with locally unique respective token IDs corresponding to locally unique respective magnetic moments. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the position corresponding to the sensorized board is between the set of magnetic field sensors and said deriving is further based on measurements from at least three magnetic field sensors of the set of magnetic field sensors, the at least three magnetic field sensors each having known spacing between one another. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 receiving the first game token within a charging cradle of the sensorized board; and   wirelessly transmitting power, by the charging cradle, to the energy storage apparatus.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 communicatively connecting a token controller of the first game token to a game system controller; and   receiving, by the token controller, provisioning instructions from the game system that cause the token controller to regulate power to the electromagnet such that while active the electromagnet emits the magnetic field having the first magnetic moment and corresponds to the token ID.   
     
     
         16 . A board game system comprising:
 a sensorized board including a set of magnetic field sensors;   a first game token that includes an electromagnet configurable to a first magnetic moment, an energy storage apparatus, and a jiggle circuit that upon detection of motion causes the energy storage apparatus to power the electromagnet to emit a magnetic field at the first magnetic moment for a limited time;   a graphic overlay board that aligns with and is positioned on top of the sensorized board, the graphic overlay board including a graphic depiction of a board game including game spaces;   one or more processors; and   one or more memories including instructions that when executed cause the processors to:
 execute a game application that is communicatively connected to the sensorized board and is configured to maintain a game state including the position of the game token as identified by a token ID; 
 register the graphic overlay board with the game application the graphic overlay board wherein the game spaces have known positioning relative to the set of magnetic field sensors; 
 maintaining, by the game application, the game state including the position of the first game token localized to a particular game space of the game spaces as identified by the token ID; 
 detect, by the sensorized board via at least a first sensor of the set of magnetic field sensors, a corresponding magnetic field of the first game token; and 
 derive, by the board game system, (1) the token ID of the first game token as distinct from other game tokens and (2) a position of the first game token relative to the sensorized board and localized to a current game space of the game spaces, wherein said deriving is based on a strength of the magnetic field of the first game token as detected and corresponding to a value of the first magnetic moment that the electromagnet is configured to. 
   
     
     
         17 . The board game system of  claim 16 , wherein the position corresponding to the sensorized board is between the set of magnetic field sensors and said deriving is further based on measurements from at least three magnetic field sensors of the set of magnetic field sensors, the at least three magnetic field sensors each having known spacing between one another. 
     
     
         18 . The board game system of  claim 16 , the sensorized board further comprising:
 a charging cradle that is configured to receive the first game token and wirelessly transmit power to the energy storage apparatus.   
     
     
         19 . The board game system of  claim 16 , the first game token further comprising:
 a controller circuit configured to deliver power to the electromagnet from the energy storage apparatus corresponding to emitting the first magnetic moment.   
     
     
         20 . The board game system of  claim 19 , the sensorized board further comprising:
 a wireless transceiver configured to transmit instructions to the controller circuit that provision the controller circuit with the first magnetic moment.