US4502689A — Apparatus and method for playing a board game

Claim 1

Independent Claim 152 words

A method of playing a game in which a sequence of characters is selected by a first player and determined by a second player, comprising the steps of: selecting an ascending or descending sequence of characters, by said first player, of a predetermined maximum length from a predetermined range of characters, the length of said sequence being less than the length of said range; communicating said selected length by said first player to said second player; initiating an attempt, by said second player, to determine said sequence of characters by communicating to said first player a pair of characters from said range; communicating by said first player to said second player whether each of said pair of characters is included in said sequence and whether either begins or ends said sequence; and continuing said attempt by repeating the next preceding two steps until said second player determines said selected sequence of characters.

Claim 2

Independent Claim 152 words

A method of playing a game in which a sequence of characters is selected by a first player and determined by a second player, comprising the steps of: selecting an ascending or descending sequence of characters, by said first player, of a predetermined maximum length from a predetermined range of characters, the length of said sequence being less than the length of said range; communicating said selected length by said first player to said second player; initiating an attempt, by said second player, to determine said sequence of characters by communicating to said first player a pair of characters from said range; communicating by said first player to said second player whether each of said pair of characters is included in said sequence and whether either begins or ends said sequence; and continuing said attempt by repeating the next preceding two steps until said second player determines said selected sequence of characters.

Claim 3

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 1, wherein said characters are whole numbers.

Claim 4

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 1, wherein said selected sequence of characters may have one repetition of any specific character.

Claim 5

Dependent Claim 44 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of: communicating the summation of said sequence of whole numbers by said first player to said second player at the same time as said selected length is communicated.

Claim 6

Dependent Claim 115 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the steps of: evaluating a player's performance by comparing the number of attempts needed to determine said sequence to a standard which is determined as follows: dividing the number of characters in the sequence by two; rounding the quotient of said division to the next larger whole number, said result being identified as the "raw score"; evaluating a number of attempts equal to the raw score as "excellent"; evaluating a number of attempts equal to one more than the raw score as "good"; and evaluating a number of attempts equal to two or more than the raw score as "needs improvement".

Claim 7

Independent Claim 355 words

A method of playing a game for two players in which a sequence of characters is selected by each player and determined by the other player, comprising the steps of: choosing which player will determine the length of said sequences of characters, said length to be less than a predetermined range; communicating, by said chosen player, to the opposing player, what the length of said sequences is to be; selecting an ascending or descending sequence of characters from a predetermined range of characters, by each player, of the length determined by said chosen player; initiating an attempt, by said chosen player, if the number of characters in said sequences is odd (or, if the number of characters in said sequences is even, the roles of each said player, beginning with this step and throughout all subsequent steps, are reversed), to determine said sequence of characters selected by said opposing player by communicating to said opposing player a pair of characters from said range; communicating by said chosen player to said opposing player whether each of said pair of characters is included in said chosen player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; communicating by said opposing player to said chosen player whether each of said chosen player's communicated pair of characters is included in said opposing player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; initiating an attempt, by said opposing player, to determine said sequence selected by said chosen player by communicating to said chosen player a pair of characters from said range; communicating by said opposing player to said chosen player whether each of said pair of characters is included in said opposing player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; communicating by said chosen player to said opposing player whether each of said opposing player's communicated pair of characters is included in said chosen player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; and continuing said attempts by each player by repeating the next preceding six steps until one of said players determines the selected sequence of characters of the other player.

Claim 8

Independent Claim 355 words

A method of playing a game for two players in which a sequence of characters is selected by each player and determined by the other player, comprising the steps of: choosing which player will determine the length of said sequences of characters, said length to be less than a predetermined range; communicating, by said chosen player, to the opposing player, what the length of said sequences is to be; selecting an ascending or descending sequence of characters from a predetermined range of characters, by each player, of the length determined by said chosen player; initiating an attempt, by said chosen player, if the number of characters in said sequences is odd (or, if the number of characters in said sequences is even, the roles of each said player, beginning with this step and throughout all subsequent steps, are reversed), to determine said sequence of characters selected by said opposing player by communicating to said opposing player a pair of characters from said range; communicating by said chosen player to said opposing player whether each of said pair of characters is included in said chosen player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; communicating by said opposing player to said chosen player whether each of said chosen player's communicated pair of characters is included in said opposing player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; initiating an attempt, by said opposing player, to determine said sequence selected by said chosen player by communicating to said chosen player a pair of characters from said range; communicating by said opposing player to said chosen player whether each of said pair of characters is included in said opposing player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; communicating by said chosen player to said opposing player whether each of said opposing player's communicated pair of characters is included in said chosen player's sequence and whether either character begins or ends the sequence; and continuing said attempts by each player by repeating the next preceding six steps until one of said players determines the selected sequence of characters of the other player.

Claim 9

Dependent Claim 159 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 6, further comprising the steps of: communicating by a controlling player whenever, and at his option, said sequence is less than its maximum length--said controlling player being the chosen player when said chosen player determines an odd number of characters in said sequences and said controlling player being the opposing player when said chosen player determines an even number of characters in said sequences--that a new character is to be added to each said sequence of characters; selecting a new character by each said player from said predetermined range; communicating by a new controlling player whenever, and at his option, said sequence is less than its maximum length--said new controlling player being the old said opposing player--that another new character is to be added to each said sequence of characters; and repeating next preceding three steps at any time before a selected sequence is determined by a player.

Claim 10

Dependent Claim 18 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 7, wherein said characters are whole numbers.

Claim 11

Dependent Claim 26 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 7, wherein said selected sequence of characters may have one repetition of any specific character.

Claim 12

Dependent Claim 57 words

A method of playing a game as set forth in claim 7, further comprising the steps of: awarding one point to the final controlling player if he wins and two points to the other player if he wins; and playing a match comprised of additional games until one player wins by achieving a total of three points.

Annuity Stage	Window Opens	Payment Deadline	Surcharge Period Until	Estimated Fee	Status
3.5 Years (Year 4)	1988-03-04	1988-09-03	1989-03-05	$2000.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8)	1992-03-04	1992-09-03	1993-03-05	$3760.00	Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12)	1996-03-04	1996-09-03	1997-03-05	$7700.00	Window Closed / Lapsed

Apparatus and method for playing a board game

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