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US4978129A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Electronic game apparatus

Assignee: Sharp Corp
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Filing: 1988-07-29
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Granted: 1990-12-18
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Expires: 2008-07-29
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Abstract

Abstract An electronic game apparatus effects a right shift or a left shift of an entire display of multiple randomly arranged numerals or symbols, and exchange of specified displayed digits of numerals or symbols. The electronic game apparatus can arrange and shift the rows of numerals or symbols displayed on the display means into a prescribed order.

Inventors

  • 👤 Kenichiro Komeda
  • 👤 Kenichi Inui

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-02 17:56
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F3/00; A63F3/04; A63F3/0421

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 12
Claim 1
Independent Claim 117 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a row comprising a plurality of symbols; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; and an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific symbols in the row of symbols displayed in said display means; wherein said display means further comprises at least one exchange indicator for indicating which symbols of said plurality of symbols will be exchanged in response to actuation of said exchange input switch.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim 117 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a row comprising a plurality of symbols; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; and an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific symbols in the row of symbols displayed in said display means; wherein said display means further comprises at least one exchange indicator for indicating which symbols of said plurality of symbols will be exchanged in response to actuation of said exchange input switch.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 113 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a row comprising a plurality of symbols; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; and an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific symbols in the row of symbols displayed in said display means; wherein said display means further comprises a plurality of time indicators, said apparatus further including timing means for actuating said time indicators sequentially to indicate passage of time.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 113 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a row comprising a plurality of symbols; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; and an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific symbols in the row of symbols displayed in said display means; wherein said display means further comprises a plurality of time indicators, said apparatus further including timing means for actuating said time indicators sequentially to indicate passage of time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 53 words
An electronic game apparatus as in claim 2, further comprising counting means for maintaining a count of key actuations in the course of a game, wherein said counting means is responsive to said timing means for incrementing said count upon passage of a predetermined time interval between sequential key actuations during a game.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 100 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a row comprising a plurality of symbols; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific symbols in the row of symbols displayed in said display means; and counting means for maintaining a count of key actuations in the course of a game.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 100 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means for displaying a row comprising a plurality of symbols; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of the entire row of symbols in said display means; an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific symbols in the row of symbols displayed in said display means; and counting means for maintaining a count of key actuations in the course of a game.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 139 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means having a display capacity of a first number of digits for displaying a row of numerals; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of said row of numerals in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of said row of numerals in said display means; an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific numerals in said row of numerals displayed in said display means; and an alternate-display input switch and means responsive thereto for alternately displaying on said display means a first row portion of numerals or a second row portion of numerals, the total number of digits in said first and second row portions being greater than the capacity of said display means.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 139 words
An electronic game apparatus comprising: display means having a display capacity of a first number of digits for displaying a row of numerals; a right-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a right shift of said row of numerals in said display means; a left-shift input switch and means responsive thereto for effecting a left shift of said row of numerals in said display means; an exchange input switch and means responsive thereto for exchanging specific numerals in said row of numerals displayed in said display means; and an alternate-display input switch and means responsive thereto for alternately displaying on said display means a first row portion of numerals or a second row portion of numerals, the total number of digits in said first and second row portions being greater than the capacity of said display means.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 38 words
An electronic game apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said first row portion is normally displayed by said display means and said second row portion is displayed by said display means during actuation of said alternate-display input switch.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 42 words
An electronic game apparatus as in claim 5, further comprising a memory for storing data representing said second row portion or said first row portion when said first row portion or said second row portion, respectively, is displayed in said display means.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 21 words
An electronic apparatus as in claim 5, wherein said numerals of said row are initially randomly arranged in said display means.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US3787988A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 1993-12-17 1994-06-18 1994-12-18 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
7.5 Years (Year 8) 1997-12-17 1998-06-18 1998-12-18 $3760.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
11.5 Years (Year 12) 2001-12-17 2002-06-18 2002-12-18 $7700.00 Window Closed / Lapsed

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