Patent US5577185A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5577185A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Computerized puzzle gaming method and apparatus
Assignee: Bank of America NA
•
Filing: 1994-11-10
•
Granted: 1996-11-19
•
Expires: 2014-11-10
Abstract
Abstract Computerized puzzle gaming method and apparatus are described. The method and apparatus provide for the computer-assisted creation, storage, recall, editing, solving and sharing of animated puzzles. Puzzles may be created for posing and solution on a personal computer's (PC's) display screen by user selection and placement of objects including structural members, action devices and characters each of which has a set of programmed physical and intellectual attributes. Structural members and characters, for example, have an artificial intelligence in that they seemingly are aware of the existence, identity, proximity, orientation and activity of objects around them and selectively act on those objects or react to those objects in predefined ways to enhance the animation. Objects are programmed to obey physical laws such as the laws of gravity, motion, etc., and natural laws such as hunger, affinity, etc. Such objects are selected by the user from menus displayed adjacent a puzzle-building region of the display screen of a computer terminal having a cursor control system, preferably including a mouse.
Inventors
- 👤 Jeffrey A. Tunnell
- 👤 Christopher M. Cole
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-10-30 18:10
CPC Classifications
A; A63; A63F; A63F13/00; A63F13/60; A63F13/63; A63F13/10; A63F13/45; A63F13/50; A63F13/53; A63F13/533; A63F13/80; G; G06; G06T; G06T13/00; G06T13/80; A63F2300/00; A63F2300/60; A63F2300/64
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 11
Claim 1
Independent Claim
169 words
A computer implemented method for connecting three-dimensionally appearing structural members represented on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying within a region of a display screen a menu containing one or more types of structural members having a first and second end and a middle therebetween; displaying a background region for placement by a user of selected ones of such structural members on the screen; placing a first selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; positioning a second selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; determining whether an end of the second selected structural member is proximal to such first selected structural member within a predefined proximity; and, if so, then applying a graphical object joinder on the background region between such proximal end of the second selected structural member and such first selected structural member; and wherein such background region is divided into a grid of cells and the structural members span a line of adjacent cells.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
169 words
A computer implemented method for connecting three-dimensionally appearing structural members represented on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying within a region of a display screen a menu containing one or more types of structural members having a first and second end and a middle therebetween; displaying a background region for placement by a user of selected ones of such structural members on the screen; placing a first selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; positioning a second selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; determining whether an end of the second selected structural member is proximal to such first selected structural member within a predefined proximity; and, if so, then applying a graphical object joinder on the background region between such proximal end of the second selected structural member and such first selected structural member; and wherein such background region is divided into a grid of cells and the structural members span a line of adjacent cells.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
13 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined proximity is an adjacent cell.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
12 words
The method of claim 2, wherein the structural members have stretchable middles.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
59 words
The method of claim 3, wherein at least two graphical object joinders are provided and the graphical object joinder applied is dependent on whether the proximal end is the first end or the second end and whether the proximal end lies in a cell adjacent the first end, the second end or the middle of the first structural member.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1, wherein the ends of the structural members are each represented by bitmaps placed in end cells at the ends of the line of adjacent cells.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
29 words
The method of claim 5, wherein the structural members have stretchable middles represented by bitmaps placed in all of the cells between the end cells of the structural member.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
182 words
A computer implemented method for connecting three-dimensionally appearing structural members represented on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying within a region of a display screen a menu containing one or more types of structural members having a first and second end and a middle therebetween; displaying a background region for placement by a user of selected ones of such structural members on the screen; placing a first selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; positioning a second selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; determining whether an end of the second selected structural member is proximal to such first selected structural member within a predefined proximity; and, if so, then applying a graphical object joinder on the background region between such proximal end of the second selected structural member and such first selected structural member; and wherein the types of structural members include at least one of the group consisting of a wall-o-steel, a wooden wall, a rock wall, a log wall, a vertebrae wall and a dog bone wall.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
182 words
A computer implemented method for connecting three-dimensionally appearing structural members represented on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying within a region of a display screen a menu containing one or more types of structural members having a first and second end and a middle therebetween; displaying a background region for placement by a user of selected ones of such structural members on the screen; placing a first selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; positioning a second selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; determining whether an end of the second selected structural member is proximal to such first selected structural member within a predefined proximity; and, if so, then applying a graphical object joinder on the background region between such proximal end of the second selected structural member and such first selected structural member; and wherein the types of structural members include at least one of the group consisting of a wall-o-steel, a wooden wall, a rock wall, a log wall, a vertebrae wall and a dog bone wall.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
183 words
A computer implemented method for connecting three-dimensionally appearing structural members represented on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying within a region of a display screen a menu containing one or more types of structural members having a first and second end and a middle therebetween; displaying a background region for placement by a user of selected ones of such structural members on the screen; placing a first selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; positioning a second selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; determining whether an end of the second selected structural member is proximal to such first selected structural member within a predefined proximity; and, if so, then applying a graphical object joinder on the background region between such proximal end of the second selected structural member and such first selected structural member; and wherein the graphical object joinder is taken from the group including a weld, a string, a bow, a pipe, a wire, a spider web, a hinge, a plate, a hand, stairs, tree roots and smoke.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
183 words
A computer implemented method for connecting three-dimensionally appearing structural members represented on a display screen, the method comprising the steps of: displaying within a region of a display screen a menu containing one or more types of structural members having a first and second end and a middle therebetween; displaying a background region for placement by a user of selected ones of such structural members on the screen; placing a first selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; positioning a second selected structural member in a desired location within such background region; determining whether an end of the second selected structural member is proximal to such first selected structural member within a predefined proximity; and, if so, then applying a graphical object joinder on the background region between such proximal end of the second selected structural member and such first selected structural member; and wherein the graphical object joinder is taken from the group including a weld, a string, a bow, a pipe, a wire, a spider web, a hinge, a plate, a hand, stairs, tree roots and smoke.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4884972A
Cited
US5287446A
Cited
US5425139A
Cited
US5261820A
Cited
US5395242A
Cited
US5430835A
Cited
US5377997A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1999-11-19 | 2000-05-20 | 2000-11-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 2003-11-19 | 2004-05-20 | 2004-11-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2007-11-19 | 2008-05-20 | 2008-11-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |