Audio Matching Memory Game

In general, the present invention relates to card games where cards of different types are matched during play. More particularly, the present invention relates to card games where the identity of the card is read using an electronic device during play of a memory game.

Matching games were among the very first card games ever invented. In traditional card matching games, cards are placed on a surface with the face of the card oriented down. Players then take turns flipping two of the cards looking for a match. This exposes the identity of two of the cards to all of the players. If no match is found, then the next player gets to play. If a match is found, then the player keeps the cards and gets another turn at play. The player with the most cards at the end of the game wins.

Over the years, countless variations of matching games have been produced. Cards of every type have been sold as memory games, and memory games are often used by parents to teach colors, numbers, and letter identification to younger children. When matching games are designed into electronic games, the use of physical cards is removed. Rather, in the most popular electronic matching games, the matching game has different colored buttons. The buttons light up in various patterns and the player tries to memorize and match the pattern. Such electronic memory games are exemplified by U.S. Patent No. 5,855,513 to Lam and U.S. Patent No. 4,363,482 to Goldfarb. If the traditional matching game using cards is converted to an electronic game, the game typically becomes software based where digitized images of cards are presented on a screen. However, since all the cards must be shown on the screen, the cards are miniaturized, which makes it harder to see and pinpoint the positions of different cards. This takes away from the play value of the game.

In the prior art there have been reasons to add electronics into physical cards. Chinese Reference CN116808565A discloses cards that contain RFID chips for electronic identification of the cards. However, although cards exist that can be electronically identified, there have been no attempts to adapt those cards into a match game system. Furthermore, there have been no attempts to use cards with electronic identifiers to link cards to auxiliary identifiers, such as sound, that can be used to supplement a matching game.

The present invention is an audio matching game that uses cards with electronic identifiers to link different cards to different sounds. In this manner, cards can be linked with sounds and match games can be played with audible identifiers. This adds play value to the traditional memory card match games and also makes the game appealing to players who are visually impaired. The details of the present invention audio matching game are described and claimed below.

The present invention is a matching game and its associated method of play. The matching game uses a plurality of game cards. The game cards include matched sets of game cards. Each game card includes an identifier that can be used to electronically identify the game card. The identifier for each card in a matched set is the same.

The matching game is played on a game board. The game board defines spaces that hold at least some of the game cards. The game board contains electronic circuity including a reader for reading each identifier, a memory for holding audio files, and a speaker for broadcasting the audio files. Each game card has an audio file assigned to its identifier.

To play the matching game, game cards are placed on the game board. Each time one of the game cards is removed from the game board, the circuitry in the game board plays the audio file associated with that game card. The audio file for each game card in a matched set of game cards is the same. Accordingly, if two game cards from the same matched set are taken from the game board, the same audio signal will be played. A player can therefore determine a match of the cards using the audio cues. If the two selected game cards match, the player removes those game cards from play. If the game cards do not match, the game cards are returned to the game board. Other players are now aware of the audio files associated with the cards that were returned. This helps other players match game cards when it is their turn to play.

Although the present invention audio matching game system can be embodied in many ways, only a few exemplary embodiments are shown. These embodiments are selected in order to set forth some of the best modes contemplated for the invention. The illustrated embodiments, however, are merely exemplary and should not be considered limitations when interpreting the scope of the appended claims.

1 FIG. 10 12 12 14 16 14 18 16 20 16 18 22 Referring to, a first embodiment of the present invention audio matching gameis shown. In this embodiment, a game boardis provided. The game boardhas a top surface. Card slotsare formed on the top surfacefor holding a plurality of game cards. The card slotsare formed in a matrixthat contains a plurality of parallel columns and parallel rows. Each of the card slotsis sized to receive one of the game cardsfrom a deck of cards.

12 18 16 18 16 12 18 18 22 18 18 18 12 As will be explained in more detail, the game boardcontains electronics that automatically identify each game cardplaced in a card slot. When the game cardis taken out of the card slot, the electronics in the game boardplays an audio file that is associated with the game card. In this manner, each of the game cardsis identified with a sound. In the deck of cards, there are matched sets of game cards. Each game cardin a matched set produces the same sound. Accordingly, game cardson the game boardcan be matched by sound.

10 18 18 12 18 18 18 18 18 18 The objective of the audio matching gameis to match game cardsby sound. Game cardsare taken from the game boardtwo at a time. If the sounds produced by the selected game cardsare the same, then the game cardsare a match and the player can take two more game cards. If the sounds produced by the game cardsare different, then there is no match, and the player returns the game cardsand tries to remember what sounds the game cardsmade for later turns at play.

2 FIG. 18 22 18 26 24 18 18 22 18 24 18 Referring to, a first embodiment for the game cardsis shown that can be used in the deck of cards. Each of the game cardshas a first surface 24 and an opposite second surface. The first surfaceis the top of the game cardand contains some pattern that is common to all of the game cardsin the deck of cards. In this manner, the identity of the game cardcannot be determined by looking at the first surfaceof the game card.

26 18 18 26 18 28 18 28 28 28 18 18 28 22 18 28 The second surfaceof each game cardis considered the face of the game card. The second surfaceof the game cardmay/may not contain printed graphicsthat visually identify the game card. If printed graphicsare present, the printed graphicspreferably show an animal or object that is commonly known to produce a particular sound. For example, the printed graphicson a game cardcan show a cat. The sound produced by the game cardduring play would be a "meow" sound or a pronunciation of the word "cat". It will therefore be understood that if printed graphicsare used, then in the deck of cardsthere are pairs of game cardsthat both share the same printed graphicsand produce the same sounds.

18 22 30 30 12 30 32 12 32 34 18 22 2 FIG. Each game cardin the deck of cardshas a card identifier. The card identifiercan be any electronic element that is capable of being identified by the electronics within the game board. In the embodiment of, the card identifieris a printed circuit pathwaythat can be identified by the electronics in the game board. The printed circuit pathwaycontains a resistorwith a resistance value that is unique to that game cardand its matched pair in the deck of cards. Other electronic characteristics, such as inductance, capacitance can also be used for identification in place of resistance.

3 FIG. 1 FIG. 2 FIG. 2 FIG. 12 36 38 40 42 44 46 30 30 32 12 46 48 18 40 40 18 18 18 Referring toin conjunction withand, it can be seen that within the game boardare electronics that include a speaker, a user interface, control circuitry, a read only memorythat holds audio files, and a card reader. The type of card reader 46 depends upon the card identifierin use. If, as in, the card identifieris simply a printed circuit pathwaythat can be identified by the electronics in the game board, then the card readeris comprised of simple lead connectorsthat electrically interconnect the game cardto the control circuitry. The control circuitrycan then pass a signal through the game cardto identify the game cardby the effects the game cardhas on the signal.

4 FIG. 5 FIG. 50 51 52 54 51 56 58 60 62 64 66 68 54 54 70 51 68 72 70 54 60 64 Referring toand, an alternate embodiment of the audio matching gameis shown. In this embodiment, the game boardcontains a top surfaceupon which the game cardsare placed. Within the game boardare electronics that include a speaker, a user interface, control circuitry, a read only memorythat holds audio files, and a card reader. The type of card reader 66 depends upon the type of card identifierused on the game cards. In this embodiment, each game cardhas an RFID chipor other passive signal generator that transmits an identification code when activated. In the game board, the card identifieris an RFID readerthat activates the RFID chipin the game cardand reads the identification code transmitted. The control circuitrythen reads the identification code and plays the audio fileassociated with that code.

6 FIG. 7 FIG. 80 82 84 86 82 88 90 92 94 96 98 98 100 86 86 102 86 82 98 104 102 86 86 82 92 96 Referring toandanother embodiment of the audio matching gameis shown. In this embodiment, the game boardcontains a top surfaceupon which the game cardsare placed. Within the game boardare electronics that include a speaker, a user interface, control circuitry, a read only memorythat holds audio files, and a card reader. The type of card readerdepends upon the type of card identifierused on the game cards. In this embodiment, each game cardhas a scan code, such as a bar code or a Q-code, that can be optically scanned to identify the game card. In the game board, the card readeris an optical scannerthat can be used to scan the scan codeprinted on the game cardas the game cardis removed from the game board. The control circuitrythen reads the identification code and plays the audio fileassociated with that code.

In all embodiments of the audio matching game, the method of play is the same. A player shuffles the game cards and places the game cards on the game board so that the face of the game card cannot be seen. A first player selects a first game card and then a second game card. Each time a card is selected, the card is electronically identified, and the player hears an audio file assigned to that card. The player tries to match the game cards by the sound that the game card makes. The game cards may or may not contain visual cues depending upon the targeted age group of players. Otherwise, the traditional rules of a card matching game apply. The player who matches two game cards keeps the cards and takes another turn at play. If a match is not made, the game cards are returned to the game board, and the next player takes a turn at play.

It will be understood that the embodiments of the present invention that are illustrated and described are merely exemplary and that a person skilled in the art can make many variations to those embodiments. All such embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the present invention as defined by the claims.