Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02731577 2011-01-20
WO 2010/027905 PCT/US2009/055269
IN THE UNITED STATES PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Acting as International Receiving Office
International Patent Application for:
VISUAL PERCEPTUAL SKILL BUILDING GAME
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119(e)
of
provisional application serial number 61/094,425 filed on September 5, 2008
which is hereby
incorporated by reference in its entirety.
[0002] The present invention is directed to a skill-building game, more
particularly, to a
game that develops the user's visual perceptual skills.
BACKGROUND
[0003] Visual perceptual skills may need to be developed by children or others
for reading,
writing and other important activities. However, many worksheets and other
activities for
developing visual perceptual skills fail to attract and maintain the interest
of the users long
enough to develop visual endurance and sufficiently increase visual perceptual
skills. In
addition, many worksheets and other activities fail to develop a sufficient
variety of visual
perceptual skills.
SUMMARY
[0004] In one embodiment the present invention provides an interesting and
challenging
system in which a user develops his or her visual perceptual skills in a game-
style activity
that is challenging and interesting, and encourages sustained visual attention
with self-
checking of answers. The present invention may develop the seven visual
perceptual skills
identified in the widely used and norm-based assessment of the Test of Visual
Perceptual
Skills 3 (TVPS 3).
1
CA 02731577 2011-01-20
WO 2010/027905 PCT/US2009/055269
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows the three different types of game cards in addition to the
beginning and end
game cards.
Figure 2 shows the start card.
Figures 3 - 9 show how the different types of cards relate to each other.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0005] The system or game 10 of the present invention may utilize or include a
plurality of
cards, such as, for example, index-card sized cards (i.e., 3" x 5", 4" x 6",
etc.), each of which
may have a surface area of less than about 30 square inches for ease of
handling and playing.
The cards can be made from any of a wide variety of materials, such as paper,
cardboard,
coated or laminated paper, plastic, etc.
[0006] As shown in Fig. 1, in one embodiment, the game includes a start card
12, an end
card 14, and a plurality of play cards 16, 18, 20. In the illustrated
embodiment, the start card
12 and end card 14 each include a single, relatively large horizontally
oriented image printed
thereon which enables the start 12 and end 14 cards to be easily located. As
can be seen, the
start 12 and end 14 cards may each include a drawing, picture or other
representation of a
train and caboose, respectively to provide a visual indication of the concepts
of starting and
ending. However, it should be understood that various other "start" and "end"
indicia may be
used, such as, for example, a green light and a red light, a head and a tail
(i.e., of a caterpillar
or other animal), the nose and tail of an airplane, a starting gun and a
finish line, etc.
[0007] Each play card 16, 18, 20 includes an upper portion 22 and a lower
portion 24, each
portion 22, 24 including its own separate and discrete indicia. Moreover, the
upper 22 and
lower 24 portions may be differently colored. For example, in one embodiment,
each upper
portion 22 has a background color of yellow, and each lower portion 24 has a
background
color of white. However, the upper 22 and lower 24 portions may be of the same
color, or
may be differentiated by any of a wide variety of other means, such as,
patterns, shading,
texture, etc.
[0008] As shown in Fig. 1, there are three basic types of play cards: a
challenge card 16, an
answer card 18, and a full play (or challenge and answer) card 20. Each
challenge card 16
has a question/challenge portion or indicia 26 on a portion thereof. In the
illustrated
2
CA 02731577 2011-01-20
WO 2010/027905 PCT/US2009/055269
embodiment, for example, each challenge card 16 has challenge indicia 26
located on the
lower portion 24. Each challenge card 16 also includes a picture, illustration
or other
representation of a train car 28 on the other portion thereof (the upper
portion 22 in the
illustrated embodiment). Of course, other than train cars, other "middle" or
"body" indicia 28
may be used on the upper portion 22 of the card 16, such as, for example,
automobiles, body
segments of a caterpillar, windows of an airplane, etc.
[0009] Each answer card 18 has an answer portion or indicia 30 on a portion
thereof. In
the illustrated embodiment, for example, the answer indicia 30 is located on
the upper portion
22 of the card 18. Each answer card 18 also includes a picture, illustration
or other
representation of a train car, or other middle indicia 28, on the other
portion thereof (the
lower portion 24 in the illustrated embodiment). Each answer card 18 may lack
any
challenge portion or indicia 26 thereon. Conversely, each challenge card 16
may lack any
answer portion or indicia 30 thereon.
[0010] Each full play card 20 includes answer indicia 30 on one portion and
challenge
indicia 26 on the other portion. In the illustrated embodiment, the answer
indicia 30 is on the
upper portion 22 of each card 20, and the challenge indicia 26 is on the lower
portion 24 of
each card 20. Each full play card 20 lacks any of the middle (i.e., "train
car") indicia 28.
[0011] Each challenge portion 26 and answer portion 30 has indicia 32 about
its outer three
edges configured to match up with indicia 32 of the corresponding
answer/challenge portion
(on another card). In the illustrated embodiment, the
matching/reinforcing/self-check indicia
32 takes the form of various differently-spaced and arranged color tabs 34.
For example, in
the challenge card 16 of Fig. 1, the indicia 32 takes the form of a red tab
34a, a green tab 34b
and a purple tab 34c, wherein the green 34b and purple 34c tabs are positioned
immediately
adjacent to each other, and the red tab 34a is spaced apart from the green 34b
and purple 34c
tabs. In the illustrated embodiment, each color may have its own, dedicated
position relative
to the other colors (i.e. a red tab 34a is always located in the same position
relative to the
other tabs 34, etc.) However, this convention need not necessarily be
followed, and if desired
the position of each color tab 34 may be varied.
[0012] In order to playa game with the cards/system 10, in one embodiment, all
the cards
are arranged on a playing surface, face up (it should be understood that the
cards shown in
Figs. 1-9 illustrate only a limited number of cards, and there may be many
more cards (i.e., at
least about 30, 40 or 50 or so total cards may be utilized). A user selects
the start card 12 and
3
CA 02731577 2011-01-20
WO 2010/027905 PCT/US2009/055269
places it on the playing surface, as shown in Fig. 2. Next, a challenge card
16 is selected and
placed to the right of the start card 12, as shown in Fig. 3. The illustration
of the train car 28
of the challenge card 16 may be placed adjacent to the engine card 12 to
reinforce the
"linking" concept between the cards 12, 16.
[0013] Next, a user reviews the challenge portion 26 of the challenge card 16,
and searches
through the remaining cards to find a card having an answer portion 30 that
corresponds to
the challenge portion 26 of the challenge card 16. Once that card (a full play
card 20, in the
illustrated embodiment) is identified, it is selected and placed adjacent to
the challenge card
16, as shown in Fig. 4. The matching indicia 32 of the challenge portion 26 of
the challenge
card 16 should correspond to the matching indicia 32 of the answer portion 30
of the full play
card 20 to reinforce to the user that the user has identified the proper full
play card 20 by
solving the visual perceptual challenge. In particular, the color and spacing
of the tabs 34 on
the answer portion 30 of the card 20 should match that of the indicia 32 on
the challenge
portion 26 of the challenge card 16.
[0014] In this manner, the matching indicia 32 on the cards 16, 20 provides
reinforcement
that the user has selected the proper card and found the correct answer to the
visual
perceptual challenge 26. Of course, it should be understood that any of a wide
variety of
matching indicia 32 beyond that shown herein may be utilized to provide a self-
check feature.
For example, the matching indicia 32 may rely only upon spacing of tabs,
instead of colors;
or use strictly colors, or use differently sized tab or shapes, or geometric
shapes (i.e.,
triangles, squares, circles, etc.), use incomplete, matching, or mirror image
shapes, letters,
numbers or figures; use varying textures, or combinations of these features.
[0015] Once the full play card 20 of Fig. 3 has been matched to the challenge
card 16, the
user then reviews the challenge portion 26 at the bottom of the full play card
20. The user
then selects the next card having an answer portion 30 that correspondence to
the challenge
portion 26 of the card 20 and that matching card is then selected and matched
to the
previously-played full play card 20, as shown in Fig. 5. In this case, the
matching card is
another full play card 20. Next, as shown in Fig. 6, a card having an answer
portion 30
corresponding to the challenge portion 26 of the previously-played card is
identified using a
particular visual perception skill. The identified card is then placed next to
the previously-
played card, which can be self-checked by examining the matching indicia 32.
4
CA 02731577 2011-01-20
WO 2010/027905 PCT/US2009/055269
[0016] The card placed in Fig. 6 is an answer card 18 having train indicia 28
in its lower
portion 24. Accordingly, if desired the game can be terminated at this time by
placing the
end/caboose card 14 adjacent to the answer card 28, as shown in Fig. 7.
Alternately, a
challenge card 16 may be selected and placed adjacent to the answer card 18
such that the
train car portions 28 are positioned adjacent to each other, as shown in Fig.
8. Since the
challenge card 16 includes a challenge indicia 26 in its lower portion 24, the
game can
continue until another answer card 18 is played, or until all of the cards are
played. If the
user(s) play the game until all the cards are played, this helps the user(s)
to achieve a sense of
accomplishment while increasing visual endurance and attention. The user(s)
may build up
their endurance skills to be able to complete the entire game, if necessary.
The answer cards
18, which include train or other similar indicia 28 on their lower portions
24, ensure that all
of the cards 16, 18, 20 in the set can be played and matched to an associated
card regardless
of the order in which the cards are played.
[0017] Because each challenge portion 26 includes the matching indicia 32
along three
outer edges thereof, corresponding cards can be placed in any of a variety of
configurations
adjacent to each other and still be checked for accuracy using the matching
indicia 32. For
example, Fig. 9 illustrates the cards of Fig. 8 rearranged in a different
pattern. Accordingly,
the cards can be played in new and different patterns through every play
variation, which
increases the users' interest, and allows the game to be conformed to
restricted spaces.
[0018] The game/exercise of the present invention can be modified and take any
of a
variety of forms that differ from the play described above. For example, the
game can be
played by a single user by himself or herself, or the game can be played by
two or more
users. For example, in one embodiment, each user takes a turn placing a card
at the end of
the "chain". In another embodiment, participants are challenged to be the
first one to find the
card bearing the appropriate answer portion 30. In yet another alternative,
rather than placing
the cards face up to begin, the cards are placed face down. In this case, the
face-down cards
may be arranged in a array of columns and rows. When it is a user's turn, he
or she may have
the opportunity to turn over one (or more) cards at a time, and then return
the cards to their
face down position if the appropriate match is not found. This mode of play
encourages
visual memory skills.
[0019] The challenge portion 16 on each card maybe of a type to further
develop the visual
perceptual skills of a user. For example, in the various challenge portions,
the user may be
5
CA 02731577 2011-01-20
WO 2010/027905 PCT/US2009/055269
challenged to: 1) visualize and identify a completed item or picture from a
partially drawn
item or picture (which develops visual closure skills); 2) find a hidden item
or picture (which
develops visual figure ground skills); 3) remember a sequence of pictures in
order (which
develops sequential memory); 4) match pictures (and thereby distinguish from
other pictures
that are similar but not exact matches, thereby developing visual
discrimination skills); 5)
predict what comes next in a sequence; 6) identify the next or missing item in
a pattern; 7)
identify an item in a series of overlapping lines; 8) visually assemble
disassembled shapes
into a recognizable form (which develop visual closure); 9) find something
unusual or
unexpected in a scene; 10) identify shapes (which develops visual form
constancy); 11) count
a certain number of shapes; 12) identify an item faced a different direction
than other pictures
within a list of items (which develops visual spatial relationships); 13)
identify an outline or
shadow for a presented shape or figure; 14) identify an item that is oriented,
sized or shaded
differently from other items with the shape remaining consistent (which
develops visual form
constancy); 15) remember a picture from one card to another (which develops
visual
memory); 16) visually locate a picture hiding within a busy background (which
develops
visual figure ground), etc.
[0020] Each challenge portion 26 may address at least one of the seven visual
perceptual
skills identified in the widely used and norm-based assessment of the Test of
Visual
Perceptual Skills 3 (TVPS 3). Accordingly, the skills required in the varying
cards address a
variety of visual perceptual skills such as visual spatial relationships,
visual discrimination,
visual memory, visual sequential memory, visual closure, visual memory, visual
form
constancy and visual figure ground in a fun and challenging manner.
[0021] Having described the invention in detail and by reference to the
various
embodiments, it should be understood that modifications and variations thereof
are possible
without departing from the scope of the invention.
6
