Electronic tag game and instruction unit

Abstract

The present invention relates to hand-held electronic games and, more particularly, to an electronic tag game and instruction unit for a tag game played by a single player or by multiple players. The instruction unit may instruct the player or players to tag multiple game targets in a particular sequence. The instruction unit may instruct the player to tag one target of the sequence at a time, or may broadcast the entire sequence at the outset of the players turn. Other game player formats are described further herein. In alternate embodiments, the instruction unit may allow players to record their names and/or the names of the targets in the instruction unit, with the instructions broadcast by the instruction unit containing the names recorded by the players.

1 . A game apparatus for an electronic tag game for one or more users having a plurality of targets that may be contacted by a player with the game apparatus, comprising: 
 an input device;    an output device; and    a controller operatively connected to the input device and to the output device, 
 the controller being programmed to determine a sequence of the targets to be contacted by the game apparatus,  
 the controller being programmed to cause the output device to output a first instruction to contact the first of the targets in the sequence,  
 the controller being programmed to detect contact of the game apparatus with an object in response to actuation of the input device when the game apparatus contacts the object,  
 the controller being programmed, to cause the output device to output a second instruction to contact the second of the targets in the sequence in response to detecting contact of the game apparatus with the object, and  
 the controller being programmed to cause the output device to output subsequent instructions corresponding to each of the targets in the sequence in the order of the sequence in response to detecting subsequent contacts with objects until an instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence is output.  
   
   
   
       2 . The game apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to determine an elapsed time from the outputting of the first instruction to the detection of contact with an object after the outputting of the instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence.  
   
   
       3 . The game apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the controller is programmed to calculate a score for the player corresponding to the elapsed time.  
   
   
       4 . The game apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the output device comprises an audible output device and the game apparatus comprises an audible input device operatively connected to the controller, 
 the controller being programmed to cause the audible input device to receive an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the targets,    the controller being programmed to store the audible input, and    the controller being programmed to cause the audible output device to output an audible instruction corresponding to the one of the targets, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input.    
   
   
       5 . The game apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the controller is programmed to determine one of a plurality of players to correspond to each of the targets of the sequence, and wherein the controller is programmed to cause the output device to output instructions including an indication of the one of the plurality of players determined to correspond to the target.  
   
   
       6 . The game apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the output device comprises an audible output device and the game apparatus comprises an audible input device operatively connected to the controller, 
 the controller being programmed to cause the audible input device to receive an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the players,    the controller being programmed to store the audible input, and    the controller being programmed to cause the audible output device to output an audible instruction corresponding to the one of the targets, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input.    
   
   
       7 . A game apparatus for an electronic tag game for one or more users having a plurality of targets that may be contacted by a player with the game apparatus, comprising: 
 an input device;    an output device; and    a controller operatively connected to the input device and to the output device, 
 the controller being programmed to determine a sequence of the targets to be contacted by the player,  
 the controller being programmed to cause the output device to output an instruction to contact the targets in the order of the sequence, wherein the instruction includes the entire sequence, and  
 the controller being programmed to detect contact of the game apparatus with objects in response to actuation of the input device until contacts with a number of objects corresponding to the number of targets in the sequence are detected.  
   
   
   
       8 . The game apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is programmed to determine an elapsed time from the outputting of the instruction to the detection of contacts with the number of objects corresponding to the number of targets in the sequence.  
   
   
       9 . The game apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the controller is programmed to calculate a score for the player corresponding to the elapsed time.  
   
   
       10 . The game apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the output device comprises an audible output device and the game apparatus comprises an audible input device operatively connected to the controller, 
 the controller being programmed to cause the audible input device to receive an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the targets,    the controller being programmed to store the audible input, and    the controller being programmed to cause the audible output device to output an audible instruction to contact the targets in the sequence, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input for the corresponding one of the targets.    
   
   
       11 . The game apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein the controller is programmed to determine one of a plurality of players to correspond to each of the targets of the sequence, and wherein the instruction output from the output device includes an indication of the one of the plurality of players determined to correspond to each target of the sequence.  
   
   
       12 . The game apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein the output device comprises an audible output device and the game apparatus comprises an audible input device operatively connected to the controller, 
 the controller being programmed to cause the audible input device to receive an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the players,    the controller being programmed to store the audible input, and    the controller being programmed to cause the audible output device to output an audible instruction to contact the targets in the order of the sequence, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input for the corresponding one of the players.    
   
   
       13 . A game apparatus for an electronic tag game for one or more users having a plurality of targets that may be contacted by a player with the game apparatus, comprising: 
 a first input device;    a second input device comprising an audible input device;    an audible output device; and    a controller operatively connected to the first and second input devices and to the audible output device,    the controller being programmed to cause the audible input device to receive an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the targets,    the controller being programmed to store the audible input,    the controller being programmed to determine a sequence of the targets to be contacted by the player,    the controller being programmed to cause the audible output device to output an audible instruction to contact the one of the targets in the course of outputting audible instructions corresponding to the sequence, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input corresponding to the one of the targets, and    the controller being programmed to detect contact of the game apparatus with an object in response to actuation of the input device when the game apparatus contacts the object.    
   
   
       14 . The game apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the controller is programmed to cause the audible output device to output subsequent audible instructions corresponding to each of the targets in the sequence in the order of the sequence in response to detecting subsequent contacts with objects until an audible instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence is output.  
   
   
       15 . The game apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the controller is programmed to determine an elapsed time from the outputting of a first audible instruction to the detection of contact with an object after the outputting of the audible instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence.  
   
   
       16 . The game apparatus according to  claim 15 , wherein the controller is programmed to calculate a score for the player corresponding to the elapsed time.  
   
   
       17 . The game apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the controller is programmed to determine one of a plurality of players to correspond to each of the targets of the sequence, and wherein the controller is programmed to cause the output device to output instructions including an indication of the one of the plurality of players determined to correspond to the target.  
   
   
       18 . The game apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein 
 the controller is programmed to cause the audible input device to receive an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the players,    the controller is programmed to store the audible input, and    the controller is programmed to cause the audible output device to output an audible instruction corresponding to the one of the targets, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input for the corresponding one of the players.    
   
   
       19 . A method of playing an electronic tag game having a game apparatus and a plurality of targets that may be contacted by a player with the game apparatus, the method comprising: 
 determining at the game apparatus a sequence of the targets to be contacted by the player;    outputting from the game apparatus a first instruction to contact the first of the targets in the sequence;    detecting at the game apparatus contact of the game apparatus with an object;    outputting from the game apparatus a second instruction to contact the second of the targets in the sequence in response to detecting the contact of the game apparatus with the object; and    outputting from the game apparatus subsequent instructions corresponding to each of the targets in the sequence in the order of the sequence in response to detecting subsequent contacts with objects until an instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence is output.    
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 19 , comprising determining at the game apparatus an elapsed time from the outputting of the first instruction to the detection of contact with an object after the outputting of the instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 20 , comprising calculating at the game apparatus a score for the player corresponding to the elapsed time.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the instructions output by the game apparatus are audible instructions, the method comprising: 
 receiving an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the targets;    storing the audible input at the game apparatus; and    outputting from the game apparatus an audible instruction corresponding to the one of the targets, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input.    
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 19 , comprising determining at the game apparatus one of a plurality of players to correspond to each of the targets of the sequence, wherein each of the instructions output from the game apparatus includes an indication of the one of the plurality of players determined to correspond to the target of the sequence.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 23 , wherein the instructions output by the game apparatus are audible instructions, the method comprising: 
 receiving an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the players;    storing the audible input at the game apparatus; and    outputting from the game apparatus an audible instruction corresponding to the one of the targets, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input.    
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein outputting subsequent instructions comprises alternately outputting the first instruction and the second instruction in response to detecting subsequent contacts with objects a predetermined number of times.  
   
   
       26 . A method of playing an electronic tag game having a game apparatus and a plurality of targets that may be contacted by a player with the game apparatus, the method comprising: 
 determining at the game apparatus a sequence of the targets to be contacted by the player;    outputting from the game apparatus an instruction to contact the targets in the sequence, wherein the instruction includes the entire sequence; and    detecting at the game apparatus contact of the game apparatus with objects until contacts with a number of objects corresponding to the number of targets in the sequence are detected.    
   
   
       27 . The method according to  claim 26 , comprising determining at the game apparatus an elapsed time from the outputting of the instruction to the detection of contacts with the number of objects corresponding to the number of targets in the sequence.  
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , comprising calculating at the game apparatus a score for the player corresponding to the elapsed time.  
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 26 , wherein the instruction output by the game apparatus is an audible instruction, the method comprising: 
 receiving an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the targets;    storing the audible input at the game apparatus; and    outputting from the game apparatus in the audible instruction the identification information of the audible input for the corresponding one of the targets.    
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 26 , comprising determining at the game apparatus one of a plurality of players to correspond to each of the targets of the sequence, wherein the instruction output from the game apparatus includes an indication of the one of the plurality of players determined to correspond to each target of the sequence.  
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 30 , wherein the instruction output by the game apparatus is an audible instruction, the method comprising: 
 receiving an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the players;    storing the audible input at the game apparatus; and    outputting from the game apparatus in the audible instruction the identification information of the audible input for the corresponding one of the players.    
   
   
       32 . A method of playing an electronic tag game having a game apparatus and a plurality of targets that may be contacted by a player with the game apparatus, the method comprising: 
 receiving an audible input from a player with identification information for a corresponding one of the targets;    storing the audible input at the game apparatus;    determining at the game apparatus a sequence of the targets to be contacted by the player; and    outputting from the game apparatus an audible instruction to contact the one of the targets in the course of outputting audible instructions corresponding to the sequence, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input corresponding to the one of the targets.    
   
   
       33 . The method according to  claim 32 , comprising: 
 detecting at the game apparatus contact of the game apparatus with an object after outputting the audible instruction; and    outputting from the game apparatus subsequent audible instructions corresponding to each of the targets in the sequence in the order of the sequence in response to detecting subsequent contacts with objects until an audible instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence is output.    
   
   
       34 . The method according to  claim 33 , comprising determining at the game apparatus an elapsed time from the outputting of a first audible instruction to the detection of contact with an object after the outputting of the audible instruction corresponding to the last target in the sequence.  
   
   
       35 . The method according to  claim 34 , comprising calculating at the game apparatus a score for the player corresponding to the elapsed time.  
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 33 , comprising determining at the game apparatus one of a plurality of players to correspond to each of the targets of the sequence, wherein each of the audible instructions output from the game apparatus includes an indication of the one of the plurality of players determined to correspond to the target of the sequence.  
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , comprising: 
 receiving an audible input from a player for identification information for a corresponding one of the players;    storing the audible input at the game apparatus; and    outputting from the game apparatus an audible instruction corresponding to the one of the targets, wherein the audible instruction includes the identification information of the audible input.    
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 33 , wherein outputting subsequent audible instructions comprises alternately outputting a first audible instruction corresponding to a first target and a second audible instruction corresponding to a second target in response to detecting subsequent contacts with objects a predetermined number of times.