Footpad-based game and gaming system

Abstract

Described herein are games and game systems including a text messaging phone keypad foot mat. The phone keypad foot mat typically includes regions similar to the buttons of an enlarged telephone keypad. A user can step on these input regions (“buttons” or “keys”) to type a text. Thus, a player “types” a text message by stepping or dancing on the keyboard foot mat similar to the way that a text message may be typed by hand on a telephone keypad (e.g., sending a text message from a cell phone). Various games can be played using the devices, systems and methods described herein.

1 . A text messaging exercise game system, the system comprising:
 a keypad foot mat having a plurality of input regions for inputting alphanumeric characters, wherein the mat is configured to allow a user to input text by stepping on the input regions; and   a game controller configured to receive data input from the keypad foot mat as text, and to output the text to be displayed by an output device.   
   
   
       2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the keypad foot mat resembles a phone keypad. 
   
   
       3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the keypad foot mat resembles a computer keyboard. 
   
   
       4 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising an output device configured to display the output text. 
   
   
       5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the output device comprises a video screen. 
   
   
       6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the output device comprises a phone or PDA. 
   
   
       7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the keypad foot mat is a flexible mat. 
   
   
       8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the keypad foot mat comprises projected images of buttons or button regions. 
   
   
       9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the foot mat includes an enlarged image of a phone keypad and the input regions correspond to buttons on the image of the phone keypad. 
   
   
       10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the input regions of the keypad foot mat each comprises a sensor configured to detect a user stepping on that input region. 
   
   
       11 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller comprises a processor configured to provide a message output to be responded to using the keypad foot mat. 
   
   
       12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the game controller comprises an output interface for formatting the output. 
   
   
       13 . A text messaging exercise game system, the system comprising:
 a phone keypad foot mat having a plurality of different regions corresponding to alphanumeric characters, wherein the mat is configured to allow a user to input text by stepping on the mat regions; and   a game controller functionally connected to the phone keypad foot mat, and configured to provide a first text to be responded to, and further configured to receive a response text from the phone keypad foot mat, and to output a score based on the response and the first text.   
   
   
       14 . A method of playing a text messaging game, the method comprising:
 presenting a first message;   receiving a response text from a keypad foot mat;   scoring the response text based on the first message; and   providing an output based on the score or the response text.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising detecting footsteps on the phone keypad foot mat to generate a response text. 
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising timing the receipt of the response text. 
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising scoring the response text based on how similar the response text is to the first message. 
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising scoring the response text based on the timing of the receipt of the response text. 
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying the first message, the response text, and the output. 
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising providing a reward based on the score. 
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying an animation based on the score or the response text. 
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first message comprises a text to be copied as the response text. 
   
   
       23 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first message comprises a question to be answered as the response text. 
   
   
       24 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first message comprises a puzzle to be solved as the response text. 
   
   
       25 . A text messaging exercise game system, the system comprising:
 a keypad foot mat having a plurality of different regions corresponding to alphanumeric characters, wherein the mat is configured to allow a first user to input texts by stepping on the mat regions;   a game controller functionally connected to the keypad foot mat, the game controller configured to transmit a text from the keypad foot mat to a remote digital game media and to receive messages from the remote digital game media; and   wherein the remote digital game media is configured to receive input from the first remote keypad and to transmit the received input to a second user.   
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the remote digital game media comprises a website. 
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 25 , further comprising a display configured to display the messages received from the remote digital game media. 
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the remote digital game media is configured to receive input from a plurality of remote keypads and to transit the received input to a plurality of users. 
   
   
       29 . A method of playing a text messaging game, the method comprising:
 presenting a first question;   receiving a response text from a keypad foot mat;   scoring the response text based on the first question; and   providing an output based on the score or the response text.   
   
   
       30 . The method of  claim 29 , wherein the first question is related to a text based game. 
   
   
       31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the text based game is a quiz game. 
   
   
       32 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the text based game is a number game. 
   
   
       33 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the text based game is a spelling game. 
   
   
       34 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the text based game is a vocabulary game.