Electronic circle game system

Abstract

A scanning game input mechanism that includes a light-emitting mechanism that defines multiple input regions for a game in which there are multiple players. Each of the input regions is a portion of the playing surface in which a corresponding player subset is to provide physical input (such as rolling dice, playing cards, or placing game pieces, and so forth) to affect game state. A scanning mechanism scans objects placed within the input regions, while a communication mechanism communicates information regarding the scanned object. The information might, for example, be communicated to affect an electronic game state maintained in another device or distributed across multiple devices.

1 . A game input mechanism comprising:
 a light-emitting boundary definition mechanism configured to define a plurality of input regions for a game in which a plurality of players are engaged, each of the plurality of input regions being a region on a playing surface in which a corresponding player subset of one or more players are to provide physical input to affect game state;   a scanning mechanism configure to scan at least some objects placed within any of the plurality of input regions; and   a communication mechanism for communicating information regarding scanned objects scanned by the scanning mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a game input identification mechanism configured to identify game input represented by a scanned object scanned by the scanning mechanism, and associate the identified game input with the player subset corresponding to the input region in which the scanned object was scanned.   
     
     
         3 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein each of input regions corresponds to a player subset that has just a single player. 
     
     
         4 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mechanical support mechanism for positioning the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism and the scanning mechanism with respect to the playing surface.   
     
     
         5 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the mechanism support mechanism mechanically couples the game input mechanism to a central horizontal display area that has a plurality of player consoles wirelessly coupled to the central horizontal display area. 
     
     
         6 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 4 , wherein the mechanism support mechanism mechanically couples the game input mechanism to a player console that is one of several player consoles that are wirelessly coupled to a central horizontal display area. 
     
     
         7 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a player association mechanism configured to associate any scanned object with the player subset corresponding to the input region in which the object was scanned.   
     
     
         8 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the physical input includes a rolling of at least one die. 
     
     
         9 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the physical input includes a playing of at least one card; 
     
     
         10 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the physical input includes a positioning of at least one game piece. 
     
     
         11 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the game is a turn-oriented game in which it is a turn of one or more, but less than all, of the player subsets are to provide input into the corresponding input regions only when the game has a particular game state. 
     
     
         12 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 11 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism is configured to use emitted light to provide visual emphasis to whichever input region corresponds to the one or more player subsets whose turn it is, as compared to the other one or more input regions corresponding to one or more player subsets whose turn it is not. 
     
     
         13 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism provides visual emphasis by rotating a light emitter towards whichever input region corresponds to the one or more player subsets whose turn it is, wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism rotates from turn to turn. 
     
     
         14 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 13 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition does not provide boundary defining light to the other one or more input regions corresponding to one or more player subsets whose turn it is not. 
     
     
         15 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 12 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism provides visual emphasis by rotating a light emitter towards whichever input region corresponds to the one or more player subsets whose turn it is, wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism rotates from turn to turn. 
     
     
         16 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism is configured to define at least one of the input regions by emitting light over the entire input region. 
     
     
         17 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 16 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism is further configured to define the at least one of the input regions by emitting a laser along a perimeter of the input region. 
     
     
         18 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the light-emitting boundary definition mechanism is further configured to define the at least one of the input regions by emitting a laser along a perimeter of the input region. 
     
     
         19 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the communication mechanism communicates wirelessly. 
     
     
         20 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein the communication mechanism communicates with a horizontal display upon which at least a portion of public game state is displayed. 
     
     
         21 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 20 , wherein the communication mechanism communicates with a plurality of player consoles 
     
     
         22 . The game input mechanism in accordance with  claim 1 , wherein a location of an input region corresponding to one or more players is defined in accordance with a position of a player console associated with the one or more players, wherein if the player console moves during the course of the game, the location of the input region also moves accordingly. 
     
     
         23 . A game input mechanism comprising:
 a light-emitting boundary definition mechanism configured to selectively define a plurality of input regions in which a plurality of players are engaged, each of the plurality of input regions being a region on a playing surface in which a corresponding player subset of one or more players are to provide physical input to affect game state;   a scanning mechanism configure to selectively scan at least some objects placed within any of the plurality of input regions, wherein for at least some parts of the game, the scanning mechanism only scans one or more, but less than all, of the plurality of regions; and   a communication mechanism for communicating information regarding scanned objects scanned by the scanning mechanism.   
     
     
         24 . The game input device in accordance with  claim 23 , wherein at least two of the plurality of input regions are overlapping. 
     
     
         25 . A game input mechanism comprising:
 a light-emitting boundary definition mechanism configured to define a plurality of input regions in which a plurality of players are engaged, each of the plurality of input regions being a region on a playing surface in which a corresponding player subset of one or more players are to provide physical input to affect game state;   a scanning mechanism configure to selectively scan at least some objects placed within any of the plurality of input regions; and   a communication mechanism for communicating information regarding scanned objects scanned by the scanning mechanism, and information regarding which input region the scanned object was scanned in.