Electronic Tic Tac Toe Game With Extended Play And A Winner In Every Game

Abstract

An electronic Tic Tac Toe game designed to be played on mobile devices such as smartphones or tablets, or on a computer. It is normally played by two players who may be physically at the same location, or who may be at different locations and playing the game with each other while connected through the internet or a cellular connection or other type of network. The players take turns selecting positions on a three by three grid, and the game proceeds. A winner is declared when any player has achieved three of their markers in a row, with a row being any direction to include horizontal or vertical or diagonal. Thus, on the three by three grid, there are a total of eight rows that can accommodate three markers in a row for a winner to be declared. To insure that the game will continue until a winner is achieved for every game, the grid will be evaluated when any player has placed their fourth marker on the grid, and at every successive play after that—and if a winner has not yet been achieved, then one of that player's markers will be removed from the grid, to allow play to continue until one player has achieved three in a row, allowing a winner to be declared.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic Tic Tac Toe game, comprising:
 an electronic device with a microprocessor or CPU;   said electronic device capable of presenting a game to be played by one or more players;   said game to be displayed as a three by three grid with nine spaces;   said three by three grid capable of displaying one marker per grid;   said markers typically consisting of an “X” and an “O;”   said markers placed by the players on their alternating successive moves of the game with one of said marker placed on any open grid per player per move;   said electronic device capable of monitoring the successive moves of each player;   said electronic device capable of tracking said markers placed by each player, so that said electronic device will always have a tabulation of the sequential order of each of said markers as placed by each player;   said electronic device to continually evaluate the number of said markers on the grid;   said electronic device to check whether there is a winner of the game each time that there are three or four of the same said markers on the grid;   said electronic device to declare a winner of the game, if said same three or four markers include three of said same markers that are aligned in a straight line on the grid;   said straight line including any one configuration of horizontal, vertical, or diagonal;   and said electronic device capable of removing one of said markers, in any instance where there are four of said same markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         3 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to always remove either the earliest marker or the second earliest marker or the third earliest marker or the most recent marker placed on the grid by either the X or the O player respectively, in any instance where there are four of said same X or O markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same X or O markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         4 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 3 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         5 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to randomly remove either the earliest marker or the second earliest marker or the third earliest marker or the most recent marker placed on the grid by either the X or the O player respectively, in any instance where there are four of said same X or O markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same X or O markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         6 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         7 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to allow either the players themselves or any game observers to select which of the markers will be removed from the grid, in any instance where there are four of said same X or O markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same X or O markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         8 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 7 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         9 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 1 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to analyze the present configuration of said markers on said grid, and select which of said markers to remove from the grid, such that said electronic device's selection of which marker to remove will increase the mathematical probability that either Player X or Player O will win that particular game—in any instance where there are four of said same X or O markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same X or O markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         10 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 9 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         11 . An electronic Tic Tac Toe game, comprising:
 an electronic device with a microprocessor or CPU;   said electronic device capable of presenting a game to be played by a sole player;   said game to be displayed as a three by three grid with nine spaces;   said three by three grid capable of displaying one marker per grid;   said markers typically consisting of an “X” and an “O;”said electronic device capable of serving as either Player X or Player O per user preference—so that the game can be played by a sole human player who will be playing against said electronic device;   said markers placed by the players on their alternating successive moves of the game with one of said marker placed on any open grid per player per move, said electronic device capable of monitoring the successive moves of each player;   said electronic device capable of tracking said markers placed by each player, so that said electronic device will always have a tabulation of the sequential order of each of said markers as placed by each player;   said electronic device to continually evaluate the number of said markers on the grid;   said electronic device to check whether there is a winner of the game each time that there are three or four of the same said markers on the grid;   said electronic device to declare a winner of the game, if said same three or four markers include three of said same markers that are aligned in a straight line on the grid;   said straight line including any one configuration of horizontal, vertical, or diagonal;   and said electronic device capable of removing one of said markers, in any instance where there are four of said same markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         12 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         13 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to always remove either the earliest marker or the second earliest marker or the third earliest marker or the most recent marker placed on the grid by either the “X” or the “O” player respectively; in any instance where there are four of said same “X” or “O” markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same “X” or “O” markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         14 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 13 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         15 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to randomly remove either the earliest marker or the second earliest marker or the third earliest marker or the most recent marker placed on the grid by either the “X” or the “O” player respectively; in any instance where there are four of said same “X” or “O” markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same “X” or “O” markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         16 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 15 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         17 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to allow either the players themselves or any game observers to select which of the markers will be removed from the grid, in any instance where there are four of said same “X” or “O” markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same “X” or “O” markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         18 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 17 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users, including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.   
     
     
         19 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of being programmed by way of user preference, to analyze the present configuration of said markers on said grid, and select which of said markers to remove from the grid, such that said electronic device's selection of which marker to remove will increase the mathematical probability that either Player X or Player O will win that particular game—in any instance where there are four of said same X or O markers displayed on said grid, without three of said same X or O markers being arranged in a straight line such that a winner would have been declared.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic tic tac toe game of  claim 19 , wherein:
 said electronic device is capable of tracking, archiving and displaying statistical data to the users including but not limited to: present session and cumulative game winning scores for each of the current players in a two player environment, cumulative game winning scores for groups of previous players or all previous players worldwide, or present session and cumulative game winning scores for all of the current players in an environment where there are more than two players in real time who are playing the game, either at the same location or separate geographic locations.