Mattel, Inc.

Peter MacIver

Jim Keifer

Brian M Yu

James P Zielinski

Gary Collins

Janice Ritter

Chip Stewart

Arron Mack

Matt Thorne

Ryan Ciociola

A remote control for use with a media player coupled to an output device. The media player is configured to receive signals from the remote control, to read and execute information stored on a game medium, and to cause the output device to transmit generated signals. The remote control includes a controller, an input coupled to the controller, a transmitter coupled to the controller, and a receiver coupled to the controller. The controller is configured to selectively operate in a first mode that causes the transmitter to transmit a signal upon user actuation of the input, and a second mode that prevents the transmitter from transmitting signals upon user actuation of the input. Reception of a first generated signal by the receiver causes the controller to operate in the first mode, and reception of a second generated signal by the receiver causes the controller to operate in the second mode.

Gaming system

The present disclosure is directed to DVD gaming systems that include DVD game remote systems having card readers, and methods of playing games using those DVD gaming systems.

Interactive DVD gaming systems

A gaming system for use with a media player and one or more output devices, where the media player is configured to receive user signals, to read and execute information from a game medium, and to present portions of the information on the one or more output devices. The gaming system includes a remote unit operable by one or more users, including a controller, and a transmitter coupled to the controller. The remote unit also includes a plurality of buttons coupled to the controller, including a first button, and a second button. The controller is configured to cause the transmitter to transmit a first user signal upon actuation of the first button, and a second user signal upon actuation of the second button. The gaming system also includes a game medium having information readable by the media player that, when executed, causes the media player to produce a game having a plurality of scenes. Each scene causes the media player to present information on at least one of the one or more output devices, and to selectively respond to the reception of user signals transmitted by the remote unit's transmitter. A first scene causes the media player to respond to the reception of the first user signal by producing a second scene that causes the media player to disregard the reception of the second user signal.

Methods of playing drawings games incorporating novel steps and electronic game systems configured for use with a video display and adapted to interactively provide novel methods of playing drawing games. Novel steps of the methods include: providing an award based at least in part on the number of continuous lines used by a player in the drawing of clues; erasing a player's drawing after a predetermined time in sequence to how the drawing was sketched; providing an initial image to a player who sketches clues incorporating the initial image to create a drawing; limiting a player's sketch to a combination of a predetermined set of shapes; limiting a player's sketch to clues not depicting the physical manifestation of the word provided; manipulating a hand, wrist, or arm of a player to sketch clues to a word; requiring the player sketching clues to continuously produce verbal sound; requiring the player sketching clues to continuously keep his/her feet off the floor; and requiring the player sketching the clues to sketch upside-down.

Methods of playing drawing games and electronic game systems adapted to interactively provide the same

A gaming system for use with a media player and one or more output devices, where the media player is configured to receive user signals, to read and execute information from a game medium, and to present portions of the information on the one or more output devices. The gaming system includes a first remote unit configured to transmit signals corresponding to a first user and a second remote unit configured to transmit signals corresponding to a second user. The gaming system also includes a game medium having information readable by the media player that, when executed, causes the media player to produce a game having a plurality of scenes. Each scene causes the media player to selectively respond to the reception of user signals. A first scene causes the media player either: to respond to the reception of a first signal from the first remote unit by producing a second scene that causes the media player to disregard the reception of signals transmitted by the second remote unit; or to respond to the reception of a second signal from the second remote unit by producing a third scene that causes the media player to disregard the reception of signals transmitted by the first remote unit.

Board games may include a game board, player movers, and indicia-bearing tokens and player-wearable costume components including one or more mounting sites to which the tokens may be removably attached. Some embodiments may further include game pieces having indicia indicating one or more of the tokens. Thus, some methods of game play may involve each player attempting to collect a predetermined set of tokens by determining if various game pieces indicate any of the tokens in the set. Other methods may involve concealing the indicia on one or more game pieces, and allowing players to attempt to guess the concealed indicia by the process of elimination.

Board games with player-wearable costume components

Games for at least one player may include at least one game card, each game card including a plurality of letter indicators each indicating a letter and arranged to spell a word, a plurality of letter tokens, each letter token including a letter indicator, a selection device operable to randomly indicate one of a plurality of groups of two or more letter indicators, and a set of rules to play the game. Methods of playing the game may include spelling a word on a selected game card by matching letter tokens to the letter indicators on the game card. Each game card may include a first side and a second side, each side including a word, such that the word on the first side is more difficult to spell than the word on the second side.

Growing community of inventors

Huntington Beach, CA, United States of America

Peter MacIver