CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Patent Application Nr. 62/460,630, filed February 17, 2017, by the present inventor, and US Patent Application Nr. 15899338, filed February 19, 2018, by the present inventors, which are incorporated here by reference.

BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART

The following is a tabulation of some prior art that presently appears relevant:

U.S. Patents

Patent Number Kind Code Issue Date Patentee

9358443 B2 June 7, 2016 Morehouse et al.

7012187 B2 March 14, 2006 Aldridge

8485879 B2 July 16, 2013 Lin et al.

6945842 Bl Sept. 20, 2005 Gulmesoff

9757642 B2 Sept. 12, 2017 Kaye

U.S. Patent Application Publications

Publication Nr. Kind Code Publ. Date Applicant

2004017141412 Al Sept. 2, 2004 Vollmar Mock swordplay is a ubiquitous game with a long history where the primary goal is to land one's blade on the body of another player or players. Today, a variety of toy swords and sword-like devices, mostly plastic and foam or some combination thereof, are sold to children who engage in mock swordplay games, with many players also building their own. An adult community of players has also developed around different game scenarios, with war reenactments and also more imaginative scenarios, where mock swordplay is often the central medium through which the scenario unfolds and the deciding factor in determining which player or team is declared the winner. Within martial arts, swords, daggers, and batons with varying degrees of padding are often employed in combat scenarios, wherein once again the primary goal is to contact or land a blow on the body of the opponent. A recurrent problem in all of these scenarios is that determining whether or not one has been struck by an opponent's sword or other implement is often difficult. The nature of these games would have each alleged strike sorted into a binary of either successful or unsuccessful, such that the game can be scored and continue according to the particular rules of the scenario, with the player perhaps being eliminated for a time, losing a "life" or being barred from using the particular part of the body that was struck, or a point being awarded to the player who successfully landed the blow. A variety of factors make this binary assignation difficult. Blows can sometimes be glancing or light, such that the struck player feels that it does not warrant the same "punishment" dictated by the game rules that would be meted out with a more definitive strike.

Nearly all of these games are informed by the historical versions of the real battles or duels that inspired the games, wherein the somewhat inarguable score was determined by the physical ability of the combatants to carry on. In these historical events, it is undoubtedly true that blows could be damaging to varying degrees, and so this contributes to the gray area that emerges in mock swordplay with regards to scorekeeping. Often, players are incentivized within the rules of the game to take issue with strikes that are at all questionable or that were perhaps not witnessed by a referee, if there is one. At best, these problems in determining the success or failure of a blow are the result of genuine disagreement resulting from the inherent problems of assigning a binary value to an action that is difficult to reduce in this manner, and at worst it inherently enables and rewards bad sportsmanship. In either case, scorekeeping problems during swordplay disrupt the flow of the game and make it less enjoyable to the players. Players have tried to solve this scorekeeping problem with the implementation of complex systems of rules that seek to differentiate between different types of blows and assigning corollary point values, but these are often confusing and can also disrupt the flow of the game. Some more organized groups of players often employ a referee, which can help assign points and lessens the impact of bad sportsmanship, but this solution is not feasible for just two players or more informal groups. Furthermore, even a referee will have trouble determining and assigning a point value to all blows in a consistent, satisfactory and fair way.

The most formalized and arguably most serious field of mock swordplay, fencing, has employed not only referees, but the prior art also describes the development of extensive point detection systems. A traditional method has each player wear conductive layers of clothing over the target areas dictated by the rules, and a successful strike requires the completion of two separate electrical circuits. The fencer's foil has a point that can be depressed upon contact with the opponent, breaking the first electrical circuit, and then completing the second electrical circuit through the attacking sensor's foil and the defender's conductive layer of clothing. To power the circuitry, fencers must wear hard wires under their clothing which are prone to regular breakage, resulting in stopped game play and inaccurate scoring from objectively legal strikes that were not recorded by the scoring system as such. Oxidation and normal wear of the conductive clothing layers results in "dead zones" which leads to inaccurate results, and the added layers are uncomfortable, hot, and generally undesirable. Furthermore, these systems often cost well over a thousand dollars. In US Patent No. 9,358,443B2 from June 7, 2016, Morehouse et al. discloses a system that relies on a capacitance sensor placed at the end of the fencer's sword that functions with less wiring than the traditional conductive method, but is still prone to significant errors due to the difficulty of calibrating the sensor to accurately differentiate between various fabric types indicating legal target areas, protective masks made of wire mesh, leather or nylon boots, and the opponent's sword. This difficulty is compounded by the effects that varying ambient temperature and humidity will have on the accuracy of the sensor, as well as by the possible existence of sweat soaking through any given portion of a combatant's clothing. The prohibitive cost and complexity of the traditional method described makes its adaptation to more casual swordplay scenarios extremely problematic, and both methods described here require hard armor be worn to protect against blows from the unpadded sensors on the tips of the swords, when most casual swordfighters prefer padded weapons. Finally, the capacitative sensor method requires a uniform capacitance for the clothing of the combatants to improve the accuracy of calibration and point detection. This is problematic in many casual scenarios where many players have vastly different wardrobes, with some devising historical or fantastically oriented costumes made of leather, various fabrics, wood, and even metal. For these players, the capacitative sensor method for scorekeeping in swordplay does not provide a workable solution.

In US Patent Application No. 2004017141412A1 from September 2, 2004, Vollmar advances a conductive system for improved scorekeeping in contact martial arts such as karate, boxing, and tae-kwon-do. He proposes specialized clothing made from two layers of conductive material separated by a thin insulating material, that on the impact of a blow allows the layers to connect, completing a circuit and logging a hit. This system is very expensive and suffers from many of the same difficulties that trouble the traditional scoring method in fencing described above, with wear and tear quickly resulting in dead spots in the target area, further complicating the problem that they were attempting to solve. In US Patent No. 7,012,187B2 from March 14, 2006, Aldridge complicates matters further by adding a specialized contacting device necessary to activate the detecting surface. This not only makes the system more expensive, but in doubling the parts and pieces and requiring that they communicate effectively, creates a fragile and cumbersome system. In US Patent No. 8,485,879 from July 16, 2013, Lin et al adapts this set-up to use RFID technology in contact martial arts, with RFID tags spread out on specialized clothing worn by the fighters, and a contact module placed in the striking instrument, capable of logging information about the strike. As with Aldridge and Vollmar, Lin et al's attempt to create a more straightforward system of scoring in contact sports ultimately results in an expensive and overly complicated series of contraptions that are not viable options for casual swordfighters, often children, looking to solve their scorekeeping problems.

Closer to the immediate field of mock swordplay, in US Patent No. 6,945,842B1, from September 20, 2005, Gulmesoff discloses a toy sword that has a depressible tip that, upon successful contact with a target alerts the players by activating a light, making a sound, or in one iteration popping a balloon mounted on the sword. This design is unfortunate because it only will indicate a successful strike with a thrusting or stabbing motion that engages the tip of the sword where the switch is located. Furthermore, as the switch is incapable of differentiating between contact with the opponent and contact with the ground, a tree, a shield used to successfully block a thrust, or the opponent's weapon, it's likely that it will generate a false indication of a successful strike far more often than it will provide an accurate accounting of the match. In US Patent No. 9,757,642B2, of September 12, 2017, Kaye discloses a two player modification of Gulmesoff s invention, proposing the "blade" of the sword itself be formed by a bladder or balloon, and taking issue with the idea that the winner's balloon should pop. In his system, a switch in the sword registers a blow, and then communicates that to the other player's sword, whose balloon bladder is deflated by a pin mechanism to signal the loss. As with Gulmesoff s disclosure, a switch located on the sword is prone to false indications of a successful hit. Connecting the scoring device to the sword also prevents players from using swords of their own design and construction, which is a particular pleasure of many participants in casual swordplay who have developed individual fighting styles around customized weapons. The mechanism for communicating and then deflating the bladder sword seems prone to failure over time as a multitude of small parts must work in synchrony to deflate it at the correct moment. Furthermore Kaye's disclosure is inoperable for scorekeeping in group scenarios when teams might battle one another. It would not make sense in the vast majority of such informal games were the entire team to be eliminated as soon as a single player is struck. Finally, in the common event that two players swing simultaneously at one another, Kaye's bladder sword presents a safety risk because one player's successful strike could cause the other player's blade to deflate, removing the anticipated resistance and padding afforded by the bladder, and resulting in blows with the handle and fist to the other player. This review of the prior art reveals participants in mock swordplay games have historically wanted for an affordable, user friendly and safe system that can catalogue hits and keep score in a reliable way.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides an effective system for scorekeeping in mock swordplay that is adaptable to many different game scenarios. In most embodiments, a pressure switch or other durable impact sensing switch is mounted in the target module that also contains signaling devices such as speakers or lights and a power source, and this module is inset into a wearable accessory that is worn by participants in the game. The wearable accessory that houses the module provides protection for the module containing the switch, speaker and light indicators, as well as for the player who is afforded an extra layer of padding around the target area for strikes which the switch establishes. In some embodiments, the wearable accessory would be constructed of foam, and in others it might be made of a more rigid material such as plastic, carbon fiber, cloth, or other suitable materials not specified here. When the sensor is struck by the opponent, the module indicates the successful strike by emitting a noise or by lighting up or some combination thereof, alerting all players to the landed blow. In one embodiment, this accessory is a breastplate that is worn on the chest of players, providing a specific target for blows beyond the body generally of the players. In additional embodiments, the accessory might be shoulder guards with inset target modules strapped to the upper arms of the players. In other embodiments, players might wear multiple accessories with target modules to fit the particular gameplay scenario. In additional embodiments the multiple target modules might be inset into the same wearable accessory. In additional embodiments, target modules in different wearable accessories communicate wirelessly to sum blows delivered to any target module worn by a player or even by a team.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION

Thus an advantage of one or more aspects of the present invention is that it provides effective scorekeeping for mock swordplay participants by providing a clearly defined target that unambiguously communicates whether it has been struck across a range of game scenarios. Another advantage of one or more aspects of the sensor being placed on the body rather than on the sword as in other methods discussed above, the score-keeping system does not suffer from the vulnerability to false alarms and confused readings of the prior art. A further advantage of one or more aspects of certain embodiments is that the target module provides a clear objective, which is a necessary component of any good game. An advantage of one or more aspects of certain embodiments is that it clearly communicates successful strikes, which simplifies score-keeping so that players can focus on the competitive and playful dimensions of swordplay rather than the technical hurdles of score-keeping, greatly enhancing the play value. A further advantage of one or more aspects is that the clear score provided by certain embodiments of the invention allows for more easily standardized and consistent rules for determining winners and losers, allowing for larger groups of players to congregate, engage and compete on a level that was previously much more difficult because of the significant variation in rules and regulations between individuals, organization, clubs and chapters that precluded meaningful or fulfilling competition between groups.

Another advantage of the aspect of the invention that establishes a clear target to draw strikes is that it makes swordplay safer because the head region is no longer a possible target. Since most participants in casual swordplay do not wear appropriate head or eye protection, and many are children still learning the limits of their control over their physical movements, safety is a real concern. Another advantageous aspect of certain embodiments of the invention is that the padding of the wearable accessory provides a measure of protection for the player from blows that will naturally cluster around the target sensing switch housed in the module that is embedded in the accessory.

Further advantages of one or more aspects in certain embodiments are that the wearable accessory is comfortable, and quick and easy to put on, even for young sword fighters, which is an improvement over the prior art. Another advantage of one aspect of an embodiment is that the module is easy to turn on and off, which together with the ease of use just described, diminishes the amount of time and energy that sword players must devote to preparing for and cleaning up after the game, making swordplay a more appealing proposition. Players may use whatever swords or weapons they desire of any material or construction, whether home-made, artisanally bespoke, or professionally manufactured, which is an advantage of one or more aspects that allows for players across a wide variety of sword-playing communities and platforms to simplify their score-keeping while maintaining the swords and weapons that fit with their preferred scenarios. Another advantage of one or more aspects is that participants can wear whatever armor or costumes they like beneath the sensor as well, allowing players to continue to indulge their choice of costumes while still benefiting from enhanced score-keeping in their swordplay. Another advantage of one or more aspects is that certain embodiments of the wearable accessory and module itself will enhance the play value of sword-fighting by constituting a sort of costume in itself.

A further advantage of one or more aspects of certain embodiments of the invention is its durability, which allows it to function consistently well through the vicissitudes of mock battle, and avoiding the disappointment and frustration resulting from disrupted games and inaccurate scores caused by faulty and fragile score-keeping devices. A further advantage of one or more aspects is the relative affordability of certain embodiments of the invention for sword players who are seeking to economically enhance their games. Another advantage of one or more aspects is that it does not rely on expensive or exceedingly complicated technologies employed by the prior art such as RFID technology or piezoelectric layering. Other advantages of one or more aspects will be apparent from a consideration of the drawings and ensuing description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, closely related figures have the same number but different alphabetic suffixes.

Fig. 1 A shows a sword fighter holding a sword and wearing a padded breastplate with the target module inset into in accordance with one embodiment.

Fig. IB shows various aspects of the breastplate embodiment.

Fig. 2A-D show various aspects of the target module in accordance with one embodiment.

Fig. 2E shows a cross sectional view of the target module in accordance with one embodiment.

Fig. 2F shows one way in which the target module may attach to the padded breastplate in accordance with one embodiment.

Fig. 3 shows a sword fighter wearing padded shoulder guards equipped with target modules in accordance with another embodiment.

Fig. 4 shows a sword fighter wearing multiple embodiments of the invention.

DRAWINGS - REFERENCE NUMERALS

110 score-keeping breastplate embodiment 111 sword fighter

112 sword device 114 target module

116 target strike button 118 signal lights

120 padded breastplate 122 adjustable straps

124 buckle 210 module mounting plate

212 battery cover 214 on/off switch

216 impact switch 218 signal speaker 220 circuit-board 222 power source

226 rivets for mounting plate 310 shoulder guard embodiment

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One embodiment of the score-keeping device is illustrated in Fig. 1A (worn by a player) and Fig. IB (more detailed view). In this embodiment a player 111 holds a sword device 112 and wears a breastplate embodiment of the score-keeping device 110. The breastplate embodiment 110 is worn by the player 111 on his or her chest and attached to the body with adjustable straps 122. The breastplate embodiment 110 is further comprised of a target module 114 that is inset into a padded breastplate 120. The target module in the illustrated embodiment contains has a target strike button 116 placed at its center, surrounded by signal lights 118 which signal a successful hit to the players 111 and help identify the target strike zone. A buckle 124 in the adjustable straps 122 allows for the straps to be disconnected when the player 111 dons or doffs the breastplate embodiment 110. In one embodiment the sword device 112 is made of durable poly urethane foam padding with a semi-rigid nylon core but in alternative embodiments the sword device could have a core or padding of many different materials such as wood, metal, plastic, various foams, rubber, fabric, paper or dunnage, and could dispense with a core or padding altogether. In alternative embodiments the sword device might be the hand or gloved hand of the player 111. In alternative embodiments the sword device might be a projectile thrown by the player 111.

In one embodiment, the padded breastplate 120 is made of a durable foam such as poly urethane or ethyl vinyl acetate, but it can consist of any material such as natural or synthetic fabrics, leather, plastic, rubber, wood, cardboard, paper, etc., that will provide some measure of protection and comfort to the player 111 while providing a place for the target module 114 to be mounted on the body of the player 111. The padded breastplate 120 in this embodiment is small enough to fit players of a variety of different sizes with a "one size fits all" approach, but additional embodiments might be fit to each player 111 based on their particular size and preference. Additional embodiments of the padded breastplate 120 can be decorated according to the preference and fantasy world of the player 111. Additional embodiments can expand the padded breastplate 120 to cover a greater portion of the player Ill's chest, providing a greater area for decorations, or in additional embodiments where larger or multiple target modules 114 are mounted on a single breastplate 120, a larger surface to attach target modules 114.

In one embodiment, the adjustable straps 122 are designed to go over the shoulders and waist of the player 111 and connecting around their back, with the capacity to adjust to fit players of different sizes and shapes, and to allow for the breastplate embodiment 110 to be worn on the back of the player 111 rather than on their front, providing other game play opportunities. In one embodiment, the straps 122 are made of a nylon material, but any material that is suitably comfortable, strong, flexible and durable can be used, including but not limited to leather, fabrics, wire, elastic bands, ropes, cords, and so on. In alternative embodiments, adjustable straps 122 might be dispensed with altogether and the padded breastplate 120 might be directly attached to clothing worn by the player 111, or in further embodiments itself be designed as an article of clothing.

Figs 2A to 2D show various perspectives on one embodiment of the target module 114. In one embodiment, the target strike button 116 is surrounded by signal lights 118. In this embodiment, both the target module 114 and the target strike button 116 are fairly small, requiring a precise strike from an opponent's sword device 112 to log a successful hit, but in additional embodiments the target module 114 could be much larger or the target strike button 116 could comprise a larger area of the target module 114, or both. In Figs 2B and 2C, a module mounting plate 210 is visible on the base of the target module 114. Fig. 2D shows a view of the bottom side of the target module 114 with the module mounting plate 210 removed, exposing a battery cover 212 and an on/off switch 214.

Fig. 2E shows a cross-sectional view of the target module 114 with the target strike zone 116 and the signal lights 118 visible. In the illustrated embodiment, the impact switch 216 is located directly under the target strike button 116. In one embodiment the impact switch 216 is a simple spring-loaded impact switch that activates a circuit when the external target strike zone 116 is depressed. In alternative embodiments, another type of target strike button 116 and switch could work, such as an inertial switch or any other durable switch capable of reliably detecting a blow from a sword device 112. In alternative embodiments, the target strike button 116 and the impact switch 216 might be combined into two layers in the padded breastplate 120 that, on impact, are brought together and complete the circuit, signaling a successful strike. In Fig. 2E, a signal speaker 218 is housed in the target module 114 and a power source 222 is accessible at the base of the target module 114, which can be accessed through the battery cover 212. The internal apparatus of the on/off switch 214 is also visible. In the illustrated embodiment, a circuit board 220 is wired between the on/off switch 214, the power source 222, the signal speaker 218, the signal lights 118, and the impact switch 216. In this embodiment, all of these elements are contained within the target module 114, but in alternative embodiments, they might be separated from one another and spread across different areas of the padded breastplate 120 or alternative embodiment. In these alternative embodiments, the elements can be hard wired together or communicate wirelessly.

In one embodiment the target module 114 is made of hard vinyl plastic, but other types of durable materials such as polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, metal, foam, wood, or rubber are also appropriate. In one embodiment, the signal lights 118 and signal speakers 218 alert the players 111 to a successful strike, but in alternative embodiments can use just one or the other, or the successful strike can be signaled with a vibrating device, an odor- making contraption, or even an analogue indicator such as a color or shape change resulting from the successful strike. In alternative embodiments, the switch 216 and the signaling devices 118 and 218 can be combined such as with a balloon that is popped by the impact of the sword device 112. In the illustrated embodiment the power source 222 is composed of three AAA batteries, but other power sources can also be used. In one embodiment, the circuit board 220 is programmed to control the signal lights 118 to turn on to green when the on/off switch 214 is turned to the "on" position, when the target strike zone 116 is depressed and the impact switch 216 is activated, then the signal speaker 218 makes a noise and the signal lights 118 change color to yellow to indicate to the players 111 that a point has been scored. After a second successful strike, another noise is produced by the signal speaker 218 and the signal lights 118 change to orange, and with a third strike a "game over" tone emanates from the signal speaker 218 and the signal lights 118 change to red. In alternative embodiments the signals can be arranged to count up or down from different numbers of strikes, or add additional constraints such as time limits, group play options, or "kill streak" kind of features to enhance game play and customizability of competitions. Players 111 in alternative embodiments can choose between different game-play scenarios depending on their tastes and the situation.

Fig. 2F shows one embodiment with the padded breastplate 120 in cross section, and the target module 114 and module mounting plate 210 connected to the padded breastplate with rivets for the mounting plate 226. In this embodiment, the target module 114 can be removed from the padded breastplate 120 by the player 111 to turn it on or off using the on/off switch 214 on the back of the target module 114 by turning it a quarter turn. The module mounting plate 210 remains attached to the padded breastplate 120 with the rivets 216, and then the target module 114 can be returned to its position for operation.

Fig. 3 and 4 show alternative embodiments with a player 111 equipped with shoulder guard embodiments 310 of the score-keeping device. As illustrated in the embodiment in Fig. 4, the score-keeping devices 110 and 310, or alternative embodiments of score-keeping devices, could be worn together to enhance and diversify game-play scenarios. In alternative embodiments, the players 111 might use the straps 122 to attach the shoulder guard score- keeping devices 310 to their fore-arms or legs to provide additional target areas.

Operation

In one embodiment, two players 111 would each be equipped with a sword device 112 and a score-keeping device 110. The players 111 would unbuckle the buckle 124 and don the breastplate score-keeping device 110, then re-attach the buckle 124 and adjust the straps 122 to the appropriate size. Then the players 111 would remove the target module 114 from the module mounting plate 210 in the padded breastplate 120 and insert batteries into the power source 222 behind the battery cover 212, and turn the on/off switch 214 to the "on" position, resulting in the signal lights 118 and signal speaker 218 performing the signal dictated by the programming in the circuit board 220 and communicating the beginning of the game to the players 111. In one embodiment the signal lights 118 turns green to indicate full "health" for each of the players 111 and then the signal speaker 218 issues a starting tone. The players 111 then sword ight, using their sword devices 112 to block and parry one another's thrusts as they attempt to hit the target strike button 116 on the breastplate score- keeping device 110 of their opponent with their sword devices 112. When a player 111 manages to hit the target strike button 116 of their opponent, the circuit inside the target module 114 is completed and, depending on the programming of the circuit board 220, the signal lights 118 and signal speaker 218 communicate to the players that a strike has landed. The first player 111 to land the previously programmed number of strikes is deemed the winner and the game can start again or the winning player can advance to the next round in the tournament. From the description above, a number of advantages of some embodiments of the wearable score-keeping device become evident: a) The impact switch clearly and fairly determines when a successful strike has been landed by a player, and the signaling system then effectively communicates that to the players, allowing for players to devote their energy to sword-fighting rather than arguing over the nuances of a strike, and greatly enhancing the play value of the sword games.

b) A target is created with the placement of the target module, having the benefit of providing a clear objective for players, which enhances the play value of the game.

c) Placing the impact switch on the body of the player rather than on the sword makes for more reliable scoring since the switch is not likely to come into contact with any object other than the opponent's sword.

d) The versatile design and adjustability of the straps allow for players of a variety of sizes and shapes to share the same equipment.

e) The switch does not require a special sword to trigger it for a point, so players can continue to use the swords of their choice rather than needing to change over to a sword that might not match their standards of construction, the rules of their organizations, or their own personal sense of aesthetics.

f) The score-keeping devices can be worn over whatever clothing or costumes players choose to wear, which is not only convenient but allows more fantastically inclined players to continue to use the costumes of their choice, with the added benefit that the score-keeping device itself will provide an added accessory for costuming.

g) The score-keeping device is efficiently designed and so is comfortable, affordable, durable, and user friendly.

h) The ability to strap score-keeping devices to various parts of the player's body allows for multitudinous game-play scenarios which greatly enhance the appeal of s wordplay.

i) The diversity of game-play scenarios that can be programmed into the score- keeping device further enhances the play value of swordplay, and enables a suitable scenario to be chosen for any given situation, whether for team play with large groups or more straightforward two player matches, and everything in between.

j) The consistent and reliable score-keeping provided by the device makes informal sword fights more fun, and also opens the way to greater standardization of sword fighting competition to allow for splintered, divergent groups to come together and a unified community to form.

Accordingly, the reader will see that the score-keeping device described above provides an effective method for score-keeping in the field of swordplay and greatly enhances the play value of sword games, paving the way for standardized competition and broader appeal for swordplay as a pastime.

Although the description above contains many specificities, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the embodiments but as merely providing illustrations of some of several embodiments. Thus the scope of the embodiments should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than by the examples given.