Logic puzzle

Abstract

A three-dimensional polyhedra-form logic puzzle comprised of a plurality of independent, non-interconnected puzzle elements of three-dimensional geometric, axially-symmetric, pyramidal-peaked form including one or more apex-opposed polygon faces and a plurality of radial faces. Each edge of an apex-opposed face that contacts a radial face presents visible design indicia. Radial faces contain transversely-polarized magnetic, mechanical or electro-mechanical attachment mechanisms. The puzzle is solved and the three-dimensional polyhedra completed when puzzle elements are placed with the visible design indicia of every puzzle element's apex-opposed face edges conforming to those of every adjacent puzzle element. Radial faces may contain protuberances and cavities corresponding to indicia of corresponding apex-opposed face edges such that only puzzle elements with conforming apex-opposed face indicia will interjoin. Computerized processes determine viable solutions for indicia combinations on puzzle elements. Puzzle elements may be of pyramidal, dipyramidal, trapezohedral, rhombohedric or other similar forms.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to geometric logic puzzles characterized by independent, solid, three-dimensional, axially-symmetric, pyramidal-peaked puzzle elements, each of which puzzle elements has one or more apex-opposed polygonal faces bearing visible indicia. Each axially-symmetric, pyramidal-peaked puzzle element may be comprised of three-dimensional elements of pyramidal, dipyramidal, trapezohedral, rhombohedric or other similar forms with radial faces of identical shape and size.[0003]The goal of the puzzle is to assemble a pre-determined three-dimensional, solid geometric shape by placing the puzzle elements in an orientation with the apices of the pyramidal-peaked puzzle elements touching and with the edges of their apex-opposed faces also touching. The desired arrangement of the puzzle elements is such that the indicia of each of the edges of the visible apex-opposed polygonal faces of each puzzle element co...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0046]The present invention discloses a logic puzzle of three-dimensional polyhedra-form consisting of independent, three-dimensional, axially-symmetric, pyramidal-peaked puzzle elements with the puzzle elements of the required dimensions and present in the exact number necessary and sufficient to construct a predetermined three-dimensional polyhedron. The objective of the puzzle is to position the puzzle elements relative to each other in a way that satisfies specified conditions on the relationships of adjacent visual indicia on the visible portions of adjoining puzzle elements. For every particular manifestation of this puzzle, all connecting radial faces of all puzzle elements for a specified polyhedron have exactly the same dimensions making every radial face identical in shape and size. Thus, each puzzle element presents an identical physical shape over a series of rotations around the central axis of the pyramidal-peaked puzzle element (i.e., axially-symmetric), the number of identical appearances equal to the number of radial faces of the puzzle element. Puzzle elements can be of pyramidal, dipyramidal, trapezohedral, rhombohedric or other similar form with identical triangular, deltoidal, parallelogrammatic or other radial faces, respectively. Each radial face of each puzzle element beneficially contains transversely-polarized magnetic, mechanical or electromechanical attachment components on or inside that face so that any puzzle element that is correctly aligned with an adjoining puzzle element is secured to complete the final polyhedra. The radial faces of the puzzle elements can also exhibit physical characteristics consisting of patterns of protuberances and cavities such that only properly aligned puzzle elements with conforming visible indicia on the exposed faces may be successfully interjoined and those puzzle elements with non-conforming visual indicia may not be successfully interjoined.

[0047]The objective of the disclosed invention is to provide an interesting, challenging, enjoyable, educational, entertaining, and visually appealing puzzle that can be solved by a wide range of puzzle enthusiasts by offering a range of complexity from relatively easy to very difficult. This invention also offers tactile and visual interaction with the three-dimensional puzzle elements and completed object.

[0048]An advantage of these requirements is that a very large number of combinations of placements of a set of puzzle elements are possible in constructing the finished polyhedron. Using twelve 5-pyramid puzzle elements (having a regular pentagon as the base face of the pyramidal puzzle element) to construct a twelve-sided dodecahedron and starting with any one of the puzzle elements, there

Problems solved by technology

An initial Sudoku grid is partially filled with entries and the challenge for the puzzle solver is to logically evaluate the alternatives and find the single arrangement of missing numbers that fills all the remaining cells in a manner complying with the puzzle constraints.

The challenge of most such puzzles is finding the arrangements of puzzle elements that create the desired final structure.

Further, none of the inventions described herein, nor any known or discovered, disclose a design for a three-dimensional logic puzzle that possesses physical characteristics on its attaching faces corresponding to the design indicia on the exposed faces such that only attaching faces with conforming visual indicia on exposed faces may be physically interjoined to successfully complete the puzzle.

Further, none of the inventions described herein, nor any known or discovered, disclose a process for creating the arrangement of design indicia for a three-dimensional logic puzzle where the design indicia have been chosen such that all potential solutions to the puzzle for a given set of puzzle elements are known and can be evaluated to determine design indicia that yield a puzzle of desired difficulty, that difficulty being indicated by the number of potential solutions to the puzzle offered by the specific set of puzzle elements or by the number of partially completed puzzle configurations that cannot be successfully completed with the remaining puzzle elements.

However, because some of those puzzle elements may have multiple rotational orientations in all three dimensions, not all design indicia are matched with those of other puzzle elements either 1) because the indicia of the puzzle elements are hidden inside the completed geometric structure, 2) because the indicia of the puzzle elements are hidden inside the supporting base, or 3) because edge indicia of puzzle elements along the unbounded edge of the completed geometric structure are not constrained to match those of other puzzle elements.

Thus, no process is disclosed for determining the appropriate design indicia for hidden or unbounded puzzle elements and no process is provided to assure that arbitrary assignment of those non-constrained design indicia won't yield a large number of alternative solutions to the puzzle making successful completion of the puzzle significantly less difficult than was expected.

Further, no process is disclosed for determining the appropriate design indicia for puzzle elements used in a puzzle where every design indicia of every puzzle element visible on the exterior of the completed polyhedron is required to match the design indicia of every adjoining visible puzzle element.

However, the tetrahedral puzzle elements do not present identifiable radial faces that can be readily distinguished relative to a discernable apex from the other faces of the puzzle elements.

The physical nature of the protuberances and cavities as disclosed do not, however, prevent puzzle elements with non-matching visible indicia from being placed and connected to one another.

However, many of the edges of puzzle elements in that puzzle are not constrained to match with the edges of any other puzzle elements.

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