3D Puzzle

Abstract

The three-dimensional puzzle (110) comprises a plurality of rectangular puzzle blocks that together form a predetermined three-dimensional puzzle shape, each puzzle block (102) comprising either a male (106a-c) or female (108a-c) connection element on each of at least three sides of the puzzle block, the connection elements for each puzzle block being configured such that each puzzle block is unique.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to three-dimensional puzzles and methods for making such puzzles. In particular, the present invention relates to three-dimensional puzzles that have only one known solution. [Background technology]

[0002] Puzzles of various kinds have been used for entertainment purposes for as long as the inventor can remember, however, the use of puzzles as information storage devices remains an underdeveloped and largely unexplored area. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In general, the disclosed subject matter relates to a three-dimensional puzzle comprising a plurality of puzzle blocks that together form a predetermined three-dimensional puzzle shape. Each puzzle block comprises either male or female connection elements oriented in at least three different directions of the puzzle block, the connection elements being orthogonal in orientation. The connection elements of each puzzle block are configured such that each puzzle block is unique, and each connection element has a shape selected from the group including at least three different male connection elements and at least three corresponding different female connection elements.

[0004] The three different directions can be selected from a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system consisting of six different directions, namely x, y, z and -x, -y and -z directions. Thus, for a rectangular puzzle block, at least three of the sides are provided with a connecting element. However, the puzzle block may be cubic, rectangular, rectangular with truncated corners or spherical, as long as the connecting elements of each puzzle block are arranged to face one of the six described directions.

[0005] The exemplary embodiment used to explain the concepts of the present invention is a three-dimensional puzzle comprising 27 rectangular puzzle blocks that together form a predetermined three-dimensional cube-shaped puzzle, each puzzle block comprising either male or female connection elements on each of at least three sides of the puzzle block, the connection elements of each puzzle block being configured such that each puzzle block is unique and there is only one known solution to the puzzle.

[0006] Thereby, the described puzzle is constructed such that in order to solve the puzzle, it is not possible to connect two blocks of the puzzle in an incorrect way relative to the solution to be reached. A puzzle with 27 rectangular puzzle blocks, each block having six sides, each side can have a connecting element, can be formed in a very large number of ways. Assuming that the 27 objects can be arranged in 27! different ways (where ! is a factorial function) and that the puzzle blocks have no rotational symmetry, each of the 27 blocks can be aligned in 24 unique ways, which means that each block can create 24^27 combinations. In total, there are 27!*24^27, or approximately 10^65 possible combinations, an extremely large number of combinations. This in turn means that it is not possible to guess the solution to the puzzle or to determine the solution using brute force computational methods. In essence, the puzzle becomes impossible to solve without instructions or guidance of some kind. This property of the puzzle can be used for various purposes, not only for entertainment but also within fields such as cryptography and related topics, as discussed in more detail below.

[0007] According to one embodiment of the invention, each puzzle block may be equipped with male or female connecting elements on each side of the puzzle block, however, in principle it is possible to leave some sides of a puzzle block blank, i.e. without connecting elements, and still fulfil the above puzzle requirements.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the invention, the puzzle blocks may advantageously be cubic in shape, resulting in a rectangular or cubic puzzle depending on the number of puzzle blocks used. The three-dimensional puzzle shape may for example be a cube made of n×n×n puzzle blocks, n being an integer greater than 2. The smallest possible puzzle would be a cubic shaped puzzle with 3×3×3=27 blocks.

[0009] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least two of the puzzle blocks may advantageously be at least partially hollow, with a first puzzle block having a first wall thickness that is different from a second wall thickness of the second puzzle block. This allows the puzzle blocks to be configured such that a user can detect the wall thickness and use it as a guide to indicate how the blocks are supposed to fit together. The puzzle block with the thinner sidewall may for example be translucent and the puzzle block with the thicker sidewall may be opaque. An indication may be provided to indicate that sidewalls of the same type are supposed to be located adjacent to each other.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first puzzle block may be made of a first material and a second puzzle block may be made of a second material different from the first material, where the material of the puzzle block may act as a guide for how to arrange the blocks. For example, it may be possible to form the blocks in each layer of the puzzle from different materials.

[0011] According to one embodiment of the present invention, at least a subset of the puzzle blocks may comprise optically transparent portions, which are arranged and configured to form an optically transparent passageway through the aligned and assembled puzzle. This provides guidance on how to assemble the puzzle. It is also possible for at least two puzzle blocks to comprise magnetic elements so that the two puzzle blocks attract each other. All of the above means for providing guidance on how to properly assemble the puzzle can be combined in any number of ways. The magnetic elements can then be arranged towards the sides of the puzzle blocks, thereby forming magnetic sides of each puzzle block, so that the two puzzle blocks only attract each other when the magnetic sides face each other. Other guidance is also possible, such as color indications, numbers, letters, or other symbols that help the user to properly assemble the puzzle.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, at least a subset of the puzzle blocks include letters such that the completed puzzle reveals a password, key, secret key, encryption key, hash, etc. The letters may be selected, for example, from the entire group of ASCII symbols or extended ASCII symbols, or may be a subset of characters, for example, the Base-58 scheme, to avoid ambiguity when the symbols are interpreted in visual form. The letters may be positioned, for example, on one or more of the four edges of each side of a cube, giving 24 possible letters or groups of letters on each puzzle block.

[0013] The user may be provided with specific instructions or guidance for solving the puzzle, either by the configuration of the puzzle blocks themselves or through instructions provided by other means. Once the puzzle is correctly solved, the user may be able to read one or more keys on the puzzle and may use the key or keys to access information that would not otherwise be available.

[0014] Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon review of the appended claims and the following description. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that different features of the present invention can be combined to create embodiments other than those described below without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0015] These and other aspects of the invention will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments of the invention are shown. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1A] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a puzzle block and a puzzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1B] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a puzzle block and a puzzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 1C] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a puzzle block and a puzzle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2A] 2A-2C are schematic diagrams illustrating a connecting element according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2B] 2A-2C are schematic diagrams illustrating a connecting element according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2C] 2A-2C are schematic diagrams illustrating a connecting element according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2D] 2A-2C are schematic diagrams illustrating a connecting element according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Diagram 3] 1 is a flow chart outlining the general steps of a method according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4A] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a puzzle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4B] FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram of a puzzle according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] In this detailed description, various embodiments of the three-dimensional puzzle according to the present invention are primarily described with reference to a 3x3x3 cube-shaped puzzle consisting of 27 cube puzzle blocks. However, it should be noted that the invention described can be implemented in many different ways to form puzzles of essentially any shape.

[0018] 1A-1B show examples of puzzle blocks 102, 104, where the first puzzle block 102 includes male connection elements 106a-c and the second puzzle block 104 includes corresponding female connection elements 108a-c. It should be understood that the male connection elements 106a-c include protrusions (male connection elements) and the female connection elements 108a-c include corresponding receiving portions (female connection elements), such as recesses, grooves, hole openings, etc., such that the protrusions of the male connection elements fit into the recesses of the corresponding female connection elements.

[0019] Moreover, the set of male and female connection elements is preferably configured such that it is only possible to connect a male connection element to a correctly corresponding female connection element. As seen in Figures 1A-1B, none of the male connection elements 106a-c can mate with an incorrect female connection element 108a-c. In other words, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the male connection elements 106a-c and the female connection elements 108a-c. Although each puzzle block 102, 104 shown in Figure 1 only comprises one type, i.e., male and female connection elements, the puzzle block may equally well comprise any combination of male and female connection elements.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, the female connection elements of the female connection elements 108a-c are configured such that two puzzle block sides with female connection elements cannot be placed in direct contact with each other. This can be achieved by providing each female connection element with a portion that protrudes above the surface of the puzzle block. In FIG. 1B, the protrusion of each connection element 108b-c can be a central circular portion of the connection element. The protrusion can also be formed as a separate protrusion. If two such female connection elements with protrusions are positioned opposite each other, a gap will exist between the two puzzle blocks. The corresponding male connection element is similarly adapted to receive the protrusion of the female connection element such that a connection between the male connection element and the female connection element is possible.

[0021] 1C shows an example of a completed three-dimensional puzzle 110 in the form of a 3×3×3 cube, where it can be seen that puzzle blocks with both male and female connection elements are used. Furthermore, not all of the outward facing sides have connection elements, and some sides are flat. Thus, it would be possible to create a puzzle where the outside of the puzzle is completely flat, although this would reduce the difficulty of the puzzle.

[0022] 2A-2D further illustrate exemplary configurations of male and female connection elements. Each of the illustrated shapes can be provided as a male and a corresponding female connection element. When designing a puzzle, the male and female connection elements used are preferably selected such that no connection can be formed between mismatched pairs of connection elements. Furthermore, when different connection elements are used in one puzzle, this also serves as a guide to the user on how to assemble the puzzle.

[0023] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the male and female connecting elements are configured to have at least a fourth order of rotational symmetry on the surface of the puzzle block that comprises the connecting elements. The fact that the connecting elements have at least a fourth order of rotational symmetry means that the connecting elements are identical at every 90° rotation in the plane of the connecting elements. An example of such a connecting element is a symmetrical cross shape as shown in FIG. 2B.

[0024] Depending on the type and configuration of the connecting elements, a puzzle may be configured, for example, such that a first layer must be completed before an intermediate or subsequent layer can be completed.

[0025] The present invention also relates to a method for deriving a puzzle configuration, the general steps of which are outlined in the flow chart of Fig. 3. The method includes a step 300 of selecting a first puzzle block for a first position in a first layer, followed by a step 302 of configuring adjacent puzzle blocks such that each puzzle block has at least one male or female connector corresponding to the connector of at least one adjacent previous block, allowing the current puzzle block to be connected to a subsequent puzzle block, thereby forming a three-dimensional puzzle comprising nxmxl puzzle blocks, where n, m and l are integers, and finally a step 304 of configuring the sides of the puzzle blocks forming the exterior of the three-dimensional puzzle, such that each block of the puzzle is unique.

[0026] By the described procedure, a puzzle of the desired size and configuration can be arrived at using any of the above mentioned variations for forming unique puzzle blocks. The exterior surface can be used to provide the logic and / or guidance required to solve the puzzle. Providing blank sides is itself a guidance on how to solve the puzzle, since it can be assumed that the blank sides form the exterior surface of the puzzle. Furthermore, it is also possible to provide instructions on the exterior surface of the puzzle that the user cannot immediately understand without additional information from an external source. Such additional information can be provided, for example, on a website, and the information can also be provided sequentially, facilitating the gradual solving of the puzzle with each additional information provided. Only then is it possible to solve the puzzle with the correct guidance.

[0027] 4A shows an exemplary puzzle 400 in which the puzzle block 402 has truncated corners, i.e., is essentially a cube with 14 sides, however, the connection elements are located only on six sides defined by an orthogonal three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system, i.e., the sides of the untruncated cube.

[0028] In the puzzle 406 shown in FIG. 4B, the puzzle block 408 is essentially a sphere, again with connecting elements oriented in six directions corresponding to the sides of a full cube.

[0029] Puzzle blocks of any configuration can be advantageously manufactured using 3D printing, which offers great flexibility in terms of combining different properties and configurations of puzzle blocks, thereby making it possible to easily manufacture puzzles where each puzzle is unique.

[0030] Although the present invention has been described with reference to specific and exemplary embodiments thereof, many different changes, modifications, etc. will become apparent to those skilled in the art. It should also be noted that parts of the invention may be omitted, substituted, or arranged in various ways and the invention may still perform the functions described.

[0031] Moreover, variations to the disclosed embodiments can be understood and effected by those skilled in the art in practicing the claimed invention, from a study of the drawings, the disclosure, and the appended claims. In the claims, the word "comprising" does not exclude other elements or steps, and the indefinite articles "a" or "an" do not exclude a plurality. The mere fact that certain measures are recited in mutually different dependent claims does not indicate that a combination of these measures cannot be used to advantage.

Claims

1. A three-dimensional puzzle (110) comprising a plurality of puzzle blocks that together form a predetermined three-dimensional puzzle shape, each puzzle block (102, 104) comprising male (106a-c) or female (108a-c) connecting elements of said puzzle blocks in at least three different orientations, the orientations of said connecting elements being selected from a Cartesian coordinate system; the connecting elements of each of the puzzle blocks are configured such that each puzzle block is unique, each connecting element having a shape selected from the group including at least three different male connecting elements and at least three corresponding different female connecting elements; the male connection element and the female connection element are configured such that it is only possible to connect a male connection element to a corresponding female connection element; The female connection element is configured such that two puzzle block sides having the female connection element cannot be placed in direct contact with each other; A three-dimensional puzzle (110), wherein each female connection element has a portion that protrudes above a surface of the puzzle block.

2. The three-dimensional puzzle of claim 1 , wherein the male and female connection elements are configured to have at least a fourth order of rotational symmetry on the surface of the puzzle block that comprises the connection elements.

3. The three-dimensional puzzle of claim 1 or 2, wherein the connection elements of each puzzle block are configured such that there is only one solution to the puzzle.

4. The three-dimensional puzzle of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each puzzle block comprises male or female connection elements oriented in all six directions of the puzzle block's Cartesian coordinate system.

5. The three-dimensional puzzle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the puzzle blocks are cuboid, rectangular prism, rectangular prism with truncated corners or spherical.

6. The three-dimensional puzzle according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the three-dimensional puzzle is cubic in shape.

7. The three-dimensional puzzle of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the three-dimensional puzzle comprises at least 27 puzzle blocks.

8. The three-dimensional puzzle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the three-dimensional puzzle is substantially cubic in shape and consists of n x n x n puzzle blocks, where n is an integer greater than 2.

9. 9. The three-dimensional puzzle of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein at least two puzzle blocks are hollow, a first puzzle block having a first wall thickness that is different from a second wall thickness of a second puzzle block.

10. 10. The three-dimensional puzzle of any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein a first puzzle block is made from a first material and a second puzzle block is made from a second material different from the first material.

11. 11. The three-dimensional puzzle of any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein at least a subset of the puzzle blocks include optically transparent portions that are aligned and arranged and configured to form an optically transparent passageway through the assembled puzzle.

12. The three-dimensional puzzle of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein at least two of the puzzle blocks are provided with magnetic elements such that the two puzzle blocks attract each other.

13. 13. The three-dimensional puzzle of claim 12, wherein the magnetic elements are arranged towards the sides of the puzzle blocks, thereby forming magnetic sides of each puzzle block, such that two puzzle blocks attract each other only when the magnetic sides face each other.

14. A three-dimensional puzzle according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein at least a subset of the puzzle blocks are provided with numbers such that the completed puzzle reveals a key.

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