Puzzle pieces and sliding puzzle tools

Abstract

To provide a slide puzzle tool that is started readily and can expand a ring of communication with a sighted person through a game, and further allows a learning effect of being capable of reading and writing Braille to be expected.SOLUTION: In a slide puzzle tool 1, nine puzzle pieces 10 are disposed in a puzzle area R1. The puzzle pieces 10 can travel vertically and laterally in the puzzle area R1. The puzzle area R1 has nine small sections R11 that are square each. The puzzle pieces 10 have a Braille display projection 20 for displaying Braille, a character display section 30 for displaying a character or a figure corresponding to the braille, and a linear projection 60. The Braille display projection 20 can confirm a direction by a cutout 40 provided in a corner. When the puzzle pieces 10 are slid vertically and horizontally and are disposed in a previously assumed pattern, the linear projection 60 forms a continuous line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0006] , , , , , , , , ,

[0001] The present invention relates to a puzzle piece with Braille displayed thereon and a slide puzzle tool using such puzzle pieces.

Background Art

[0002] It is said that visually impaired people have a high desire to play games, just like normal people. Therefore, various game tools for visually impaired people have been proposed.

[0003] In Patent Document 1, a go game set for visually impaired people has been proposed, which can easily distinguish white stones and black stones on the go board, and even if touched by hand or the hand moves parallel to the board surface, they will never move to other places.

[0004] In Patent Document 2, a shogi game set for visually impaired people has been proposed, which can easily distinguish the types of pieces, whether they are enemy or ally, and the front and back sides on the shogi board, and even if touched by hand or the hand moves parallel to the board surface, they will never move to other places.

[0005] In Patent Document 3, a game board has been proposed, in which a plurality of holes for inserting pieces are provided in the board body for arranging game pieces, and it can also be used inside a moving means or by visually impaired people.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0006]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

[0007] However, the aforementioned game equipment requires players to touch the board with their fingers each time their opponent changes the game state. Furthermore, players need to learn the rules beforehand, making it difficult to play casually. Additionally, since the equipment is not designed for playing against sighted individuals, the number of participants is limited, making it difficult for visually impaired people, who tend to be isolated from society, to expand their social circle through the game.

[0008] While it's easy to assume that visually impaired people can read Braille, the reality is that only about 10% of visually impaired individuals can actually read Braille. Many visually impaired people develop their vision later in life, and for these individuals, learning Braille through tactile sensation takes time, which is likely a contributing factor. However, the aforementioned game equipment is solely for the purpose of enjoying the game. Therefore, it cannot be expected to have any learning effect in terms of becoming able to read Braille.

[0009] This invention addresses these problems and provides a slide puzzle tool that can be easily started, expands the circle of communication through games, and is also expected to have the learning effect of enabling Braille literacy. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] The invention for solving the above problems is a puzzle piece for use in a sliding puzzle, comprising: a plate portion that can be housed in one of the puzzle areas composed of multiple sub-sections and can move vertically and horizontally within the puzzle area by sliding; a braille display protrusion for displaying braille; and a character display portion for displaying characters or numbers corresponding to braille, wherein the braille display portion is provided protruding from the plate portion and has a direction confirmation portion for confirming the direction in which the braille is displayed, and the character display portion is represented by being raised in a convex shape from the plate portion.

[0011] With this configuration, the braille section has a direction-checking section for confirming the direction in which the braille is displayed, so visually impaired people can easily confirm the direction of the braille display. In addition, since the character display section displays characters or numbers corresponding to the braille, visually impaired people who cannot read braille can learn to read braille naturally while having fun through the game.

[0012] Preferably, the direction confirmation section is a notch provided in the raised part of the braille display.

[0013] With this configuration, the direction confirmation section is a notch provided in the raised part of the braille display, so that a visually impaired person can easily confirm the direction in which the braille is displayed by touching the raised part of the braille display with their finger.

[0014] Preferably, the braille display area has multiple corners, and the notch is a portion where one of the multiple corners has been cut out.

[0015] With this configuration, the notch is a section where one of several corners has been cut out, making it easier for visually impaired people to determine the direction in which the Braille is displayed.

[0016] Preferably, Braille is composed of real dots represented by convex circles and imaginary dots represented by concave circles.

[0017] With this configuration, Braille is composed of real dots represented by convex circles and imaginary dots represented by concave circles, thus clearly indicating the positional relationship between real and imaginary dots.

[0018] Preferably, Braille is composed of real dots represented by raised circles and imaginary dots represented by raised rectangles.

[0019] With this configuration, Braille is composed of real dots represented by raised circles and imaginary dots represented by raised rectangles, making the positional relationship between real and imaginary dots clear.

[0020] Preferably, it includes a correctness determination unit that can recognize that the arrangement is the preset pattern when the same number of puzzle pieces as the small compartments arranged in the puzzle area are arranged in the preset pattern.

[0021] According to this configuration, by checking (tracing with a finger) the correctness determination unit, it is possible to easily check whether the puzzle pieces are arranged in the preset pattern.

[0022] Preferably, the correctness determination unit has strip protrusions provided to protrude from the plate portion into strips, and when the same number of puzzle pieces as the small compartments arranged in the puzzle area are arranged in the preset pattern, the strip protrusions form continuous lines.

[0023] According to this configuration, when the same number of puzzle pieces as the small compartments arranged in the puzzle area are arranged in the preset pattern, the strip protrusions form continuous lines. Therefore, visually impaired people can easily recognize the end of the game by touching the strip protrusions with their fingers and confirming that continuous lines are formed.

[0024] Another aspect of the invention for solving the above problems is a slide puzzle tool, which includes a puzzle area composed of a plurality of small compartments, the same number of the above-mentioned puzzle pieces as the plurality of small compartments, and a standby area connected to the puzzle area that can wait for at least two puzzle pieces. By repeating the procedure of sliding the puzzle pieces vertically and horizontally using the spaces of the small compartments generated when the puzzle pieces are waiting in the standby area, the puzzle pieces can be arranged in a preset pattern.

[0025] According to this configuration, for the puzzle pieces used in the slide puzzle, braille, characters corresponding to the braille, or numbers protrude and are displayed on the plate portion. Therefore, both visually impaired people and healthy people can enjoy this slide puzzle. For example, by having visually impaired people and healthy people compete in the game completion time, communication between visually impaired people and healthy people can be achieved through the game.

[0026] Preferably, the waiting area has a direction-changing section that allows the puzzle pieces, which are arranged in random directions, to be rotated to be positioned in a predetermined direction.

[0027] With this configuration, the waiting area has a direction-changing section that allows the puzzle pieces, which are placed in random directions, to be rotated and positioned in a predetermined direction. Therefore, the sliding puzzle game can be started without having to align the direction of the puzzle pieces. Because the placement of the puzzle pieces is easy, there is no hesitation in playing the sliding puzzle. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0028] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view of the puzzle pieces. [Figure 2] This is a perspective view of the puzzle piece in variation 1. [Figure 3] This is a perspective view of the puzzle piece in variation 2. [Figure 4] (a) is a plan view illustrating the state of the slide puzzle tool in Embodiment 1 before the game begins. (b) is a plan view illustrating the state during the game. (c) is a plan view illustrating the state at the end of the game. [Figure 5] (a) is a plan view illustrating the state of the slide puzzle tool in Embodiment 2 before the game begins. (b) is a plan view illustrating the state during the game. (c) is a plan view illustrating the state at the end of the game. [Figure 6] This is a plan view illustrating the orientation of the puzzle pieces as they move through the passageway. [Figure 7] (a) to (d) are perspective views illustrating the process from the state before the game starts to the end of the game for a modified example 1 of the slide puzzle tool in Embodiment 2. [Figure 8] (a) to (c) are plan views illustrating a modified example 2 of the slide puzzle tool in Embodiment 2, showing the process from the state before the game starts to the end of the game. [Figure 9] This is a diagram illustrating misinterpretations of Braille. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0029] The following details the puzzle piece 10 and the sliding puzzle tool 1 using this puzzle piece 10, with reference to the diagram.

[0030] As shown in Figure 1, the puzzle piece 10 comprises a plate portion 15, a braille display portion 20, a character display portion 30, and a linear display portion 60. The plate portion 15 is a plate with almost the same shape as the small section R11 (see Figure 4) which will be described later.

[0031] The braille display protrusion 20 is a roughly rectangular plate-like portion that protrudes from the plate portion 15. A notch 40 (direction confirmation portion) is provided in one of the four corners of the rectangle. Braille 50 corresponding to the numbers 1 to 9 are displayed on the surface. In this embodiment, when the notch 40 is located in the lower right corner, the braille 50 can be confirmed in a normal sighted state, but this is not the only position. The position of the notch 40 may be in the lower left, upper right, or upper left corner. However, the notch 40 must be in the same position for all puzzle pieces 10. Visually impaired persons can recognize the direction in which the braille 50 is displayed by touching the position of the notch 40 with their fingers.

[0032] Braille 50 is a writing system for the visually impaired, based on a 3x2 grid of dots. Visually impaired individuals can recognize characters and other symbols by the position of the raised circular dots 51. Specifically, characters are represented by a combination of areas where dots are placed (real dots 51) and areas where dots are not placed (imaginary dots 52).

[0033] Figure 9 shows real points as black circles CB and imaginary points as white circles CW. If the positional reference is not clear, visually impaired individuals may mistake the position of the real point (black circle CB) shown in Figure 9(a) for the position of the real point (black circle CB) in Figure 9(b) or Figure 9(c).

[0034] In this embodiment 1, the puzzle piece 10 is designed so that the position of the actual dots 51 can be determined by using the braille display protrusions 20 that protrude from the plate portion 15 as a reference, thus making it extremely difficult to misidentify the position of the actual dots 51.

[0035] The linear projection 60 is a linear portion that protrudes from the plate portion 15 and is in contact with at least one side of the rectangular plate portion 15. When the puzzle pieces 10 are arranged in a predetermined pattern, the linear projection 60 is positioned to form a continuous line. In other words, it corresponds to a correct / incorrect determination unit for recognizing whether or not the puzzle pieces 10 have been placed in a predetermined pattern. In addition, a guide groove 61 is provided in the center of the linear projection 60. The guide groove 61 is a so-called guide that directs the direction in which the finger is traced when tracing the linear projection 60.

[0036] The character display section 30 features characters or numbers corresponding to Braille 50, raised in a convex shape from the plate section 15. This allows sighted individuals to understand the meaning of Braille 50. As a result, both visually impaired and sighted individuals can simultaneously enjoy playing games using this puzzle piece 10.

[0037] While it's often assumed that most visually impaired people can recognize Braille, in reality, only about 10% of visually impaired individuals are Braille literate. This is partly because many cases of visual impairment are acquired later in life, and as people age, learning Braille, which relies on tactile perception, takes time. However, those who acquire visual impairment later in life can at least imagine the shapes of letters and other symbols. Therefore, it's highly likely they can recognize letters and other symbols by tracing them with their fingers. By displaying Braille alongside corresponding text, those who acquire visual impairment later in life can learn Braille efficiently and enjoyably.

[0038] The puzzle piece 10 in this embodiment is merely illustrative and can be modified without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention. Below, we will describe two modified examples of the puzzle piece.

[0039] <Variation 1> Figure 2 shows the puzzle piece 110 of the modified example 1. The braille 50 displayed on the braille display raised portion 20 consists of real points 51a represented by raised circles and imaginary points 52a represented by concave circles. Compared to the case where the imaginary points are simply flat surfaces with no variation, the positions where the real points are placed become easier to recognize.

[0040] Furthermore, the correct / incorrect determination unit, which recognizes whether or not the puzzle pieces 110 have been arranged in a predetermined pattern, consists of a continuous braille display protrusion 120 and a continuous number display unit 123.

[0041] The continuous braille display protrusion 120 is a roughly rectangular plate-shaped portion that protrudes from the plate portion 15. Similar to the braille display protrusion 20, a notch 140 is provided at one of the four corners. In addition, the braille 150, which combines a real dot 121 represented by a convex circle and an imaginary dot 122 represented by a concave circle, represents a number.

[0042] The continuous number display section 123 displays numbers corresponding to the continuous braille display protrusions 120, protruding from the plate section 15. The numbers displayed on the continuous braille display protrusions 120 and the continuous number display section 123 become a sequence of numbers when the puzzle pieces 110 are arranged in a predetermined pattern. In other words, the continuous number display section 123 and the continuous braille display protrusions 120 constitute the correct / incorrect determination section.

[0043] <Variation 2> The puzzle piece 210 of Modified Example 2 shown in Figure 3 has almost the same configuration as the puzzle piece 110 of Modified Example 1, so the differences will be explained. In puzzle piece 210, the imaginary dots 52b and 222 are convex rectangles. Also, the continuous braille display convex part 220 and the continuous digit display part 223 constitute the correct / incorrect judgment part. The other parts are almost the same as Modified Example 1.

[0044] Referring to Figures 4(a) to 4(c), Embodiment 1 of the slide puzzle tool 1 using the puzzle pieces 10 described above will be explained.

[0045] As shown in Figure 4(a), the sliding puzzle tool 1 comprises a frame 70 that defines the puzzle area R1 and the waiting area R2, and nine puzzle pieces 10. The puzzle area R1 and the waiting area R2 are located on the same plane, lower than the outer area R3. That is, each area is defined by a depression from the outer area R3. The puzzle area R1 has nine small square compartments R11, and the small compartments R11 are arranged in a 3x3 grid. The nine puzzle pieces 10 are placed in each of the small compartments R11. In this embodiment 1, the small compartments R11 are arranged in a 3x3 grid, but the number of rows and columns can be multiple. That is, it can be 2x2 or 3x3 or more. Also, the number of rows and columns do not need to be the same.

[0046] The waiting area R2 is an area where puzzle pieces 10 can be temporarily placed. In this embodiment, it is composed of two small sections R11, but it is not limited to this. As long as there is enough space to slide the puzzle pieces 10 and arrange them in a predetermined pattern, it may be composed of three small sections R11, or even four or more small sections R11. Furthermore, the installation position of the waiting area R2 is not limited to this embodiment. The installation position can be arbitrary as long as it is in contact with the puzzle area R1.

[0047] This section describes the procedure for rearranging randomly placed puzzle pieces 10 into a predetermined pattern, that is, the procedure for playing a slide puzzle game using the slide puzzle tool 1.

[0048] Puzzle pieces 10, aligned to a normal viewing position, are randomly placed in the puzzle area R1. Visually impaired individuals can use the notches 40 as a clue to determine if they are in a normal viewing position. A normal viewing position is when the notches 40 are located in the lower right corner of the four corners.

[0049] Puzzle piece 10 is moved and placed in waiting area R2. The empty space EP created by the movement of puzzle piece 10 is used to sequentially move puzzle piece 10 and place other puzzle pieces 10 in their designated positions (see Figure 4(b)). After that, the puzzle piece 10 that was waiting in waiting area R2 is moved to puzzle area R1. By repeating this process, the pieces can work together to reproduce the intended pattern.

[0050] Whether or not the arrangement is in the intended pattern can be confirmed by the linear protrusion 60. When the linear protrusion 60 is traced and it is confirmed that the linear protrusion 60 is a single continuous line, it means that the arrangement is in the intended pattern. As shown in Figure 4(c), in this embodiment, the pre-intended pattern is one in which the numbers are arranged in ascending order from 1, starting from the upper left and moving to the right, and then folding back.

[0051] Embodiment 2 of the slide puzzle will now be described. Since Embodiment 1 and Embodiment 2 have common components, the differences will be described primarily. Components identical to those in Embodiment 1 will be given the same reference numerals, while components that differ will be given reference numerals in the 200s.

[0052] As shown in Figure 5(a), the sliding puzzle tool 201 comprises a frame 270 that defines the puzzle area R1 and the waiting area R202, and nine puzzle pieces 10.

[0053] The waiting area R202 has a passage section R221 and a direction-changing section R222. The passage section R221 is a passage for moving the puzzle piece 10 outside the puzzle area R1 and for keeping the puzzle piece 10 in a waiting position. One end is connected to a small section R11 located in the first row and first column, and the other end is connected to a small section R11 located in the first row and third column.

[0054] As shown in Figure 6, the passage section R221 is an annular passage defined by the outer boundary 225 and the inner boundary 226. By moving the puzzle piece 10 along the passage section R221 while keeping it in contact with the outer boundary 225 and the inner boundary 226, it can be moved while maintaining a unique orientation.

[0055] A direction-changing section R222 is provided near the apex of the passage section R221. The direction-changing section R222 is a region in which the direction of the puzzle piece 10 can be changed by rotating the puzzle piece 10. Furthermore, the direction-changing section R222 is shaped in such a way that it can accommodate the puzzle piece 10, and that other puzzle pieces 10 can pass through the passage section R221 while the puzzle piece 10 is accommodated.

[0056] This section describes the procedure for rearranging the 10 puzzle pieces to reproduce the expected pattern.

[0057] Puzzle pieces 10 are randomly placed in the puzzle area R1. It is not necessary to align each puzzle piece 10 with the normal viewing direction. That is, the puzzle pieces 10 are placed in the normal viewing direction, a direction rotated 90 degrees clockwise relative to the normal viewing direction, a direction rotated 180 degrees clockwise, and a direction rotated 90 degrees counterclockwise.

[0058] If you want to rotate puzzle piece 10 90 degrees clockwise, you can move puzzle piece 10 to the direction change section R222 via the passage section R221, rotate it 90 degrees clockwise in the direction change section R222, and then move it back to the small section R11 where it was moved to. Alternatively, you can move puzzle piece 10 to the direction change section R222, rotate it 90 degrees counterclockwise, and then move it back to a different small section R11 via the passage section 221.

[0059] If you want to rotate puzzle piece 10 90 degrees in the opposite direction, you can follow almost the same procedure as described above, so we will omit the explanation.

[0060] If you want to rotate puzzle piece 10 by 180 degrees, you can move puzzle piece 10 through passage R221 to a different sub-section R11 than its original position (see Figure 6). Alternatively, you can move it to the direction change section R222, rotate it 180 degrees in the direction change section R222, and then move it back to the original sub-section R11.

[0061] After aligning all puzzle pieces 10 to face forward, at least two puzzle pieces 10 are placed in the waiting area R202. Using the empty spaces EP created by the movement of the puzzle pieces 10, the puzzle pieces 10 are sequentially moved to place the other puzzle pieces 10 in their designated positions. Then, the puzzle pieces 10 that were waiting in the waiting area R202 are moved to the puzzle area R1.

[0062] Whether the arrangement is in the intended pattern can be confirmed by the linear protrusion 60. When the linear protrusion 60 is traced and it is confirmed that the linear protrusion 60 is a single continuous line, it means that the arrangement is in the intended pattern. As shown in Figure 5(c), in this embodiment, the pre-intended pattern is one in which the numbers are arranged in ascending order from 1, starting from the upper left and moving to the right, and then folding back.

[0063] This embodiment is merely illustrative and can, of course, be modified within the scope of the technical idea of ​​the present invention. For example, the slide puzzle tool 301 shown in Figures 7(a) to (d) uses pre-determined patterns as verses from the Hyakunin Isshu (One Hundred Poets) anthology. Also, instead of puzzle piece 10, puzzle piece 110 from Modification 1 is used. In this case, whether or not the puzzle piece 110 has been placed in the pre-determined pattern is determined by whether or not the numbers displayed in the continuous braille display protrusions 120 and the continuous number display section 123 are consecutive numbers. That is, the continuous number display section 123 and the continuous braille display protrusions 120 constitute the correct / incorrect determination section.

[0064] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 8(a) to 8(c), a hint section 390 may be provided to give hints for a predetermined pattern, as shown in the slide puzzle tool 302. The hint section 390 is represented in both Braille and Braille-corresponding characters. [Industrial applicability]

[0065] The slide puzzle device of this invention can be enjoyed not only by visually impaired individuals but also by sighted individuals. Because this puzzle game facilitates communication between visually impaired and sighted people, it has great potential for industrial application. [Explanation of symbols]

[0066] 1, 201, 301, 302: Slide puzzle tools 10, 110, 210: Puzzle pieces 15: Plate section 20: Raised part of Braille display 30:Character display area 40: Notch 50, 150: Braille 51, 51a, 51b: Actual points 52,52a, 52b: Imaginary point 60: Linear protrusion EP: Blank space R1: Puzzle area R11: Small plot R2, R202: Standby area R221: Passage section R222: Direction change section

Claims

1. A puzzle area composed of multiple sub-sections, Multiple sub-sections and the same number of puzzle pieces, The system includes a waiting area connected to the aforementioned puzzle area, which can hold at least two puzzle pieces, The puzzle piece has a plate portion that can be housed in one of the puzzle areas composed of multiple sub-sections and can move vertically and horizontally within the puzzle area by sliding, a braille display protrusion for displaying braille, and a character display portion for displaying characters or numbers corresponding to the braille, The aforementioned braille display protrusion is provided protruding from the plate portion and has a direction confirmation portion for confirming the direction in which the braille is displayed, and the character display portion is represented by being raised in a convex shape from the plate portion. By repeatedly sliding the puzzle pieces vertically and horizontally, utilizing the empty spaces in the small compartments that arise when the puzzle pieces are placed in the waiting area, the puzzle pieces can be arranged in a predetermined pattern. The puzzle pieces further have a correct / incorrect determination unit that can recognize that the arrangement is a pre-determined pattern when it is arranged in a pre-determined pattern. The correct / incorrect determination unit has linear projections that protrude linearly from the plate portion, and when the same number of puzzle pieces as the small sections arranged in the puzzle area are arranged in a predetermined pattern, the linear projections form a continuous line, characterized in that the slide puzzle tool.

2. The sliding puzzle tool according to claim 1, characterized in that the waiting area has a direction-changing section that allows the puzzle pieces, which are arranged in random directions, to be arranged in a predetermined direction by rotating them.

Images