RU2799731C1 - Interactive chess - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: chess.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to devices for playing chess games, consisting of a playing field and a set of pieces, can be used for teaching the game of chess, for competitions in chess study groups and clubs, for home use, for playing with a distant opponent or teacher, and as an entertainment attraction. The device may be equipped with a wireless communication module for interacting with external devices. Interactive chess contains a body of the playing field, divided into separate cells, a set of game pieces, the completeness of which corresponds to the rules of the game of chess, which are equipped with labels containing a unique identifier. Each cell of the playing field contains an RFID antenna connected to a multiplexer, which in turn is connected to an RFID transceiver, and a capacitive sensor, consisting of an excitation electrode and a receiving electrode connected to the multiplexers, which are electrically connected to the electric capacitance measurement unit, light emitting diodes, which form a backlight unit, a computing unit. In addition, an additional set of cards is used for the game, containing at least one RFID tag and interacting with the field through RFID antennas built into the field to reproduce various game situations and store game information in their memory, game pieces made of electrically conductive material, and all electronics is located on one board, including RFID antennas, capacitive sensors and LEDs. Interactive chess on a chessboard may contain a built-in wireless communication module for interacting with external devices, a sound reproducing device, cards with teaching materials printed on them, and colour marking can be applied to the pieces.

EFFECT: creation of interactive high-tech chess with RFID sensors, capacitive sensors and backlight on the same board with different scenarios of operation by using game cards.

5 cl, 2 dwg

Description

The invention relates to devices for playing chess games, consisting of a playing field and a set of pieces, can be used for teaching chess, for holding competitions in chess circles and clubs, for home use, for playing with a distant opponent or teacher, and as an entertainment attraction. The device may be equipped with a wireless communication module for interacting with external devices.

A PERIPHERAL DEVICE FOR PLAYING A BOARD GAME WITH CONNECTION TO A COMPUTER is known (RF patent No. 2594553 dated 06/22/2015), which contains a game board with at least one playing surface, divided into separate cells, and game pieces equipped with labels containing a unique identifier or a digital code recorded in the corresponding memory cells of the label. One or more printed circuit boards are placed in the body of the game board, on which antennas are located so that they are distributed under each cell, a microcontroller connected to a specialized microcircuit for polling tags, a battery, a wireless communication module with a computer or server, and a panel with operation indicators and connectors for connecting a charger, removable storage devices, computer, tablet, smartphone, chess clock or other recorders and a device power button are fixed on the body. Provides the expansion of the functionality of gaming devices through the organization of wireless information exchange with the possibility of long-term autonomous operation without external power sources, quick interrogation of figures, easy adaptation to changes in information exchange protocols, reduces the time required to prepare equipment for tournaments with a large number of participants, which reduces the cost of organizing competitions, simplifies the organization of games over a network, including via the Internet, and increases the entertainment of games played with this device.

A sensory chessboard and a method for determining the positions of chess pieces on a chessboard and transmitting these positions to a computer or other electronic recording device are known (patent US2019022517 dated January 24, 2019), consisting of: an upper layer consisting of sixty-four (64) squares of variable color arranged in eight parallel rows and eight parallel files, with the ranks located perpendicular to the files; a bottom layer containing a circuit board, said circuit board comprising sixty-four (64) RFID antennas located in registration with said sixty-four (64) variable color squares in said top layer; and an electronic circuit embedded in said printed circuit board operatively arranged to determine the positions and movements of the chess pieces on said sixty-four (64) squares of said top layer and transmit said positions and movements to the computer.

The disadvantages of the above devices is that they are not able to determine the fact of touching the figure. There are also no functions for visualizing the game situation with the help of lighting and voicing actions. And, besides, the devices described by the authors are positioned as peripheral, i.e. incapable of independent and autonomous work without being connected to a computer that plays the role of a computing unit.

The closest analogue of the claimed invention is a device, system and method for an electronic chessboard (patent US11217117 dated 2020.09.16), which includes a plurality of game pieces, a chessboard having a playing surface that includes a plurality of individually identifiable places visible to the user on the chessboard, a lighting system configured to illuminate each of the many individually identifiable places, and an electronic system connected to the lighting system. Each of the individually identifiable locations is configured to receive any of the plurality of game chips. The electronic system includes a processor configured to determine when a user is in contact with a selected of a plurality of game pieces and control the operation of the lighting system to illuminate the playing surface to provide visual identification of at least one move available for the selected piece, taking into account the level of handicap provided to the user. At least one motion is assigned to one of the plurality of motion categories based on the strength of at least one motion, and the visual identification informs the motion category included in the plurality of motion categories for at least one motion.

The disadvantages of this technical solution is the lack of identification of the figure itself, the tracking of the figures is carried out only by memorizing the permutations. With this solution, it is impossible to play with a non-standard arrangement of pieces (Fischer Chess), and the logic of the game will be violated if the initial arrangement of pieces is incorrect.

In view of the pedagogical orientation of the developed device, the disadvantages of the above devices include an insufficient degree of interactivity (feedback from the player), since the analogs on the market are more of a recreational direction than an educational one.

The technical problem facing the invention is to expand the functionality of the interactive capabilities of the device by introducing a scenario for working with game cards, as well as increasing the reliability of the device by placing RFID sensors, capacitive sensors, backlighting and other elements necessary for operation on one printed circuit board.

The technical result of the invention is the creation of interactive high-tech chess with RFID sensors, capacitive sensors and backlight on the same board with different scenarios by using game cards.

The technical result is achieved by the fact that interactive chess contains a body of the playing field, divided into separate cells, a set of game pieces, the completeness of which corresponds to the rules of the game of chess, which are equipped with labels containing a unique identifier. Each cell of the playing field contains an RFID antenna connected to a multiplexer, which in turn is connected to an RFID transceiver and a capacitive sensor, consisting of an excitation electrode and a receiving electrode connected to multiplexers that are electrically connected to an electric capacitance measurement unit, light emitting diodes that form an illumination unit, a computing unit. In addition, an additional set of cards is used for the game, containing at least one RFID tag and interacting with the field through RFID antennas built into the field to reproduce various game situations and store game information in their memory, game figures made of electrically conductive material, and all electronics are located on one board, including RFID antennas, capacitive sensors and LEDs. Interactive chess on a chessboard may contain a built-in wireless communication module for interacting with external devices, a sound reproducing device, cards with teaching materials printed on them, and color marking can be applied to the pieces.

Interactive chess is a device for playing chess, consisting of a playing field, a set of pieces and a set of interactive cards. Each figure is made of a material with electrically conductive properties, which is necessary for detecting a touch to the figure with a capacitive sensor. The conductive properties of a figure can be achieved by applying an electrically conductive coating to its surface, for example, a varnish containing carbon nanotubes or by making a figure from a polymer with the addition of the same nanotubes. An RFID tag is built into each piece or applied in the form of a sticker, in which an identification number is pre-programmed for this type of piece, for example, “1” for a white pawn, and “2” for a black pawn, etc. Each shape type has a unique color coding, such as a ring around the whole shape, or a dot at the top of the shape. The completeness of the pieces corresponds to the rules of the game of chess.

The playing field can be equipped with a wireless communication module, the presence of which makes it possible to connect to the server to work with a remote teacher or to play with a remote opponent, save games played on the server, keep statistics, broadcast games, etc.

In FIG. 1 shows the design of the playing field, Fig. 2 shows the functional diagram of the playing field.

The drawings indicate: case 1, printed circuit board 2, playing surface 3, RFID antenna 4, multiplexer 5, RFID transceiver 6, computing unit 7, excitation electrodes 8, receiving electrodes 9, multiplexer 10, multiplexer 11, electric capacitance measurement unit 12, cutouts 13, light emitting diodes 14, backlight unit 15, power connection connector 16, sound device 17 , sound reproduction unit 18, wireless data transmission unit 19.

The following describes the design of the device and the principle of its operation.

The playing field consists of a body 1, a printed circuit board 2 fixed in it, on top of which a playing surface 3 is located. The surface is made of a light-scattering material, on which a translucent paint is applied in the form of an image of alternating black and white cells and their numbering. On the printed circuit board, in the center of each chess cell, there is one RFID antenna 4, each of which is connected to the inputs of the multiplexer 5, the output of which is connected to the input of the RFID transceiver 6. The transceiver 6 can be organized on the MFRC5000 chip, the signal from which, in turn, goes to the computing unit 7, which in turn can be organized on the basis of the STM32F405RGT6 microcontroller. The computing unit 7, by supplying control signals to the multiplexer 5, switches in turn each RFID antenna to the RFID transceiver unit 6, which initiates a poll for the presence of a tag. If the label is detected, the transceiver 6 reads the number pre-programmed in the label and transmits this value to the computing unit 7. By the presence of a response from the label, you can determine whether any figure or interactive card is on the selected cell, and by the number read from the label, you can determine the type of figure or card assigned to this number.

Also on the board in the center of each chess cell there are pairs of electrodes: the excitation electrode 8 and the receiving electrode 9. The excitation electrodes 8 are connected to the outputs of the multiplexer 10, and the receiving electrodes 9 are connected to the inputs of the multiplexer 11. selecting the pairs of electrodes 8 and 9 in turn. By changing the measured electrical capacitance between the pairs of electrodes 8 and 9, the computing unit 7 can determine the fact that the player touches the figure standing on any of the cells.

The electrodes 8 and 9, as well as the RFID antenna 4, are made in the form of a topology on a printed circuit board, along with the topology of the rest of the electrical circuits, which simplifies the production of chess.

Also on the printed circuit board there are many cutouts 13, in which light-emitting diodes 14 are placed, forming a backlight unit 15, the data to which comes from the computing unit 7. LED indication is necessary for feedback from the player. With the help of an indication, the board can give hints to the player on how best to move, or vice versa - that such a move is prohibited, give hints about where to place which piece at the start of the game by reproducing the colors assigned to the piece in the area of chess cells, play light animations during various actions of the player - thereby adding interactivity.

On the edge of the board 2 there is a power connector 16 and an audio device 17, which is part of the audio playback unit 18, the signal to which is supplied from the computing unit 7. The audio playback unit 18 can play sounds prepared in advance and loaded into it. The computing unit gives a command to play sound in various game situations, for example, voices the player's moves, which, together with animated backlighting, increases the fun of the gameplay.

The wireless data transmission unit 19 is connected to the computing unit 7 and is intended for communication with external devices. The wireless transmission unit 19 may be based on the ESP-WROOM-32 module.

Interactive cards are cards made of paper or plastic with graphic information printed on them, in which at least one RFID tag with an identifier preprogrammed into it is mounted. They are designed to control the gameplay. Such a card can be placed on any square of the field free from figures, after which the identifier programmed in it will be read by means of an RFID antenna 4 built into the cage on which the card and RFID transceiver 6 were placed and transmitted to the computing unit 7. Interactive cards can be used to control the board, for example, when applying the “Start of the game” card, the board will check the correct placement of the pieces and start timing, and when using the “Hint” card during the game, the board under will say the most profitable move. Thanks to the use of interactive cards, buttons and a display can be excluded from the design of the chessboard, which greatly simplifies the design.

Consider a scenario in which two players are playing interactive chess. The game process begins with power supply to the board by connecting an external power adapter to the power connection connector 16. After power is applied, the computing unit 7 begins to cyclically poll the array of RFID antennas 4 for the presence of figures or interactive cards with an embedded RFID tag on the playing surface 3. In parallel with the RFID antennas 4 polling, a cyclic measurement of the electric capacitance between the pairs of electrodes 8 and 9 takes place to detect a touch to a standing figure or an empty cage. If an interactive card “Start of the game” is found on one of the cells, identified by the number loaded into the memory of the RFID tag, the computing unit 7 generates a command for the illumination unit 15 to display the arrangement of pieces on the playing surface corresponding to the chess rules, and for the sound playback unit 18 to reproduce the phrase “Arrange the pieces”. In this case, each cell of the field on which the figure should stand will light up with the color that marks the figure standing on this cell in accordance with the rules. If a player places a piece incorrectly, then the backlight on the affected cell will start flashing, and the “incorrect placement” sound will be played. After the computing unit 7 fixes that all the figures are arranged in the correct order, the backlight prompting the arrangement will go out and the phrase "The figures are arranged correctly" will be played. After one of the players has touched any figure, between the excitation electrode 8 and the receiving electrode 9 of the cell on which the figure is standing, the electrical capacitance will change, the computing unit 7 will calculate the available moves for the selected figure and color the cells by giving a command to the illumination unit 15. The cells available for the move will turn green, and the cells on which the opponent’s pieces stand subject to attack will turn red. If you put the “Give a hint” card on the field, the block will calculate the most profitable move and color the cell blue.

Thus, interactive chess can be used as an educational complex for schoolchildren and preschoolers, a set for competitions in chess circles and clubs, for playing chess at home, or an entertainment attraction.

Due to the rewritable memory of RFID tags, they can be used to store data on them, so interactive cards can be used to record the current arrangement of figures. This will be needed so that you can interrupt the game and later continue it from the same place. You can also save not only the current arrangement of pieces, but also the time of the game and other aspects of professional matches. It may look like this: the players are in the process of playing, apply the “Card for saving the game” card to a free cell, while the current arrangement of pieces and other necessary information about the current game will be recorded in the memory of the RFID tag attached to the card. After some time, the players decide to finish the unfinished game, put a card with the saved game on the board empty of pieces, the information from the card is read by the board, the cells on the playing surface are painted in the colors of the figures that stood on them when they were saved. After all the pieces are arranged in accordance with the colors of the cells, the board reproduces the phrase “the pieces are placed correctly, you can continue the game”.

The claimed combination of features allows you to get high-tech interactive chess.

Claims (5)

1. Interactive chess, containing the body of the playing field, divided into separate cells, a set of game pieces, the completeness of which corresponds to the rules of the game of chess, which are equipped with tags containing a unique identifier, while each cell of the playing field contains an RFID antenna connected to a multiplexer, which is connected to an RFID transceiver and a capacitive sensor, consisting of an excitation electrode and a receiving electrode connected to multiplexers, which are electrically connected to the electric capacitance measurement unit, a light emitting diode s that form a backlight unit, a computing unit, characterized in that the game uses an additional set of cards containing at least one RFID tag and interacting with the field by means of RFID antennas built into the field to reproduce various game situations and store game information in their memory, game figures made of electrically conductive material, and all electronics are located on one board, including RFID antennas, capacitive sensors and LEDs. 2. Interactive chess according to claim 1, characterized in that the chessboard has a built-in wireless communication module for interacting with external devices 3. Interactive chess according to claim 1, characterized in that the chessboard is equipped with a sound reproducing device. 4. Interactive chess according to claim 1, characterized in that methodological materials are applied to the cards. 5. Interactive chess according to claim 1, characterized in that the figures are color-coded.