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Systems, methods, devices, and computer program products providing a brain-exercising game

Embodiments of the invention relate generally to brain-exercising games. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to systems, methods, devices, and computer program products for providing a puzzle-like video game where aspects of the game provide incentives for a user to utilize short-term memory.

It is said that a person can store up to seven pieces of independent information, such as seven words, in short-term memory if a person is given a task to memorize independent pieces of information in a very short period of time. The ability of a person to store information in short-term memory is generally reduced if the person is required to perform other tasks at the same time that the person is asked to remember the information. For example, a person asked to memorize words in a short period of time while performing another task may only have the capacity to remember three or four words. This short-term memory capacity varies based on the individual, and it is sometimes thought that a person having a larger short-term memory capacity will be able to make better decisions when solving certain problems. This may be particularly true if the person has a good short-term memory while performing other rapid tasks.

Therefore, it may be useful to have a system directed towards exercising (e.g., training and/or testing) short-term memory capacity. It would be advantageous if such a system causes a person to use short-term memory while performing other rapid tasks. It would also be advantageous if such a system, particularly a system directed towards training short-term memory, is enjoyable for the user so that the user desires to use the system often and for long periods of time.

Therefore, embodiments of the present invention provide systems, methods, devices, and computer program products for exercising (e.g., training and/or testing) the user's brain, and in particular the user's short-term memory. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide machine code and/or signals that may be executed by the processor of an electronic device, such as a mobile terminal. The machine code and/or signals can represent many different applications for exercising one's memory, such as games, training tasks, strategy simulation, etc. The gaming application provides a game where the user is rewarded in the game by correctly and accurately using his or her short-term memory. In one embodiment, the amount of information that the user must store in his or her short-term memory is adjusted based on the user's performance in the game. In one embodiment, a popular puzzle-like game involving the manipulation of a sequence of polyominoes is improved upon to provide for exercising of the user's short-term memory. A polyomino is a geometric shape that is constructed by placing a number of identical squares in distinct locations in a plane and in such a way that at least one edge of each square coincides with an edge of one of the other squares. A tetromino is a polyomino constructed of four squares.

In one embodiment of the present invention, a computer program product is provided for providing a memory exercising application. The computer program product may include at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-readable program code portions stored therein. The computer-readable program code portions may include: a first executable portion for introducing a current object, from a sequence of objects, in a gaming area of a display, wherein each object is one of a plurality of different object types; a second executable portion for providing the user with an indication of a future object, wherein the future object is spaced apart in the sequence of objects by at least one intermediate object after the current object; a third executable portion for allowing a user a limited amount of time to utilize the current object, based at least partially on the object type of the current object; and a fourth executable portion for advancing the sequence after the current object is utilized or after the limited time expires, such that the object in the sequence immediately following the current object becomes the current object.

The second executable portion may be configured to provide the user with the indication of the future object without concurrently displaying the object type(s) for at least one intermediate object. The second executable portion may be configured to provide the user with an indication of the object type of the future object. The second executable portion may also be configured for providing the user with an indication of the number of objects between the current object and the future object. The third executable portion may be configured to provide incentives for the user to utilize the current object based at least partially on the object type(s) of at least one intermediate object.

The computer program product may further include an executable portion for allowing the user to specify the number of objects between the current object and the future object. The computer program product may also include an executable portion for automatically determining the number of objects between the current object and the future object based at least partially on the use of the current object. The computer program product may also include an executable portion for automatically determining the number of objects between the current object and the future object based at least partially on a period of time expiring.

The computer program product may include an executable portion for rewarding the user based on the use of the current object. The objects may be polyominoes and the object type may be a type of polyomino. The polyominoes may include tetrominoes. In one embodiment, the current object in the gaming area falls toward a side of the gaming area until the current object comes to rest at the side of the gaming area or adjacent to a portion of another object at rest. In such an embodiment, the third executable portion may be further configured to receive user input and move the object based on the user input, the computer program product further comprising. An executable portion may also be included for rewarding the user when the user utilizes the current object to complete at least one row spanning the gaming area. Such an executable portion may also be configured for removing the at least one completed row.

The computer program product may further include an executable portion for outputting a score based at least partially on utilization of the current object and for indicating that the score is representative of the user's short-term memory capacity. Another executable portion may be for randomly generating the sequence of objects.

In one embodiment, an executable portion is provided for hiding a portion of the gaming area displayed on the display. For example, where the objects are tetrominoes, each tetromino having four squares, and where the gaming area is comprised of a plurality of rows that span the gaming area, and the computer-readable program code portions may further include: an executable portion for rewarding the user when the user utilizes the current object to completely fill at least one of the rows with squares of one or more tetrominoes, and an executable portion for hiding from view on the display an area of the gaming area that includes at least one row of the gaming area.

In one embodiment of the present invention a method is provided for exercising short-term memory in a user. The method may include: providing a sequence of objects, each object in the sequence being one of a plurality of object types; introducing a current object, from the sequence of objects, in a gaming area of a display; displaying an indication, on the display, of a future object, wherein the future object is spaced apart in the sequence of objects by at least one intermediate object after the current object; and allowing the user a limited time to enter user input immediately after the current object is introduced into the gaming area.

In another embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus is provided having a display; a user input interface; and a processor operatively coupled to the display and to the user input interface. The processor may be configured to: introduce a current object, from a sequence of objects, in a gaming area of the display, wherein each object is one of a plurality of different object types; provide the user with an indication of a future object, wherein the future object is spaced apart in the sequence of objects by at least one intermediate object after the current object; allow a user a limited amount of time to utilize the current object by entering user input based at least partially on the object type of the current object; and advance the sequence after the current object is utilized or after the limited time expires, such that the object in the sequence immediately following the current object becomes the current object. In one embodiment, the system is embodied in a mobile terminal.

Having thus described the invention in general terms, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings, which are not necessarily drawn to scale, and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an electronic device that may be used to execute a gaming application, in accordance with embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a flow chart that illustrates, in general terms, a process implemented by a gaming application, in accordance with on embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 illustrates a graphical user interface of the gaming application in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;