1. A puzzle apparatus, comprising:
a display region adapted to present a puzzle to a user, the puzzle having one or more unsolved arrangements and at least one solved pattern, wherein each of the one or more unsolved arrangements and at least one solved pattern are presentable within said display region; and
a plurality of colored swatches adapted to be arranged within said display region, wherein each of said plurality of colored swatches comprises a substantially solid color that is different from the substantially solid color of every other colored swatch, and wherein said plurality of colored swatches are adapted to be arranged into the at least one solved pattern that includes a correct placement of each of the colored swatches in relation to each other, which correct placement involves each respective colored swatch being adjacent within the at least one solved pattern only to the other colored swatches from the plurality of colored swatches that are closest in color to the respective colored swatch.
2. The puzzle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one solved pattern includes a halation effect within its correctly placed colored swatches, and wherein the one or more unsolved arrangements do not include a halation effect within its colored swatches.
3. The puzzle apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of colored swatches is bounded by substantially straight lines and is substantially the same shape as every other colored swatch.
4. The puzzle apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least one solved pattern forms an overall shape, and wherein said overall shape is the same as an overall shaped formed by each of said one or more unsolved arrangements.
5. The puzzle apparatus of claim 1, wherein said plurality of colored swatches includes a plurality of primary parent color swatches and a plurality of child color swatches, and wherein the at least one solved pattern involves the plurality of primary parent color swatches being spaced apart from each other and the plurality of child color swatches being disposed between the plurality of primary parent color swatches.
6. The puzzle apparatus of claim 5, wherein the child color swatches between any two primary parent color swatches provide a color gradient between the colors of the primary parent color swatches.
7. The puzzle apparatus of claim 6, wherein each of the plurality of colored swatches forms a square shape, wherein the at least one solved pattern forms an overall square shape, wherein there are four primary parent color swatches, and wherein the four primary parent color swatches are located in the corners of the overall square shape of the at least one solved pattern.
8. The puzzle apparatus of claim 1, wherein said puzzle apparatus comprises a computing apparatus, and further comprising:
a processor adapted to generate the puzzle, provide display output regarding the puzzle, and accept user input regarding the puzzle;
a display component coupled to said processor and adapted to present the puzzle to the user on the display region contained thereon; and
one or more input devices coupled to said processor and adapted to accept input from the user regarding the play of the puzzle.
9. The puzzle apparatus of claim 8, wherein said processor is further adapted to provide to the user an indication when the at least one solved pattern has been achieved.
10. The puzzle apparatus of claim 8, wherein said processor is further adapted to provide to the user a game score for arriving at the solved pattern.
11. The puzzle apparatus of claim 8, wherein said processor is further adapted to provide to the user with the ability to move a first of said plurality of colored swatches to the location of a second of said plurality of colored swatches.
12. The puzzle apparatus of claim 11, wherein said processor is further adapted to relocate automatically the second of said plurality of colored swatches to another location to make space for the first of said plurality of colored swatches.
13. A computer readable medium including at least computer program code for presenting a puzzle using a computing puzzle apparatus, the computer readable medium comprising:
computer program code for presenting to a user via a computing puzzle apparatus a plurality of colored swatches arranged in a first order that forms an unsolved pattern, wherein each of said plurality of colored swatches comprises a substantially solid color that is different from the substantially solid color of every other colored swatch;
computer program code for allowing the user to rearrange the plurality of colored swatches from the first order to a second order that forms a solved pattern, wherein the solved pattern includes a correct placement of each of the colored swatches within the solved pattern, and wherein the correct placement of each of the colored swatches involves each respective colored swatch being adjacent within the pattern only to the other colored swatches from the plurality of colored swatches that are closest in color to the respective colored swatch; and
computer program code for confirming to the user that the solved pattern has been achieved.
14. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein the solved pattern includes a halation effect within its correctly placed second order of colored swatches, and wherein the unsolved pattern does not include a halation effect within its first order of colored swatches.
15. The computer readable medium of claim 13, wherein each of said plurality of colored swatches is bounded by substantially straight lines and is substantially the same shape as every other colored swatch.
16. The computer readable medium of claim 13, further comprising:
computer program code for accepting from the user an input regarding selection of a difficulty level with respect to the difficulty of arriving at the solved pattern; and
computer program code for providing to the user an unsolved pattern of a complexity according to the selected difficulty level.
17. A method of presenting a puzzle using a puzzle apparatus, the method comprising:
presenting to a user via a puzzle apparatus a plurality of colored swatches arranged in a first order that forms an unsolved pattern, wherein each of said plurality of colored swatches comprises a substantially solid color that is different from the substantially solid color of every other colored swatch;
allowing the user to rearrange the plurality of colored swatches from the first order to a second order that forms a solved pattern, wherein the solved pattern includes a correct placement of each of the colored swatches within the solved pattern, and wherein the correct placement of each of the colored swatches involves each respective colored swatch being adjacent within the pattern only to the other colored swatches from the plurality of colored swatches that are closest in color to the respective colored swatch; and
confirming to the user that the solved pattern has been achieved.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the solved pattern includes a halation effect within its correctly placed second order of colored swatches, and wherein the unsolved pattern does not include a halation effect within its first order of colored swatches.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein each of said plurality of colored swatches is bounded by substantially straight lines and is substantially the same shape as every other colored swatch.
20. The method of claim 17, further including the steps of:
accepting from the user an input regarding selection of a difficulty level with respect to the difficulty of arriving at the solved pattern; and
providing to the user an unsolved pattern of a complexity according to the selected difficulty level.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An apparatus for monitoring and displaying exertion data, comprising:
a sensor that measures a pressure change at the sensor and provides a pressure signal corresponding to a magnitude of the pressure change;
a processing unit that receives the pressure signal, processes the pressure signal according to processing instructions, generates pressure data corresponding to the pressure signal, and displays a visual representation of the pressure data; and
a sensor cable that provides an electrical connection between the sensor and the processing unit, wherein the sensor provides the pressure signal to the processing unit via the sensor cable;
wherein the processing unit includes
a microprocessor that receives the pressure signal, processes the pressure signal, generates the pressure data, and generates display data,
memory, in which the processing instructions and display data are stored and which provides the processing instructions to the microprocessor to control processing of the pressure signal and display of the visual representation, and
a signal transmitter, disposed in electrical communication with the microprocessor;
wherein the signal transmitter is one of a radio frequency transmitter and an infrared transmitter.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes
a transducer against which incident pressure is applied and which generates a voltage level proportionate to a magnitude of the incident pressure; and
a converter that receives the voltage level and converts the voltage level to the pressure signal.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit includes a display for providing the visual representation based on the pressure data.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the pressure signal is a digital representation or the pressure change.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, further including a fabric base formed in the shape of a glove that is adapted to receive a hand, wherein the sensor and the processing unit are attached to the fabric base.
6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the fabric base is made from material including at least one of nylon, leather, and spandex.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the fabric base includes at least one fastener that allows a fit of the fabric base on the hand to be adjusted.
8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein said at least one fastener includes a strap with a hook-and-loop fabric closure.
9. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor is disposed on a region of the fabric base such that the sensor is located proximate to the palm of the glove.
10. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor is a flexible monolithic pressure sensor.
11. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor is encased in the fabric base with closed-cell foam.
12. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the closed-cell foam is covered with at least one aluminized layer.
13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor cable includes multiple flat flexible wires.
14. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor cable is routed from the sensor to the processing unit around one of
a base of a thumb section of the glove;
a base of a little finger section of the glove;
between bases of a thumb section and index finger section of the glove; and
a location where a wrist section of the glove joins a base of a thumb section of the glove.
15. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sensor cable is attached to the processing unit with a snap-fit connector.
16. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the sensor cable is at least partially disposed between fabric layers of the fabric base.
17. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing unit is disposed on a region of the fabric base such that the processing unit is located proximate to the back portion of the hand when the glove is worn by a user.
18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further includes a piezo beeper, disposed in electrical communication with the microprocessor.
19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing unit further includes a clock generator for providing a periodic output signal, disposed in electrical communication with the microprocessor.
20. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an antenna communicatively coupled to the signal transmitter.
21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the signal transmitter includes an omnidirectional transmission element.
22. An apparatus for monitoring and displaying exertion data, comprising:
a sensor that measures a pressure change at the sensor and provides a pressure signal corresponding to a magnitude of the pressure change;
a processing unit that receives the pressure signal, processing the pressure signal according to processing instructions, and generates pressure data corresponding to the pressure signal;
a sensor cable that provides an electrical connection between the sensor and the processing unit, wherein the sensor provides the pressure signal to the processing unit via the sensor cable; and
a display device that displays a graphical representation of the pressure data;
wherein the processing unit includes
a microprocessor that receives the pressure signal, processes the pressure signal, generates the pressure data, and generates display data,
memory, in which the processing instructions and display data are stored and which provides the processing instructions to the microprocessor to control processing of the pressure signal and display of the visual representation,
an upper case,
a lower case, and
a circuit assembly on which the microprocessor and memory are disposed; and
wherein the upper case includes a lens over the display device.
23. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a gasket, disposed between the upper case and the lower case, wherein the upper case is secured to the lower case with screws.
24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the upper case is made of a polycarbonate material.
25. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising at least one keypad disposed in at least one respective annular space in the upper case.
26. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein each said at least one keypad is disposed in communication with a respective one of at least one dome switch.
27. The apparatus of claim 26, wherein each said at least one dome switch is electrically connected to input leads of the microprocessor.
28. The apparatus of claim 25, wherein each said at least one keypad is made of santoprene.
29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the circuit assembly includes at least one electrical contact to provide electrical communication between the sensor cable and the microprocessor.
30. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said at least one electrical contact includes at least one coil spring.
31. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein said at least one electrical contact includes at least one zebra strip connector.
32. The apparatus of claim 29, wherein the upper case includes at least one aperture through which electrical contact is made between the sensor cable and said at least one electrical contact.
33. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the lens is made of at least one of an acrylic material and a clear polycarbonate material.
34. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the upper case includes a battery enclosure.
35. The apparatus of claim 34, wherein the battery enclosure is adapted to accept a CR2032 lithium battery.
36. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the display device provides the visual representation of the pressure data at least in the form of a bar graph.
37. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the display device provides the visual representation of the pressure data at least in the form of alphanumeric characters.
38. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the display device includes a liquid crystal display.
39. The apparatus of claim 38, wherein the liquid crystal display includes a double-supertwist nematic crystal.
40. The apparatus of claim 22, further comprising a fabric base formed in the shape of a glove that is adapted to receive a hand, wherein the sensor is disposed on a region of the fabric base on the palm of the glove, and the processing unit and the display device are disposed on a side of the fabric base corresponding to the back hand side or the glove shape.