text: Ground Transportation John Wayne Airport (JWA) requires a Ground Transportation Permit for commercial passenger pick-up from JWA. If you are interested in providing this service, please download the appropriate permit packet listed below and submit the completed packet to the JWA Landside Operations Office. Owners and/or drivers of ground transportation companies without a proper permit are subject to citation by the Orange County Sheriff's Department if an unauthorized passenger pick-up is taking place. PERMITS Please submit all documents electronically to firstname.lastname@example.com. Note: The last page of the Permit Application Packet, the Workers' Comp Waiver, and the Security Deposit payment must be submitted via US Mail or Hand Deliver to: John Wayne Airport/Landside 18601 Airport Way, Suite 116 Santa Ana, CA 92707 Attention: Kathy Davis Charter Permit Packet (pdf) - for private limousine operators: These companies must have a customer reservation prior to entering the Airport and charge their customers directly for rides. Courtesy Shuttle Permit Packet (pdf) - for hotels and other companies offering courtesy shuttles: These companies do not require reservations and do not charge customers directly for rides. Door-To-Door Permit Packet - for non-reservation shuttle operators: These companies do not require reservations and charge customers directly for rides. Due to a moratorium, JWA is not accepting new permit packages for Door-To-Door services at this time. RULES AND REGULATIONS Please open and read the link below to better understand the rules and regulations at John Wayne Airport. The Ground Transportation rules and regulations are listed under section 12: Airport Rules and Regulations Ground Transportation – Map of Passenger Pick Up Locations FORMS Please submit the following electronically to email@example.com when changes to your account are needed: Change of Address Form (pdf) Vehicle Change Form (pdf) Account Cancellation Form (pdf) Vehicle Fleet List - Account Form (pdf) ADOBE READER FREE DOWNLOAD All forms and permit packets on this page are best viewed with Adobe Reader 7 or higher. If you have an earlier version or if you are having difficulty opening, saving, and/or printing the above, please download the newest FREE version today by clicking on the link below. LANDSIDE OPERATIONS OFFICE HOURS Monday through Thursday: 7:30 am - 11:00 am and 12:00 pm - 4:30 pm Closed on Fridays and all County Holidays CONTACT US Please contact JWA Landside Administration by email at email@example.com or by phone (949) 252-5116, with any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.


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subset: commoncrawl


text:
PENTICTON - An alleged gangster will give a DNA sample to local police forces despite apparent animosity between him and the RCMP.
Steven King, 40, was in Penticton Supreme Court today to hear Justice Susan Griffin sentence him on a simple drug possession charge. He was given one year probation and he accepted an order to supply a DNA sample but he would rather have it done in Ontario, defence lawyer James Pennington said.
Griffin said no. She needed to give King a numbered address as soon as possible and she didn't know of any in Ontario. She ordered him to get it done locally.
"He's going to have to suck it up," she said.
King was also ordered to pay a $750 fine by July 15 and be outside of B.C. for the probationary period.
King's punishment meant he got to walk out of court. He originally faced the more serious charge of possession for the purpose of trafficking incurred during a 2010 police investigation.
Outside of court, Pennington said during King's trial, the justice "placed no weight on the experts' evidence."
"She said the amount of the drugs found... was in the realm of personal use," he said and King was found not guilty of possession for the purpose of trafficking. He was found guilty on the offense of simple possession however.
As for his client being a past or current member of an organized crime group, the Game Tight Soldiers gang, Pennington said these were rumours.
"That's what the police say. Gossip and innuendo," he said before adding "There are no gangs in Penticton."
To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Quesnel at firstname.lastname@example.com, call 250-488-3065 or tweet @InfoNewsPentict.


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MyCloudtag started out as an idea on the back of a napkin in 2009, then turned into something much more promising a year later at the South Pole.
Andrew Regan
Dr. Andrew Regan (born 14 December 1965, Manchester, England) is a British-born polar explorer and entrepreneur. He is the chief executive officer of Corvus Capital, an international investment Company.
Andrew is passionate about the conservation of the polar regions and has lead expeditions to both the North and South Poles. In December 2014 Andrew was awarded a PhD for his extensive research into the development of bio-inspired algorithms and their uses within the financial markets.


text:
University Shell
10 reviews
127 Easton Ave, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, us
(732) 828-3553
Website URL:
Is this YOUR shop? Claim it and stay up to date!
About this shop
- Hours
- Specialties
- Loaners
- No
- Notes
Score card
|They are always honest
|They are competent
|Their repair price is reasonable
|They complete the work in a timely manner
|They respond well when they screw something up
|They take the time to explain the problems and necessary repairs
|They treat male and female customers in the same manner
|They are always honest
|I would use this mechanic again
|I would recommend this mechanic to others
|They fix the problem the first time
|The shop is located in a safe neighborhood
|The hours of operation are convenient for customers
|They are near public transportation (or provide loaners, shuttle bus, rides as needed)
Nov 02, 1998
My family has been going to University Shell for over fifteen years and when I started to drive I went there. They are honest and will always tell what you options are. They will tell you honestly what repair definately need to be done and what can wait a week or two if you don't have the money. I recommend these guys whole heartedly. But you have to make an appointment because they are always busy.
Mar 29, 2002
My Friends and I Refer To them As the New Brunswick Car Dads. They Are there to take care of my car and keep up on me to do my oil changes & stuff. Kinda like my dad.
Mar 29, 2002
They Are The New Brunswick Car DAD's
Mar 29, 2002
My Friends and I Refer To them As the New Brunswick Car Dads. They Are there to take care of my car and keep up on me to do my oil changes & stuff. Kinda like my dad.
Mar 29, 2002
They Are The New Brunswick Car DAD's
Jan 23, 2004
I have been a customer at this shop for more than 15 years and have always found them to be honest and competent mechanics. For example, they did not hesitate to tell me that a $600 repair on my old Toyota was not worth it;that I should go buy a new car. Some other shop could easily have charged me and I would have been none the wiser. Plus, they are courteous guys who will take the time to explain stuff. I have recommended them to friends who have had similar positive transactions. Hats off to University Shell!
Apr 18, 2006
One of the few things I miss about New Brunswick, NJ. When I visit down there, I still make it a point to stop in and say hi. Heck, I don't even stop and see all of my friends every time, but these guys rate.
Apr 04, 2009
Bill and Jack are great! They are honest, kind and considerate. They once had our car for three weeks on and off and when they could not figure out the problem they sent us to back Nissan w/out charging us for their labor time. AMAZING!!
Feb 22, 2011
I have been taking my vehicles to University Shell for over 8 years. These guys are honest, trustworthy and good mechanics. Plus, they are friendly and enjoyable to talk with.
Aug 29, 2011
We have been taking our cars to University Shell for a few years now and have always been happy. We've taken a Jeep, an Audi, a Porsche, and a VW there and have been happy every time. The Audi was particularly problematic and I felt like they were honest with me about what needed to be done asap and what could wait. Appointments are usually required since they are pretty busy and may need to order parts.
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Picture: The cast of 'Glee' 68th Annual Golden Globe Awards held at The Beverly Hilton hotel - Press Room Beverly Hills, California - 16.01.11
"They say you shouldn't meet your idols. I'm quite sure if I met Barbra Streisand, she'd be everything I'd ever dreamed she would be. But I'm happy keeping her as an untouchable, magical person." Glee star Lea Michele is happy to worship her idol from afar.


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- Our District
- Visit the Hub
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Email the Washburn PTA at email@example.com
Volunteer Opportunities at Washburn
Volunteer Sign-in
Volunteer Opportunities at Washburn
Project Coordinators work to help set up these programs with volunteers who have signed up to assist with the specific event. If you are interested in any of the positions listed below, Email the Washburn PTA at email@example.com.
Fund Raising Committee Member - Work with other Washburn parents on choosing fundraisers, work with volunteers promoting, processing orders and distributing products.
Carnival Committee Members
Volunteer Sign-in
For the safety of all the children, you must sign in at the office when you enter the building and sign out when you leave. We ask that all volunteers, parents and visitors wear a name tag.


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* Promo codes do not apply to this product, due to the brand's request.
Marcel Proust's questionnaire is one of the best-known interview devices used in the media nowadays. Fun, intelligent, and concise, it reveals much of the personality of those questioned. Assouline Publishing presents a handsome and entertaining facsimile edition of the original questionnaire, with Marcel Proust's handwritten replies. An introduction by Henry-Jean Servat, a long-standing member of the Friends of Marcel Proust Society, provides a historical account of the questionnaire, and a foreword by William C. Carter imparts the significance of Proust today. In addtion, the book features questionnaires filled out by a variety of cultural figures such as Brigitte Bardot, Marisa Berenson, and Richard Meier. A set of blank questionnaires are included at the end of the book, making The Proust Questionnaire an ideal gift—with many returns.
Henry-Jean Servat is a long-standing member of the Friends of Marcel Proust Society. William C. Carter is the author of Marcel Proust: A Life and Proust in Love.
Hardcover with jacket
8 3/4" x 11 1/4"
96 pages
AHAlife is committed to help you live a conscious and inspired life.
Many of the items you discover here are exclusive to AHAlife, which is what makes our community of designers and artisans so special.
If you find one of our products anywhere else for less than it's being sold on our site, we will match it. No questions asked.
Our dedicated Concierge Team is here to help. Reach out any time at:


text:
Magnolia Kitchen is based in Auckland.
New Zealand Couriers are our courier of choice (be aware that NZ Couriers do not deliver to PO Box addresses).
Your order will be processed same day if placed before 2pm weekdays. Otherwise, it will be processed on the next business day, orders placed on weekends or public holidays will be processed the next business day.
Orders should arrive the following day on an overnight courier. Please allow longer for Rural Deliveries. Keep your tracking number which you will find in your shipping confirmation email, you will be able to track your order through http://www.nzcouriers.co.nz.
Should you have any queries or concerns about your order, please contact email@example.com
Terms & Conditions


text:
Buying tickets by phone is convenient if you can't go to a
venue's box office in person or haven't got access to a computer to
book online. Some venues deal with particular types of booking
- for groups, for instance - only by phone. Phone booking also
gives you a chance to ask questions or get further information
(about transport links or catering at a venue, for instance) and
can be useful if you have a particular request, such as needing a
gangway seat or wheelchair access, which it might be more difficult
to specify when booking online. Many phone booking lines operate 24
hours a day, though it may take longer to get through at off-peak
As with other methods of ticket buying, there are a few things
to watch out for to make sure your ticket purchase is safe.
How do I find a venue or ticket agency phone
Is the company a member of STAR?
Buying from a STAR member ensures you have an independent means
of redress through a recognised self-regulatory body should
anything go wrong. You can cross-check the list of STAR
members on this website or ask the STAR helpline
01904 234737 (+ 44 1904 234737 from outside the UK). If the
company IS a member, then you can proceed with your purchase with
Who am I speaking to?
Return to top of page
Buying a ticket by phone is much the same as buying in person at
a box office or ticket agency. Some phone systems are programmed
with options allowing you to hear recorded information about the
venue or event or the standard terms and conditions of sale before
you speak to an operator. You should make sure before giving your
credit or debit card details that you know exactly what tickets you
are buying and if there are any special conditions.
The minimum details a customer should expect to be
provided with are:
A good ticket seller will provide you with this information
without any problem. If you are not provided with the
information then the seller may be trying to hide a material fact
from you.
If you buy from a venue box office
If you buy from a ticket agent
Will I pay a booking fee for a phone
Some major ticket sellers regularly update information on their
website help pages to indicate when tickets will be despatched.
If you have bought tickets for someone else and
duplicates have to be provided at the venue, you may have to
arrange for a letter of authority if you are not able to collect
the tickets yourself.
What happens if the event is cancelled or
STAR members will ensure that you are either offered tickets for
a rescheduled performance or that you receive a refund of at least
the event price. You may not be able to reclaim postage costs if
the tickets have already been sent to you.
What should I look for if I am buying from an Online
Resale Marketplace?
Make sure it is a reputable company and that they offer a
reliable guarantee that ensures you get replacement tickets or a
full refund if there is a problem providing your tickets.
What happens if you can't attend the performance for
which you've booked tickets?
It is usual for ticket sellers NOT to be able to offer you the
opportunity to exchange or cancel your booking - check the terms
and conditions of sale. However, for events where there is more
than one performance (for instance, shows in the West End) it is
worthwhile asking, as some sellers may be able to help by
exchanging your tickets for another performance or, particularly
for high-selling shows, offering them for resale.
Some ticket sellers offer insurance when they sell you a ticket,
which gives you additional protection if circumstances prevent you
attending, a bit like holiday insurance. Don't forget also to
insure other risks such as travel and accommodation that are
essential to you attending an event, if they aren't purchased as a
package together with your ticket.
We very much hope that this information has helped you to secure
tickets for the event of your choice and that you'll just be able
to sit back and enjoy the show. However, if there is a
problem with your purchase from a STAR Member, then click here to
find out How to make a complaint.
If you have not bought from a STAR Member and would like to
report a possible fraud then the best place to do this is at


text:
My Nonprofit Reviews
chucky l
Review for Kunsthalle Detroit, Detroit, MI, USA
No impact in the community- terrible coming-out press statements with factual errors inflating their importance; these are the only things I know about this place. And that they tried to be exclusive with their opening and invited the wrong people. Having never been there, I don't know why I was asked to participate in this review.
More Feedback
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
no way whatsoever.
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Start from scratch
Will you volunteer or donate to this organization?
How much of an impact do you think this organization has?
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
How did you learn about this organization?
Bad publicity
Thank you for your time and sorry for having your email on our list. Please let us know that you would like to be removed. Also, please let us know what good you have created in life, what kind words you have published, what tree you planted and what great idea you brought to fruition. You seem to be an angry person. Why don't you help us instead? We have so much to do in this city, in your neighborhood.


text:
The former Arsenal star has already lifted the Club World Cup, Uefa Supercup and Spanish Supercopa since his return to Camp Nou, and is hungry for more in the new year.
"I want to achieve many successes and win many titles with Barcelona in 2012," Fabregas said on his official Twitter account.
"I am dreaming of winning the treble. If I have to choose, I want the Champions League most, and then La Liga.
"The title I'm longing for the most is the Champions League. This competition gives me a special feeling and is valued the most by the majority of the players."
Barcelona lock horns with Bayer Leverkusen in the round of 16 of the Champions League, which will resume in mid-February. Meanwhile, the Blaugrana will host Osasuna on Wednesday in the first leg of the Copa del Rey last-16, before taking on Espanyol in La Liga on Sunday.
How do you stay up to date with football when on the move? With http://m.goal.com – your best source for mobile coverage of the beautiful game.


text:
When you think about robberies, the last place you'd expect would be a pet shop but CCTV footage captures the moment thieves attack Contact Pets on Deeside Industrial Estate in Flintshire, North Wales.
The North Wales Daily Post said that the owner Dave Clark, who runs the store with partner Sarah, has testified that the crooks went straight for the money.
He said: "They opened the till and got around £100, £80 of which was in change. They also went upstairs and made a right mess and took a laptop with a broken screen. The only product they tried to take was an aquarium but the handle on the box broke so they just left it behind. They didn't touch anything else."
It's shocking to know that thieves broke in to only steal an aquarium.
Watch the video, share the article and let us know what you think in the Today in Manila comments section below!
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text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|Jun 30, 1998
|Filing date
|Nov 7, 1995
|Priority date
|Nov 7, 1995
|Fee status
|Also published as
|Publication number
|Stephen I. McTaggart
|Original Assignee
|Mctaggart; Stephen I.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (50), Referenced by (19), Classifications (9), Legal Events (15)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This invention relates to the art of game boards and, more particularly, to game boards including electronic enhancements such as selectively enabled, contextually-meaningful sensory signals; e.g., audible messages, commentary, interpretation, explanation and the like.
Board games--played on a game board--have long been a favorite pastime and continue to enjoy ongoing popularity. In recent years, certain commercially available games played on game boards have included various electrical/electronic enhancements generally employing conventional switch structure which is adjacent to, or only rudimentarily incorporated into, the game board structure. While this feature provides entertaining enhancements to board games, the actual integration of the switch structure into the game board itself has not been completely successfully accomplished in the prior art. As a result, the switch structure and the accompanying electrical/electronic components have correspondingly been relatively unattractive, poorly integrated, unreliable and expensive to fabricate. It is to addressing and solving these and other drawbacks of the electrical board game prior art that the present invention is directed.
It is therefore a broad object of this invention to provide an improved game board.
It is a more specific object of this invention to provide an improved game board which incorporates electrical switching structure and electronic apparatus responsive to the actuation of a selected integral switch for issuing a predetermined audible message.
In another aspect, it is an object of this invention to provide such an improved game board in which the electrical switching structure is unobtrusively incorporated into the game board structure.
In yet another aspect, it is an object of this invention to provide such an improved game board which is simple and economic to fabricate and which enjoys long and reliable life in use.
Briefly, these and other objects of the invention are achieved by providing a game board which includes a foldable sheet, each side of which is divided into first and second sections. On one side, a conductive printed circuit, including a plurality of switch contact pads, is laid down, the contact pads on the first section constituting a plurality of upper contacts and the contact pads printed on the second section constituting a plurality of lower contacts. The upper and lower contact pads are positioned such that, when the sheet is folded along a predetermined line to bring the first and second sections into face-to-face relationship, each of the upper contacts registers with one of the lower contacts to effect a switch pair.
A spacer expedient is employed to juxtapose the upper and lower contacts of each switch pair in a normally spaced-apart relationship to define a normally-open condition whereby finger pressure applied to the second side of the foldable sheet above a given upper contact deflects it downwardly into conductive contact with the its corresponding lower contact, thereby effecting a momentary closure of the switch pair. In a presently preferred embodiment, the printed circuit, including the contact pads, is printed of conductive ink, and the spacer expedient is a suitably distributed printed deposit of dielectric ink disposed, in the regions proximate the contact pads, more or less peripherally about each lower contact pad, the dielectric deposit being thicker than the lower printed circuit pads which are therefore held normally spaced apart from the upper contact pads as mentioned above.
A game board layout is provided (by direct printing or by overlaying a separately prepared sheet) on the second side of the foldable sheet and includes indicia identifying the position of each underlying switch pair to be used in the performance of a game to be played in accordance with the game board layout.
The printed circuit also includes traces which electrically couple all the upper and lower contacts to a decoder which is adapted to sense if a switch pair is closed and, if so, which switch pair. Sound producing apparatus is provided to respond to the closure of a given switch pair by issuing an appropriate, predetermined audible passage. The sound producing apparatus is preferably housed in a control unit which also includes the decoder and a battery.
In order to permit folded storage of the game board, one section may be bifurcated by a slot which facilitates a temporary fold, particularly when stiffener substrates are employed under the section halves to render the structure more rigid and sturdy.
The subject matter of the invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of the specification. The invention, however, both as to organization and method of operation, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the subjoined claims and the accompanying drawing of which:
FIG. 1 is a plan view of an obverse side of a foldable sheet component of the invention, shown before a fold is made during the game board fabrication process;
FIG. 2 is a plan view of the reverse side of the foldable sheet illustrated in FIG. 1 showing certain indicia and structure on such reverse side;
FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing certain variants of the indicia and structure on the reverse side of the foldable sheet;
FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating a folding step carried out during the fabrication of a game board according to the present invention;
FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a completed game board according to the invention;
FIG. 6 is a bottom plan view of the competed game board;
FIG. 7 is a view of the completed game board shown folded into a storage configuration;
to FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view taken along the lines 8--8 of FIG. 5 and illustrates the relationship among several constituents of a switch structure;
FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating the switch structure in a momentarily actuated condition;
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a control unit component of the invention;
FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 1 of a variant, generic embodiment of the circuit layout used in the invention;
FIG. 12 is similar to FIG. 2 showing first representative indicia and structure on the reverse side of the variant, generic embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 13 is similar to FIG. 12, but shows second representative indicia and structure on the reverse side of the variant, generic embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 14 is a cross sectional view similar to FIG. 8 taken along the lines 14--14 of FIG. 12; and
FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIGS. 1 and 11 illustrating another variant embodiment of the circuit layout used in the invention.
Referring first to FIG. 1, there is shown the obverse side of a foldable sheet 1 made, for example, from heavy paper stock. The obverse side is divided into a first section 2 and a second section 3 along an imaginary fold line 4. The first and second sections are further divided into section halves, 2A, 2B and 3A, 3B, respectively, along a second imaginary fold line 5. A slot 6 bifurcates the second section 3 from its outer edge 7 along the fold line 5 to the fold line 4. Thus, section halves 3A, 3B are independently foldable along the fold line 4.
A printed circuit is laid onto the obverse side of the sheet 1 by any convenient means. In a presently preferred embodiment of the invention, the printed circuit is printed on the sheet 1 employing conductive ink. The printed circuit includes a plurality of upper contact pads 10 disposed on the first section 2. The upper contact pads are distributed in a pattern appropriate to the layout of a given game as will be more fully described below. A corresponding plurality of lower contact pads 11 are similarly provided on the second section 3.
Referring briefly also to FIG. 8, the contact pads 10, 11 are positioned such that, when the sheet 1 is permanently folded along the fold line 4 during the game board fabrication process to bring the obverse sides of the first section 2 and the second section 3 of the sheet 1 into face-to-face relationship, each upper contact 10 will register with a lower contact 11 to provide a switch pair. For example, contact pads 10A and 11A in FIG. 1 will register and become a switch pair; similarly, contact pads 10B and 11B will become a switch pair and so on. The structural details shown in FIG. 8 will be discussed more fully below.
The printed circuit also includes a trace pattern which couples groups of the contact pads to a connector 12 which may conveniently be integral with sheet 1 and the printed circuit to facilitate connection to a control unit (not shown in FIG. 1) as will be discussed in more detail below. Thus, by way of example, a group of four lower contact pads 11C are connected together and to one terminal on the connector 12 via trace 13. Similarly, eight upper contact pads 10C are connected together and to another terminal on the connector 12 via trace 14. In the example shown in FIG. 1, thirty-two lower contact pads are connected into eight groups of four contact pads each, and thirty-two upper contact pads are connected into four groups of eight contact pads each. Those skilled in the electrical matrix art will recognize a simple four-by-eight switch matrix from which a switch closure can be uniquely identified by a conventional decoder according to its address in the matrix, all as will be more fully explained below.
A pressure sensitive "on/off" switch on the game board may similarly be provided within or independent of the matrix of switches. For example, upper power switch contact pair 15, 16 will register with lower power switch contact pad 17 when the first section 2 and the second section 3 of the sheet 1 are permanently folded into face-to-face relationship during the game board fabrication process. It may be noted that, in the example, the lower power switch contact pad 17 serves only to bridge the conductive traces of the upper power switch contact pair 15, 16 when finger pressure is applied to the relevant region as will be explained further below. Thus, the two traces from the upper power switch contact pair 15, 16 are independently connected to the connector 12 to provide the pressure responsive "on/off" function. As previously mentioned, the power switch contact pair could alternatively be included in the matrix of switches as will be discussed in detail below in conjunction with the description of FIG. 15.
It will be observed that the relevant traces of the printed circuit are spread into short, broad trace segments 18 at positions at which the imaginary fold lines 4, 5 are crossed. It has been found that this feature significantly improves the reliability of the printed circuit in the regions of actual folds along the fold lines 4, 5, particularly over a period of time during which the game board may be repeatedly folded and unfolded along the fold line 5 as will be described below. There are two related reasons for this result; first, if there is any partial separation of a trace at a fold over a period of time, there is adequate reserve cross-section to maintain the continuity of the circuit; second, and more importantly, a fold tends to compress the conductive structure at the flex line which locally increases the resistance of the trace, the increased cross-section, however, compensating for this effect such that the resistance of a complete trace having fold crossings remains within electrical tolerance.
A resistive layer, generally indicated by shading in FIG. 1 and more fully identified below, is selectively deposited over parts of the conductive printed circuit and in other regions on the obverse side of the section 3 of the foldable sheet 1. This resistive layer has two diverse purposes. First, it serves to conventionally isolate the conductive traces on the two sections 2, 3 of the foldable sheet 1 when the sheet is permanently folded along the fold line 4 during the game board fabrication process. Representative areas are identified by the reference character 14 in FIG.1.
Second, it will be observed that each of the lower contact pads 11 is at least partially circumscribed by a resistive deposit 19. This is an important feature of the switch structure which includes an upper contact pad, as at 10A, and a lower contact pad, as at 11A, after the sheet 1 has been permanently folded along the line 4 during the fabrication process. Detailed analysis of the resulting switch structure and the cooperative characteristics of the conductive and resistive layers will be presented below in conjunction with a discussion of FIGS. 8 and 9.
Attention is now directed to FIG. 2 which shows the reverse side of the foldable sheet 1. Thus, the reverse side of the first section 2 of the foldable sheet is divided into section halves 2A', 2B', and the reverse side of the second section 3 is divided into section halves 3A', 3B' which are bifurcated by the slot 6 as previously described. It will be apparent that section halves 2A', 2B', 3A', 3B' are respectively disposed back-to-back with section halves 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, the numbered letter designations referring to the section half faces on the two sides of the foldable sheet 1.
Overlaying the reverse side of the second section 2 of the sheet 1 is a game board layout generally indicated at 20. A very simple game board layout is shown and constitutes a rectangular path for advancing tokens along designated increments, represented by contiguous small rectangles 21, according to the rules of a given board game. The upper contact pads 10 are suitably positioned according to the strategic points of the given game. In the example, one upper contact pad is situated immediately beneath each path increment 21. Conveniently, a more precise position for each upper contact pad may be indicated by an "X", as shown at 22 or by other suitable indicia.
The game board layout shown in FIG. 2 is, of course, only exemplary, and it will be understood that the path along which tokens may be advanced may have, for any given board game, regularly or irregularly-spaced increments. Further, the path for tokens can, itself, be irregular rather than regular, and it also is contemplated that some switch positions for a given board game may fall outside a token path. Still further, the invention is not limited to board games contemplating a path for advancing tokens, but may be adapted to any board game in which it is desired to generate an audible message/passage in response to finger pressure applied at an indicated point in the game board layout.
The game board layout may be applied to the reverse side of the first section of the foldable sheet 1 by direct printing or by other direct application methods such that the game board layout is integral with the sheet 1. Alternatively, the game board layout may be separately printed or otherwise laid down on a separate sheet 23 (FIG. 3) which is subsequently affixed, in proper registration with respect to the upper switch contact pads 10, to the reverse side of the first section 2 of the foldable sheet 1 by an adhesive or other conventional expedient.
Because the sheet 1 is foldable, it may not have a great deal of inherent stiffness. On the other hand, it is desirable for a game board to have a certain amount of stiffness, both for durability and, especially, for ease of playing whereby tokens or other accessories will stay in place as a game progresses. Suitable stiffness may be obtained by overlaying the reverse side of each section half of second section 3 of the sheet 1 with a stiffening substrate such as stiffeners, 25, 26, respectively. The stiffener 26 substantially covers the reverse side of section half 3A'; however, preferably, the stiffener 25 extends outwardly beyond the section half 3B' in the direction of connector 12 in order to provide support for a control unit which may be connected to printed circuit via the connector 12 as will be described below. It will be observed that the stiffeners 25, 26 preferably do not abut in their facing edges in the region of the slot 6 for reasons which will become more apparent below. The stiffeners 25, 26 may be fabricated from any suitable material, such as heavy, rigid, cardboard, and may be permanently fixed to the foldable sheet 1 by any convenient means such as with an adhesive.
Referring again to FIG. 3, a variant configuration is shown by which a reversible game board may be realized. While stiffener 25 overlays section half 3B', no stiffener is employed on section half 3A'. Instead, a second, smaller board game layout 27 is laid onto section half 3A' such that a secondary game may be played, finger pressure being exerted, in this instance, to deflect the lower contact pads 11 into engagement with the upper contact pads 10 instead of vice versa. In order to avoid the perception of different stiffnesses to the two halves of the primary board game layout 20, the stiffener 25 may, in this variant, be composed of two layers which are hinged together along the edge 28 adjacent the slot 6 such that the upper stiffener layer may be folded over the section half 3A' when the primary game is to be played.
The outer faces of the stiffener or stiffeners may have printed or otherwise impressed or placed thereon, game logos, game rules, advertising or such other written and/or graphic information that may be desired.
Consider now the step in the game board fabrication process illustrated in FIG. 4 in which the printed circuit is omitted for clarity except for a generalized depiction of the contact pads 10, 11 in order that FIG. 4 can readily be related to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3. It will thus be assumed that the complete printed circuit and resistive layers have been laid down on the obverse side of the foldable sheet 1 as previously described. Stiffeners 25, 26 are shown already fixed in place; however, it will be understood that the stiffeners may be secured to the reverse side of the foldable sheet 1 either before or after the folding and juxtaposing step shown in FIG. 4.
Adhesive 30 is applied along the edges of and in various appropriate position on the face of one or both of the obverse sides of the sections 2, 3. Then, a permanent fold, represented by arrowed arc 31, is made along the fold line 4 to bond the obverse sides of the sections 2, 3 together in face-to-face relationship in which the upper contact pads 10 are juxtaposed in registration with the lower contact pads 11 to effect an array of pressure sensitive switches as discussed above and to be further described below. In order to facilitate the folding step, the foldable sheet may first be pressure creased along the fold line 4 on at least one side. The resulting game board structure is illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9.
It will be observed in FIG. 4 that a portion of the stiffener 25 extends outwardly beyond the foldable sheet 1 in the direction of the connector 12. As previously mentioned, this feature facilitates the support of a control unit (not shown in FIG. 4) which electrically engages the conductive strips 33 on the upper surface of the connector 12 to establish electrical communication between the contact pads 10, 11 and the control unit. Preferably, a thin, resilient pad 32, such as sponge neoprene, is emplaced between the lower face of the connector 12 and the upper face of the stiffener 25 in order to provide a slight amount of spring bias between the conductive strips 33 and corresponding mating conductors present on the control unit. This insures a permanent good contact between the printed circuit and the control unit when the control unit has been fixed in place permanently during the is game board fabrication process.
The game board illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 is the presently preferred variant shown in FIG. 2. Referring particularly to FIG. 5, a game board layout 20 is illustrated which, merely for reasons of example only, includes a rectangular path made up of a series of adjacent contiguous rectangular areas 21 serially provided generally about the periphery of the game board layout. In the example, all but a few of the rectangular areas 21 are each provided with indicia 41 relating a given rectangular area 21 to a named position in the game. Some positions are indicated by the name of an insect, others by the name of a bird, yet others by the name of a domestic animal and still others by the names of a wild animal. In the example, the corner rectangles have no such designations except for the lower left corner which is identified as the start/finish position. Thus, as will be evident, the game may be played according to specified rules such that tokens (not shown in FIG. 5) assigned to each player may progress around the game path in accordance with the game rules. For example, dice 45 may be alternately thrown by each player, and card stacks 44 may supplement the game according to the rules. It will be understood that the layout 20 illustrated in FIG. 5 and the corresponding game are fanciful and are intended to be broadly representative of the entire spectrum of board games.
A control unit 50 is shown permanently emplaced, typically through the use of an adhesive, upon the upper surface of the stiffener 25 such that contacts carried on the lower surface (out of view in FIG. 5) of the control unit engage the conductive strips of the connector 12. The control unit 50, the circuitry of which will be discussed in more detail below, includes an on/off switch 61, an optional volume control 65, a speaker 59 and a battery compartment 40. The top of the battery compartment may be opened by removing a screw 46 in order to facilitate changing the batteries from time to time while protecting against unauthorized access by a child.
Within each rectangular area 21, there is provided an indicia, such as an "X" 42, which serves to identify the position at which an upper contact pad 10 exists hidden immediately below as previously described. Thus, the indicia 42 inform the players of the points to press as the game progresses according to the rules. IN addition, a larger "X" 43 identifies the position of the (FIG. 1). The on/off switch 15, 16 is redundant with the on/off switch 61, and it is contemplated that one or the other would be provided for a given game, although the pressure sensitive on/off switch 43 can be employed to obtain a diverse function if desired.
It will be noted that the "ROADRUNNER" rectangular area shows the cross section reference to 8--8 across a switch position. FIG. 8, the corresponding cross sectional view, will be discussed in detail below.
FIG. 6 shows the back side of the game board illustrated in FIG. 5. The stiffeners 25, 26 serve not only to provide stiffness to the game board in use, but also effectively prevent the actuation of the lower contact pads 11 into engagement with the upper contact pads 10 in order to prevent accidental actuation. As previously mentioned, the outer surfaces of the stiffeners 25, 26 may carry game logos, rules, advertising or other appropriate graphics and text.
FIG. 7 shows the right side (FIG. 5) of the game board folded over the left side to obtain a storage configuration for the game board. Thus, the outside of the stiffener 26 is in view in FIG. 7, and the outside of the stiffener 25 is on the reverse side of the view shown in FIG. 7. When the fold is made, along imaginary fold line 5, to place the apparatus into the storage condition, the folded edge of the foldable sheet 1 will be protected because it is disposed slightly within the proximate edges of the stiffeners 25, 26 as best shown in FIG. 7. This result is achieved by appropriately selecting the thickness of the stiffeners 25, 26 and their precise placement on the foldable sheet 1 to achieve this result which enhances the long term durability of the game board. In addition, it is desirable, during the fabrication process, to pressure crease the foldable sheet 1 along the fold line 5 on at least one side to promote consistent folding and unfolding over the long term.
Attention is now directed to the pressure sensitive switch construction shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. First referring to FIG. 8, and also referring as necessary to FIGS. 1 and 5, the section 3 of the foldable sheet 1 is supported by stiffener 26. Overlaying the sheet section 3 is a lower contact pad 11 which is at least partially circumscribed by resistive layer 19. The section 2 of foldable sheet 1 carries an upper contact pad 10 registered in juxtaposition with the lower contact pad 11 as previously described in conjunction with the description of FIGS. 1 and 4. As will be apparent from an examination of FIG. 8, the thickness of the resistive layer 19 is such that the contact pads 10, 11 are maintained in a slightly spaced, normally-open switch condition.
In FIG. 9, the switch is shown momentarily actuated by pressure from a finger 48 pressing downwardly on the sheet section 2 in the area of the "X" shown in the "ROADRUNNER" rectangle of FIG. 5. As a result of the pressure applied by the finger 48, the sheet section 2 is locally deflected slightly downwardly to bring the upper contact pad 10 into conductive engagement contact with the lower contact pad 11, thus completing the circuit to effect a momentary switch closure. This condition can readily be sensed by a decoder, as will be described below, to identify the specific switch which has been closed in order that an appropriate audible response may be issued from the speaker 59 (FIG. 5).
When the finger pressure is released, the natural resilience of the sheet section 2 will cause the exemplary switch to spring back into the normally open condition illustrated in FIG. 8.
In FIGS. 8 and 9, it will be understood that the various vertical dimensions are somewhat exaggerated for best illustrating the operation of the exemplary switch. Actual exemplary thicknesses for the conductive pads 10, 11 and dielectric layer 19 will be discussed below.
Attention is now directed to FIG. 10 which is a block diagram of the electronic components of the control unit 50. Connector 51 is adapted to abut connector 12 in such a manner as to establish electrical communication between the printed circuit laid on the foldable sheet 1 (FIG. 1) and the control unit. Thus, the eight leads 52 connected to the eight groups of four lower contact pads 11 (FIG. 1), the four leads 53 connected to the four groups of eight tipper contact pads 10 and the two leads 54 connected to the switch pads 15, 16 are brought into the control unit.
The leads 54 are connected to on/off module 60 which may be a conventional unit responsive to alternate actuations of the on/off switch 15, 16 in the printed circuitry to correspondingly actuate and deactuate a switch 61. Switch 61 is connected in series between a battery 62 and the several circuit blocks within the control unit 50. Accordingly, successive actuations of the on/off printed circuit switch turns the control unit alternatively off and on in the well known manner. Alternatively, switch 61 may be manually actuable and incorporated into the control unit as previously described.
A decoder 55 conventionally matrix-decodes the information on the line sets 52, 53 to identify a given switch closure and to provide a five-bit binary address code, representative of that given switch, to a microprocessor 56. (Alternatively, thirty-two lines, each identifying a specific switch, may be coupled between the decoder 55 and the microprocessor 56. The specific configuration merely depends on the routine design choice of what logic family to employ.)
The microprocessor 56 includes a memory 57 in which a plurality, thirty-two in the example, of sequences of sounds are stored. Depending upon the identification of an actuated switch on the game board, a predetermined audio drive signal sequence is sent to sound generator 58 which drives speaker 59 to render the audio passage signal audible. The output volume of the sound issued by speaker 59 may be controlled by an optional volume control 65. Those skilled in the art will understand that the memory for the storage of the sound passages may alternatively be incorporated in the sound generator. At the state-of-the-art, all the components employed in the control unit are available off-the-shelf, and it is only necessary to support and interconnect them on a suitable control unit printed circuit (not shown). Further, it is possible, at the state-of-the-art of integrated circuit technology to combine all the electronic components into a single, special purpose chip if the economics are rationalized.
It may be noted that another block, output interface 62, is shown in FIG. 10. The purpose of this optional block, not otherwise treated in this specification, is to provide for the incorporation of visible, as well as audible, enhancements to the board game under the direction of the microprocessor 56. For example, various lights, typically light emitting diodes, may be systematically distributed across the board game layout and driven for this purpose via lines represented by bus 62 and the connectors to a suitably expanded printed circuit. The lights may be employed to echo an actuated switch or for other appropriate purposes related to the game depicted by the board game layout. For a complete exposition of the operation and use of the output interface 61, one may refer to copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/980,649 for ELECTRONIC BOOK, filed Nov. 24, 1992, by Stephen I. McTaggart, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,484,292 incorporated herein by reference.
Thus, it will be understood that the response of the control unit 50 to a switch closure may be the issuance of a sensible (i.e., capable of being sensed by one of the senses: sight, sound, touch smell) signal, an audible passage in the example chosen for illustration, which is communicated to a user. Further, it is contemplated that the delivery point of a signal may be on the game board proper. For example, as disclosed in detail in the above-mentioned copending patent application in a different environment, the responsive signal may be the illumination of a light, such as a light emitting diode, strategically positioned on the game board.
Attention is now directed to FIGS. 11, 12, 13 and 14 which illustrate a variant, generic embodiment of the invention. Referring particularly to FIG. 11, the obverse side of a foldable sheet 1 having first section 2 and second section 3 is shown. As previously described in conjunction with FIG. 1, imaginary fold lines 4, 5 are oriented as shown, and the sheet section 3 is bifurcated by a slot 6. However, the printed circuit layout of the FIG. 11 embodiment is generalized for use with any number of games whereas the printed circuit layout of FIG. 1 is specifically oriented and configured to accommodate the game illustrated in FIG. 5.
Thus, in FIG. 11, it will be appreciated that the upper contact pads 10 are disposed in two four-by-seven matrices generally indicated at 70, 71. Similarly, the lower contact pads 11 laid down on the sheet section 3 are similarly arranged in two four-by-seven matrices 72, 73. The lower contact pads 11 in each horizontal group of seven are connected together and to one conductive lead which terminates at connector 12. The upper contact pads 10 are grouped into two vertically aligned groups of four, respectively, in the arrays 70, 71 and are connected together and to a conductor which terminates at the connector 12 as shown in FIG. 11. Therefore, it will be understood that the resulting electrical matrix is connected as a seven by eight array which can readily be decoded to identify individual switch closures employing an off the shelf eight by eight decoder 55 (FIG. 10).
A resistive pattern, preferably a dielectric ink as before, is also laid down on the sheet sections 2, 3, as indicated at 84, 89 to insure against shorting when the sections are folded together during the fabrication process. It will be observed that, in some instances, the resistive pattern overlays the conductive traces. Once the folded sheet has been permanently folded along the fold line 4 during the fabrication process, in the manner equivalent to that shown in FIG. 4, the upper contact pads 10 will be brought into registration with the lower contact pads 11 to establish a contact switch pair. In addition, it will be particularly noted that each upper contact pad 10 and each lower contact pad 12 is surrounded by a generally rectangular resistive pattern 89 which, as noted above, overlays conductive leads 83 in some places. This feature will be discussed more fully below in conjunction with the discussion of FIG. 14.
The game board structure illustrated in FIG. 11 is folded along imaginary fold line 4, in the same manner as illustrated in FIG. 4, to obtain the game boards shown in FIGS. 12 and 13 in which the stiffeners 25, 26 and control unit 50 have also been incorporated in the manner previously discussed.
The potential advantage of this structure in which the switch pads are laid out in two or more regular, rectangular grids (two grids on each sheet section in the example) are readily evident from a study of FIGS. 12 and 13. In FIG. 12, a board game similar to that illustrated in FIG. 5 employs a board game layout 74 (similar to the board game layout 20) which has been imprinted or otherwise provided on the upper surface of the section half 2 of the foldable sheet 1, all substantially as previously described. Thus, the game layout 74 contemplates a more or less rectangular path for moving players' tokens generally about the periphery of the game layout. Therefore, the switch elements 75 falling within this path are rendered active; and actuation, as may be appropriate, of the individual switches is invited by an "X" disposed in each rectangular segment along the token path. With respect to the remaining switch elements 76 which are encompassed by the switch elements 75 along the token path, all, some, or none may be relevant to the game represented by the layout 74. Thus, merely by way of example, only switch elements 76A may be appropriate for actuation in the game represented by the game layout 74, and thus, only those switch element positions are marked by an "X".
Referring briefly also to FIG. 10, the decoder 55 (FIG. 10) may, itself, be conventionally encoded to recognize only the switch element positions marked for actuation in FIG. 12. Alternatively, the decoder 55 may be configured to pass the decoded address of each actuated switch, whether active or inactive with respect to a given game layout, to the microprocessor 56 which, itself, determines, from information stored in memory 57, which switches are to be recognized as active for a given game and which response is to be made to the actuation of each such active switch.
Consider now the game board layout 77 shown in FIG. 13 in which an apparently random path along the course of a game is shown by successive arrowed lines progressing from a start position to a finish position. Thus, switch elements 78 are relevant to the game while some or all the remaining switch elements 79 are not. For example, switch elements 79A, which fall outside the game path, may also be relevant to the game and therefore may be activated as well as the switch element 78. Again, the switch elements 78, 79 to be recognized in accordance with the game layout 77 may be encoded into the decoder 55 or into the microprocessor 56.
The cross sectional view shown in FIG. 14 is similar to that shown in FIG. 8, but reflects the regular, rectangular grid layout for both the contact pads 10, 11 and the resistive deposits 89 in the regions surrounding the contact pads. Further, in some instances, the resistive deposits 89 overlay the printed circuit traces 83, and this is the case for the switch structure shown in FIG. 14. Thus, the contact pads 10, 11 are juxtaposed in a spaced-apart, normally-open state by the surrounding two layers 89 of resistive material, the lower one of which also overlays conductive traces 83. A subtle advantage of this configuration, in which resistive deposits are made on both sheet section 2, 3 before the folding fabrication step, is that the resistive layers do not have to be as thick as in the corresponding functional layers 19 as shown in FIG. 8. This, in turn, facilitates the deposition process itself.
FIG. 15 shows another layout technique for the printed circuit structure of the game board. In this configuration, it will be observed that all the printed circuit traces to the connector 12 lead to conductive pads effecting contact pairs 90 disposed on the first section 2 of the obverse side of the foldable sheet 1. Each contact pair 90 includes a first contact pad 90A and a second, adjacent, proximally spaced contact pad 90B. The contact pads 90A and 90 B each have conductive fingers which interleave, but do not touch, thereby establishing a normally-open contact pair. On the second section 3 of the foldable sheet 1, there are laid down shorting contacts 91 in a pattern whereby, when the foldable sheet 1 is folded along the fold line 4 during the fabrication process, in a manner equivalent to that shown in FIG. 4, each of the contact pairs 90 registers with one of the shorting contacts 91 to make up a switch pair.
In a manner comparable to that shown and discussed with respect to the embodiment shown in FIG. 11, each contact pair 90 and each shorting contact 91 is surrounded by a generally rectangular resistive pattern 92. It will therefore be understood that the resulting normally-open switch pair will operate substantially as previously discussed with respect to FIGS. 8, 9 and 14 except that the deflection of a contact pair 90 into its corresponding shorting contact 91 serves to close the circuit between the contact pair 90. This condition is communicated to the decoder 55 (FIG. 10) via the connector 12 as a closure between the relevant traces.
As previously indicated with respect to the switch configuration s FIG. 8, the resistive pattern 92 can be applied only around one or the other of the contact pairs 90 or the shorting contacts 91 if it is of sufficient thickness to reliably establish the normally-open state of the switch pairs. Preferably, however, the use of abutting resistive patterns around each of the contact pairs 90 and shorting contacts 91, as shown in FIG. 15, serves to allow the use of thinner and more easily controlled dielectric layers.
There are many different printed circuit layouts which can be employed to practice the invention according to the variant shown in FIG. 15, and the one shown is only for purposes of illustration. The governing principle is that all the contact pads which are to be coupled to the connector 12 are resident on one section of the foldable sheet 1. In the example, the contact pairs are connected in columns of eight and rows of seven, with each column and row being connected to the connector 12 such that the decoder 55 (FIG. 10) can determine if a switch pair is closed and which switch pair in the manner previously described.
The circuit layout approach shown in FIG. 15 may, in some instances, offer an advantage during both the fabrication process and in use. However, there is also an inherent characteristic of the configuration shown in FIG. 11, and its equivalents, which should be taken into account during the circuit pattern selection operation. Somewhat more complexity of the circuit pattern on the section chosen to receive it is inevitable, and there is also a necessity to employ a certain amount of multi-layer printed circuit technology in certain areas of the layout. For example, in FIG. 15, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the area 93, shaded to indicate the presence of deposits of dielectric ink, must be prepared using multi-layer printed circuit technology, all as well known in the art. Area 94 is a dielectric layer overlaying the circuit traces in that region on the second section 3, but only for the purpose of providing insulation between the traces below and those on the first section 2 as previously described.
While the materials and techniques which may be employed in practicing the invention are widely diverse, certain particulars of these materials and techniques as presently preferred will be found useful in readily fully understanding the invention.
It has been noted above that a game board layout may alternatively be printed directly on the foldable sheet 1 or the game area may be overlaid with a separate thin sheet on which the game layout has been printed. Where a unitary construction in which the game layout (e.g., 20 in FIG. 2) is employed, printing of the visual material on the reverse side and the printed circuit on the obverse side can be effected concurrently or sequentially on the sheet 1, prior to the folding step shown in FIG. 4, using conventional printing equipment. Any printing equipment that is capable of effecting selective solid coverage ink transfer distribution can be utilized.
Suitable printing equipment include Gravere and Flex-O-Press printing presses and screen printing apparatus. Standard multi-station offset printing presses can also be utilized, if properly configured to deposit the printed circuit in "solid coverage"; i.e., so that the conductive ink deposited by the press printing units does not include any interstices. That is to say, in such a manner that the dots of conductive ink deposited by the press overlap or overlay to provide a continuous conductive path.
Specifically, web-fed offset printing presses typically include a number of successive print stations. Each print station is associated with a particular color, and, typically, includes tipper and lower sets of rollers to selectively apply ink of that color to both sides of the web (i.e., foldable sheet 1) on a substantially concurrent basis. The web passes through the respective printing stations in sequence to develop a multi-color image. Each printing station applies its respective ink in accordance with an associated dot matrix (corresponding to a color separation) established by a plate. The operation of the individual units is coordinated so that the respective images as printed are in registry. The combinations of colors and relative dispositions of the matrices provide a composite image having the desired form, composition, and color.
Thus, for example, the game board layout 20 on the one hand and the printed circuit on the other hand can be concurrently printed employing one set (e.g., the upper) of print rollers in the respective stations to lay down the game board layout and the other set (e.g., the lower) of print rollers in the stations to deposit the printed circuit. Disposition of a continuous conductive path along each trace of the printed circuit can be facilitated by employing a plurality of successive print stations, each applying the conductive ink in sequence. The respective dot matrices laid down by the successive units are preferably slightly offset, but overlap each other. The dots of ink, in effect, bleed together, to ensure a continuous conductive path. This result can be facilitated by laying the conductive ink down more thickly than is typical for non conductive ink in a typical color process.
As discussed in conjunction with both FIGS. 1 and 11, it is desirable to provide insulation between portions of the circuitry brought into adjacency by the folding step shown in FIG. 4. While this could be achieved by the insertion of an insulating sheet, it is more efficient to obtain the same effect by selectively overprinting the surface or surfaces carrying the conductive ink with non conductive or dielectric ink. For example, the printed circuit can be selectively coated with a layer of flexible dielectric ink such as the product marketed by Olin Hunt Specialty Products Inc., a subsidiary of the Olin Corporation of Ontario, Calif., under the name "37AC22 Curable Spacer" or equivalent insulating material. As has previously been explained, this process can be employed to make the pressure sensitive switches in a particularly economical fashion.
Referring again to FIGS. 8 and 9, dielectric ink 19 is interposed between sheet sections 2,3, preferably printed in a predetermined pattern on one or both of the facing surfaces in predetermined positions; e.g., adjacent, circumscribing or even overlying, conductive pads 10, 11. The pressure necessary to actuate the switch can be closely controlled by correspondingly controlling the thicknesses of the conductive layers, 10, 11, the thickness(es) of the insulating layer(s) 19 and the distance between the center of the pads 10, 11 to the surrounding insulating layer(s), all with respect to the inherent resilience of the foldable sheet 1. In one embodiment, actuation at approximately seven ounces per square inch of pressure is preferred. The fact that the pads 10, 11 are more or less circumscribed by the annulus character of the dielectric layer(s) 19 serves to beneficially increase the localization of the force such that proximate switches are not inadvertently actuated; i.e., a given switch will only be actuated in response to pressure from directly above the contact pads.
The foldable sheet 1 is preferably made of non conductive material capable of accepting flexible conductive ink. Any material which will accept the inks employed, such as a heavy paper or suitably coated or otherwise prepared plastic and which can be folded without breakage, is acceptable. Typically, the fold lines 4, 5 are provided through what is referred to in the art of book-making as "living-hinge" technology, which involves the formation of a hinge line by scoring it or compressing it onto the material constituting the leaf of a book. The material used may vary from pure paper to pure synthetic substances, including a variety of composite materials. For example, the products sold by Paper Sources International under the trademark "Chromolux" and by the Champion International Corporation under the trademark "Cromekote" consist of paper coated on both sides with a layer of synthetic material, available in overall thicknesses from approximately 6 to 18 thousands of an inch. The product marketed by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation under the trademark "Kimdura" consists entirely of synthetic paper, a polypropylene material, available in thicknesses ranging from about 3 to 12 thousands of an inch. The materials marketed by the Spring Hill Paper Company under the trademark "Claycoat" and by the ICI Company of England under the trademark "Melinex" consist of a polyester substrate. These materials are all suitable to practice the invention and can all be folded for long-term durability in the manner described above. Thus, the term "paper" as used herein comprehends such materials as well as classical papers.
The foldable sheet 1 may be die cut although such is not essential. To some extent, the selection of the process to cut and trim the foldable sheet depends upon the material chosen and its thickness and also on whether the printed matter is deposited directly or on a separate sheet which is subsequently fixed to the foldable sheet.
Thus, while the principles of the invention have now been made clear in an illustrative embodiment, there will be immediately obvious to those skilled in the art many modifications of structure, arrangements, proportions, the elements, materials, and components, used in the practice of the invention which are particularly adapted for specific environments and operating requirements without departing from those principles.
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text:
Navigation: Intro | Mulligan | General Strategy | Class Specific Mulligan | | Rogue Questions Answered | Tips & Tricks | Possible Replacements
Hello everyone,
I am Kobe 'Guukboii' Van Schepdael and I'm a Belgian Hearthstone player. A few months ago I wrote written an In-Depth Guide on Miracle Rogue which had a lot of success and I received tons of positive feedback from all of you guys. Some of you have asked me if I was going to update the guide after the expansion and since I promised I would, here is me delivering on that promise.
I am going to use my old Guide as a 'shell', so there might be some copy/pasting on things that didn't really change much. For everyone who is tuning in just now I'll do a short introduction of myself: I've been playing Hearthstone competitively for almost 2 years now.
During my early days I was a huge fan of miracle rogue. Even after the Leeroy Jenkins and Gadgetzan Auctioneer nerf I kept playing it. Although when the meta shifted and decks got too fast 'Miracoli' wasn't really viable anymore. I never liked Sprint Oil Rogue so I tried a version with Coldlight Oracle, Loot Hoarder, Gnomish Inventor and Azure Drake. This deck got me qualified for the Viagame HouseCup #2. But I didn't feel like the deck was strong enough to compete with the Tier 1 decks so I quit playing Rogue and focused on other classes for the time being.
After the introduction of Standard, Miracle Rogue got viable again, a lot of strong cards like Dr. Boom and Piloted Shredder rotated out and even though Blade Flurry was nerfed, Rogue could finally shine again. Now with the new 'Mean Streets of Gadzetgan' expansion Rogue feels even stronger. It might not seem like it but the Counterfeit Coin actually helps A LOT. I see the card as a smaller Innervate which has the advantage of being easily abused by Rogue as a class and Gadgetzan Auctioneer as a card. But not only our extra coin helps, Small-Time Buccaneer is basically a Flame Imp for Rogue, 90%+ of the time you'll dagger up on turn 2 anyway and if you've played a Small-Time Buccaneer on turn 1 it's extremely strong to keep up with the early game of some other decks, especially combined with cards like Backstab. But we will go over the decklist later in this guide.
A disadvantage of Rogue at the moment is that Pirate Warrior and Aggro Shaman are pretty unfavoured matchups. Although our 1-drops helpt a lot, Rogue has no access to heals or taunts so you might get raced down pretty quickly if you don't have the right answers. But, playing correctly, Rogue has a REALLY GOOD matchup against Renolock, Jade Druid and Priest. (Dragon priest is worse than Reno priest for us but still good) Which makes up for it. I personally got legend with Miracle Rogue this season and I've seen lots of people getting into Top10 Legend with Rogue, Mr Yagut even hitting #1 Legend last week. So I think the favoured matchups definitely make up for the unfavoured ones.
Before we begin, I'd like to mention that in my opinion Miracle Rogue is one of the hardest deck, if not the hardest, to play PERFECT in the game. There are almost no turns that are completely obvious and every play you make is a decision that will affect the next turns. So some people may disagree with what i'm writing here, but like many things in Hearthstone, topics like these are always up for discussion.
Now let's get started.
With the addition of Patches the Pirate you should always be looking for a pirate 1-drop, being Small-Time Buccaneer and Swashburglar. ALWAYS mulligan patches away, even though it's a 1-drop it's fairly obvious you never want this card in your hand.
I can probably talk an hour about how strong Patches the Pirateis but the main point is that you absolutely want to get him for free. If you do have a Small-Time Buccaneer already, throw away other 1-drops and look for cards like Backstab, SI:7 Agent and Tomb Pillager. Keeping Preparation is sometimes correct as well but we'll go over the mulligan in specific matchups/situations below.
Edwin VanCleef should always be kept on The Coin (yes, Counterfeit Coin as well) and/or when you have a Preparation.
NOTE: You ALWAYS want either a Small-Time Buccaneer or a Swashburglar because Rogue doesn't have anything to do on turn 1 and it is insanely good in combination with Patches the Pirate to contest the board early. This is absolute priority against every class, not only because having a 1-drop is always good but also because you get Patches the Pirate out of your deck, which is a card you don't want to draw because it doesn't have enough value in itself.
Early-on you want to keep their board as clean as possible. Use removals like Backstab (possibly with SI:7 Agent) and Eviscerate to slow them down. Turn 4 or 5 you should always try to play a minion while possibly removing something with Preparation (+ a spell) or Backstab. After turn 6 best case would be that you can play Gadgetzan Auctioneer on a near empty board and start cycling A LOT, with the coins you got from Tomb Pillagers, Preparation and other spells. After that, you want to find a good turn to push for lethal. This is something Rogue can do very easily. You just need some minions, Cold Blood them and Conceal the board. Then kill them the turn after with your board and the extra burst you can get from Eviscerate and Leeroy Jenkins.
SI:7 Agent, Tomb Pillager. Azure Drake can be kept when you have a good opening (eg. Small-Time Buccaneer, Backstab and Tomb Pillager) and preferably on The Coin.
Against druid you will usually win when you gain control over the board, try to keep it that way, don't be afraid to Sap something just to make them spend all their mana next turn again without reacting to your board.
Conceal is also very strong in this matchup, if you see an opportunity to just Smorc, Conceal and win next turn, even when they have a board, go for it. Although be aware of cards like Feral Rage that can interfere with that plan. Another win condition against Druid is Edwin VanCleef. Most Druids cut Mulch completely so they have no answer at all against him. If you see an opportunity to make him huge, do not hesitate. A 12/12 minion on the board is almost an instant win in this matchup.
Jade Shaman is probably the easiest matchup, their start is likely pretty slow but we don't know that going into the game so prepare for an Aggro Shaman, which is unfavoured due to us having no answer to Doomhammer. Shaman will most likely be the agressor in this matchup, try to turn the tides and push as much facedamage as you can, once they have to play defensively you will have the upperhand. Try to be conservative with sap prior to turn 4 because their 7/7's are a huge threat, we usually don't want to trade our minions into it unless we have to.
On The Coin: Azure Drake and even Gadgetzan Auctioneer if you have a Tomb Pillager
Don't be afraid to pass a turn if that means you can have a better turn with Gadgetzan Auctioneer.
Eg: Instead of Coin – Auctioneer – Prep – Conceal turn 5,
go with: Pass turn 5, then Auctioneer – coin – conceal – Prep – Sap/Evis/Shadowstrike turn 6.
On The Coin : Tomb Pillager
Using Sap on a Savannah Highmane is insanely strong but don't be too greedy with it, sapping an Infested Wolf when you already have board is perfectly fine! Try to keep track of your health and make sure they can't just Smorc you. Make good trades if necessary but go face as much as possible with your minions. Same as you Hunter doesn't have acces to heal or (instant) taunt, although be aware of Houndmaster.
Mulligan for Renolock since it's the most popular warlock archetype at the moment.
Against Zoo: Keep Backstab and Eviscerate as well. Try to keep the board as clean as possible, once they have nothing and you have minions the game should be won.
Against Reno: Keep playing for board, don't try to ignore their minions and push face because it might be punished by Reno Jackson. Try to burst them down from 20+ or make a huge board with Conceal and/or Edwin VanCleef before turn 8 (Twisting Nether) or after you've seen most boardclears. They only run 1 of every card so once you've seen a card you don't have to play around it anymore, use this to your advantage.
Pirate Warrior is the most popular and most dangerous so definitely mulligan for this archetype.
I already said it above but the priority is to find Small-Time Buccaneer and Swashburglar in the mulligan, all the other cards are secondary options. In this matchup it's especially necessary to have a 1-drop and Patches the Pirate, that comes with it, to contest the board.
Backstab, Preparation: If you have a 1-drop.
This is probably the worst Matchup of all, if they have a Fiery War Axe, upgrades and Arcanite Reaper they might even win without ever playing a minion. Try to either make a huge Edwin VanCleef early or rush them down with Cold Bloods. In a lot of my matches I've lost to a pirate warrior when it came down to 1 turn. It's definitely possible to beat them but they win the facerace most of the time. My most valuable tip is probably not to get triggered when you play against one, move on to the next game. (Speaking from experience)
Most of the time the problem is that you don't know what kind of mage it is, I'd suggest mulliganing for Tempo Mage because against Reno/Freeze Mage you have a lot more time.
Against Tempo Mage: They don't run any heals or taunts so push as much facedamage as you can , they don't have many good Sap targets so sometimes it's even justified to Sap an Azure Drake if he can't reply it without ignoring your board. The best target is most likely: Water Elemental.
Against Freeze Mage: Make a huge Edwin VanCleef early on or try to pop their Ice Block before the Alexstrasza turn with Cold Bloods and Eviscerates.
SI:7 Agent, Tomb Pillager if you know it's anyfin paladin, if you suspect Aggro then keep Backstab as well.
Anyfin Paladin : They can't heal, taunt and deal with your board at the same time. Put as much pressure on them as possible but don't overextend. Be aware of an Equality combo (with [Pyromancer] or Consecration). Either bait one of their combo's out with your board and then go for an Gadgetzan Auctioneer Conceal play or go for an Gadgetzan Auctioneer Conceal play, draw lots of cards and develop a board afterwards. Keep Sap preferably for Tirion Fordring or [Ragnaros, The Lightlord] but don't hesitate to use it on Murloc Warleader if this means you can slow him down a lot and create a lot of tempo at the same time.
Aggro Paladin: Same as with zoo, try to keep their board clean to play around buff-cards like Blessing of Kings. Don't be too greedy on your own cards because if your handsize is too big Divine Favor might get a lot of value.
It is really important to be the aggressor with initiative in this matchup. If you're behind you'll most likely lose. Your health is extremely important. It happens very often that one of the rogues will do a 2-turn lethal setup and if you're high enough on health that can be prevented.
Really good question and I've been asking myself that as well. The answer is fairly simple, Counterfeit Coin allows you to make tempo plays or do BrokeBack stuff with Edwin VanCleef and/or Questing Adventurer, but since I decided to cut Questing Adventurers I think 2 coins is just overkill. Everybody who has played Rogue in the past knows that you sometimes end up with a 'Dead Hand' like double Preparation, two Cold Bloods and a Conceal, without anything to play it with.
I want to avoid this situation as much as possible and that's why I decided to cut a coin, I think 1 is enough since it already allows us to play an Edwin VanCleef on turn 1 when we are going second and/or to coin out an Azure Drake or Tomb Pillager a turn earlier than we're supposed to. But I don't think i've done enough games to get a statistically correct answer on whether one or two Counterfeit Coins is more correct. I believe for now it's just preference.
I'll come back to this in the 'Replacement' Section.
Deadly Poison is a card that has lost a lot of value since the nerf of Blade Flurry. Which is also why I decided to cut it completely. I feel like Deadly Poison is almost only worth it when you either can kill a 3hp minion on turn 3 and have a tempogain into the next turn but decks don't have a solid turn 3 anymore, it's either multiple small minions, playing Jade Blossom or simply Life Tap so deadly poison isn't worth it at the moment. A lot of decks also play Acidic Swamp Ooze against the Pirate Warriors, which makes it so that you can't keep your weapon up too long, especially not a buffed one.
Gadgetzan Auctioneer is the engine of this deck, the only reason Miracle Rogue exists is because of this card. This card in combination with Preparation, The Coin and Tomb Pillager (giving you more coins) draws you so many cards that you can fatigue even before you hit turn 10. It also makes it possible to gain tempo without worrying about card advantage.
Not to mention drawing all the answers you need or finding your combo pieces in time. With this being said it is still not justified to keep the card in your opening hand. It is a 6 mana card (which is already far past the early game) but you usally don't play it turn 6 because you want to play spells with it too. I feel like it's only correct to keep Gadgetzan Auctioneer when you already have a Tomb Pillager in hand and when you play against really slow control decks.
The problem is that these decks are practically non-existent in the current meta due to Jade Druid being a thing. Really slow decks just get dragged into fatigue and it's almost impossible to win. That's why most decks are faster, midrange decks. For this reason I believe that in the current meta you never keep Gadgetzan Auctioneer in your opening hand.
99% of the rogue games you will hero power turn 2. And most people pass their turn with both charges of the dagger (or Wicked Knife) up. This is never completely incorrect BUT it might result in missing some damage. And for whoever watched Forsen when he was streaming Miracle Rogue: Remember that he was always 1 damage off lethal?
So when is it good to have only 1 charge of your dagger left at the end of your turn?
Bloodmage Thalnos is one of the strongest cards in Rogue arsenal, the reason being that Rogue greatly abuses BOTH Spellpower and Carddraw. Often you want to keep Thalnos in hand to combo it with Eviscerate or Fan of Knives for very efficient boardclears. But sometimes he can be played turn 2 to force your opponent in an awkward turn or when your hand is so bad that you really need extra cards.
For example: Druids usually want to play Wild Growth turn 2 or Innervate something out but if Thalnos gets played they either have the tendancy to hero power it down or put their ramp play on hold. If they still go through with their initial play you might punish them hard with a 3 damage Backstab into a possible SI:7 Agent play.
I feel like there is a lot of controversy about this between Rogue players. Some people say it's bad because it doesn't do anything on it's own and you prefer other cards and topdeck into Preparation in the later stage of the game. Other people say that it's absolutely necessary because without it your Gadgetzan Auctioneer won't start rolling and/or you might completely lose the board before you even get to turn 6.
I'll give you my opinion on the matter.
I'd like to compare Preparation with Innervate. Innervate is without doubt a stronger card because you can get a big minion on the board very early into the game. But it kinda still does the same. You play multiple cards and 'cheat their mana' to gain a quick tempoadvantage over the board. Rogue is a huge tempodeck, especially since losing Blade Flurry there are few to no comeback possibilities. Which means that Rogue has to be dealing with everything starting from turn 1. This is why I think Preparation is an absolute necessity. Even if you have the perfect curve, SI:7 Agent into Tomb Pillager into Azure Drake you might still lose the game if you can't deal with their minions at the same time. And if you deal with their minions without playing some yourself they will keep refilling until you run out of removals. Remember: Minions are slow, spells are instant. You should always try to play your slower cards first and follow them up with faster cards.
So my answer is: Yes, you should absolutely keep Preparation in a Tempo matchup where you know they will play minions in the first few turns. As I said before, you can not afford to lose the board because there is no way to gain it back if you fall behind too much.
Against slower decks like Priest, Renolock, Control Warrior I would only keep it when I already have some minions in hand.
NOTE: Your first priority is still to have a Small-Time Buccaneer or Swashburglar on turn 1! Do throw away Preparation if you don't have them yet.
Personally, I don't like doing this. If there is an alternative I think it is better to just play an Azure Drake turn 5, for example. Preparation is more powerful the more mana you can 'cheat'. So using it for a 1 mana spell can result in a tempoloss later into the game because you still have to use a Fan of Knives or a Shadow Strike for the full mana cost.
It IS very good though when you are absolutely certain that your opponent has no way to answer it and when you have a hand full of spells that you can cycle the turn after. Or when there is just no alternative play possible.
My rule for Cold Blood is simple: Whenever you have mana leftover, a minion on the board and there is even the smallest chance that the minion will survive you should use Cold Blood. This is almost never wrong. People think you run Cold Blood to burst your opponent down with Leeroy Jenkins, but this is incorrect. Leeroy Jenkins is in the deck BECAUSE you run Cold Blood. Cold Blood is a very efficient card (1 mana 4 damage face + a permanent buff) that can make you finish games really really fast with the use of Conceal. There are a lot of games that I won when I was behind just by playing double Cold Blood on a minion, go face and then Conceal. If they don't have the resources to kill you that turn you usually win.
I'll try my very best to write an answer to this question but it's not easy because it usually depends on the situation.
Generally a turn 2 Edwin VanCleef with The Coin is okay, not strong but decent. A 4/4 body for 3 mana is good. But I'd almost never do this unless your curve after it is really good; for example: Backstab, SI:7 Agent, Tomb Pillager, Azure Drake.
What you want to do with Edwin VanCleef is make him a huge threat that has to be dealt with immediately without giving up too much of your hand/resources.
Against Zoo or Pirate Warrior (or any deck that has no way to answer a huge VanCleef): if you have the choice to either coin SI:7 Agent a Knife Juggler or instead The Coin, Preparation, Eviscerate, Edwin VanCleef, then just go for the Van Cleef and do Backstab + SI:7 Agent next turn on the minion he plays.
With the addition of Counterfeit Coin Edwin can even be played on turn 1, which is really insane. Don't hesitate to instantly win the game this way.
Against decks that do have answers it's harder to time it right. For example Priest who can easily just Shadow Word: Death, you should probably hold on to VanCleef until you can make it big AND Conceal it at the same time.
Or sometimes when you don't feel like you can win the game you can decide to gamble and play all your cards, hoping he doesn't have an answer for 'a Big One'. But when you do this, don't forget to play 'Epic Sax guy' at the same time!
Nice work!
Really looking forward to read it after work today. I've been playing Miracle Rogue thanks to your previous guide and I wanted to see what you think of this new meta.
First of all thanks for this well written guide; i really enjoyed reading it.
i do have 2 questions:
1) is having one of the pirates the priority number one at all times? let's say i have a decent hand do i still hard mulligan for the pirates? i do think you said it ike this but i jsut wanted to make sure that throwing a backstab in aggro matchups is the correct play
2) since a huge edwin is one of your win conditions vs aggro would you say that keeping him on the coin is ok IF you already have one of your pirates? or maybe even without the coin but with prep, for example: bucaneer + edwin + prep
i really do love playing rogue and i will try and implement everything you mentioned above.
thanks again and if you ever figure out how to make jade rogue viable let me know 😉
1) No, if your hand is good already but you don't have a pirate then you should keep it. I know I said it like that in the guide because the general idea is to hardmulligan for Pirates, especially against faster decks like Aggro Shaman and Pirate warrior. But against a Druid for example you can simply keep a Tomb Pillager even without a pirate.
2) You always keep Edwin on the coin, no matter what. And yes when you have a pirate, keeping Edwin with a prep is definitely a good idea in matchups where you need him.
Hey, I'm a really big fan of miracle rogue and could you write a guide explaining your moves in some tough situations?I'm stuck between a decision that might have changed the game differently if i played quite often so i was wondering if you could explain your moves. Thanks
i know patches is esential in this deck but, until i craft it… any replacement?
I find southsea deckhand seems to work quite well.
Hey man really nice guide i have question. I have the exact same deck but i don't have Swashburglar is there anyway i can replace him? Is it okay if i put other one drop pirates for replacement?
Great deck! Been using it for a while, climbed from rank 13 to 8. Very well explained guide. Do you have any tips for playing against control warrior? I have seen them more and more.
Typically do you coin/ counterfeit coin out tomb pillager or azure drake with no other minions to play? In the mirror I've been doing that and in the case of tomb pillager going face in an effort to get them to trade their tomb pillager into mine while getting in some face damage and having tempo with the resulting coin.
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