Supply chain management instructional board game

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11705017-B2
Application number	US-201816001090-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 6, 2018
Priority date	Jun 6, 2017
Publication date	Jul 18, 2023
Grant date	Jul 18, 2023

Abstract

Disclosed is an educational board game having a game surface and associated physical gaming elements that cooperatively simulate distinct phases of a supply chain, in which different physical gaming elements and game board segments correspond to those distinct supply chain phases. Mating, player-specific (e.g., color coded) material game pieces represent materials that may be combined to form a simulated product. Combined game pieces representing player-specific products may then be moved across the game board with players paying various supply chain costs and receiving payment for product sales through the segments of the supply chain. A random number generator, such as one or more dice, in combination with various cards, are used by the players to determine the occurrence of various supply chain risks, values, and projections as the players progress through the segments of the supply chain to ultimate sale of finished products.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An educational supply chain management board game, comprising:
a game board comprising a plurality of panels, each said panel including indicia designating a distinct phase of a supply chain, and each said panel including at least one set of a fixed number of a plurality of player spots, wherein a first one of said player spots in each set of player spots on each said panel is provided in a first color that may be associated with a first player, and a second one of said player spots in each set of player spots on each said panel is provided in a second color that may be associated with a second player, wherein said second color is distinct from said first color, and wherein each said set of player spots on each said panel is identical to each other set of player spots on said game board, and wherein each said set of player spots on each said panel surrounds a distinct supply chain segment indicia, all of which distinct supply chain segment indicia thematically relate to a different phase of a supply chain;
a plurality of first game piece components, each said first game piece component having a flat base, said plurality of first game piece components being provided in said fixed number of color-coded sets matching said distinct colors of said plurality of player spots, and wherein a first one of said first game piece components is provided in said first color, and a second one of said first game piece components is provided in said second color;
a plurality of second game piece components of a different shape from said first game piece components and equal in number and color to said plurality of first game piece components, each said second game piece component having a flat top side and a flat bottom side, wherein said flat top side of each said second game piece component is sized to receive a flat base of one of said first game piece components thereon, and wherein a first one of said second game piece components is provided in said first color, and a second one of said second game piece components is provided in said second color;
wherein each said first game piece component and each said second game piece component are configured for temporary attachment to one another to enable moving as a single unit by manipulating only one of either said first game piece component or said second game piece component; and
at least one random number generator.

2. The educational supply chain management board game of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of supplier insurance game pieces equal in number and color to said distinct colors of said plurality of player spots; and
a plurality of spot market game pieces equal in number and color to said distinct colors of said plurality of player spots.

3. The educational supply chain management board game of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of production defect game pieces equal in number and color to said distinct colors of said plurality of player spots.

4. The educational supply chain management board game of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of sets of transportation mode game pieces, wherein each said set of transportation mode game pieces is equal in number and color to said distinct colors of said plurality of player spots.

5. The educational supply chain management board game of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of marketing effort game pieces equal in number and color to said distinct colors of said plurality of player spots.

6. The educational supply chain management board game of claim 1 , said plurality of panels further comprising:
a first panel including indicia designating said first panel as a material supplier supply chain segment panel;
a second panel attached to said first panel and including indicia designating said second panel as a product manufacturing supply chain segment panel;
a third panel attached to said second panel and including indicia designating said third panel as a product distribution supply chain segment panel; and
a fourth panel attached to said third panel and including indicia designating said fourth panel as a market supply chain segment panel.

7. The educational supply chain management board game of claim 6 , further comprising a deck of product demand cards, said deck of product demand cards further comprising:
a set of local demand cards bearing indicia matching a local product demand indicia on said fourth panel;
a set of online demand cards bearing indicia matching an online product demand indicia on said fourth panel; and
a set of foreign demand cards bearing indicia matching a foreign product demand indicia on said fourth panel.

Assignees

• Morgan State Univ
• Morgan Sate Univ

Inventors

• Wang Ziping

Classifications

• G09B19/18 Primary

  Book-keeping or economics · CPC title

• A63F3/00063

  Board games concerning economics or finance, e.g. trading · CPC title

• A63F2003/00066

  with play money · CPC title

• A63F2250/133

  Banknote · CPC title