System and method for electronic business transaction of trading cards

• US 20020165794A1
• Filed: 03/21/2002
• Published: 11/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited, Pokemon
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited, Pokemon
• Inventors: Ishihara, Tsunekazu
• Granted Patent: US 6,993,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

An electronic business transaction system of a trading card typically uses the Internet. That is, when a site for the electronic business transaction of the trading card is accessed over the Internet from a user terminal, a server makes the user terminal display a card pack selecting screen. When a user selects a card pack on the screen, the server makes the user input personal information of the user and a payment method through the user terminal. Thereafter, the server makes the user terminal display a contents confirmation screen so as to make the user select a card pack that the user wants to confirm the contents. When the user selects the card pack that the user wants to confirm the contents by operating the user terminal, the server makes the user terminal display at least a part of illustrations (contents) of cards enclosed in the card pack that the user determines to purchase.

Claims

1. An electronic business transaction system of a trading card for selling, by an electronic business transaction utilizing a computer, a card pack in which a plurality of kinds of trading cards are randomly selected and enclosed by a predetermined number, wherein said card pack is sold with a seal so that contents of said trading cards are not viewed from outside and are multiple in kinds depending on a combination of the kind of the enclosed trading cards, and said system, comprising:

a purchase determination screen display means for displaying a screen to select purchase of said card pack so as to allow a user to make a decision to purchase a card pack;

a personal information input means for displaying a screen to specify personal information of the user so as to allow the user to input the personal information;

a payment method specifying means for displaying a screen to specify a payment method of a cost by the user specified by said personal information input means so as to allow the user to specify the payment method;

a contents confirmation selecting means for displaying a screen for confirming contents of said card pack so as to allow the user to select confirmation of the contents after personal information is input by said personal information input means and the payment method is specified by said payment method specifying screen display means; and

a contents display means for displaying the contents of at least a part of kind of said trading cards enclosed in said card pack purchased by the user when confirmation of the contents of said card pack is selected.

2. A system according to claim 1, wherein said purchase determination screen display means includes a card pack kind determination means for randomly determining any one of said multiple kinds of card packs.

3. A system according to claim 2, wherein said card pack kind determination means includes a random number data generation means, and any one of said multiple kinds of card packs is determined on the basis of random number data generated by said random number data generation means.

4. A system according to claim 1, wherein said card pack kind determination means includes a random number data generation means, and kinds of cards to be enclosed in said card pack are determined by a predetermined number on the basis of random number data generated by said random data generation means.

5. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said contents display means displays the contents of all kinds of trading cards enclosed in said card pack.

6. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein said contents display means displays as contents display of a trading card of the kind enclosed in said card pack image data having the same figure as that of said trading card of the kind.

7. A system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising a shipping process means for performing a shipping process on the kind of said card pack determined by said card pack kind determination means to an address of the personal information specified by said personal information input means.

8. An electronic business transaction method of a trading card for selling, by an electronic business transaction utilizing a computer, a card pack in which a plurality of kinds of trading cards are randomly selected and enclosed by a predetermined number, wherein said card pack is sold with a seal so that contents of said trading cards are not viewed from outside and are multiple in kinds depending on a combination of the kind of the enclosed trading cards, and said method includes following steps of:

a first step for displaying a screen to select purchase of said card pack so as to allow an user to make a decision to purchase said card pack;

a second step for displaying a screen to specify personal information of the user so as to allow the user to input the personal information;

a third step for displaying a screen to specify a payment method by the user specified by said second step so as to allow the user to input the payment method;

a fourth step for displaying a screen for confirming contents of said card pack so as to allow the user to select confirmation of the contents after the personal information is input in said second step and the payment method of the cost is specified in said third step; and

a fifth step for displaying the contents of at least a part of kind of said trading cards enclosed in said card pack purchased by the user when the confirmation of the contents of said card pack is selected.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said first step includes a card pack kind determining step for randomly determining any one of said multiple kinds of card packs.

10. A method according to claim 9, wherein said card pack kind determining step determines any one of said multiple kinds of card packs by generating random number data.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein said card pack kind determining step includes a random number data generation means, and the kinds of cards to be enclosed in said card pack are determined by a predetermined number on the basis of random number data generated by said random data generation means.

12. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 11, further comprising a sixth step for performing a shipping process on the kind of said card pack determined by said card pack kind determination step in said fifth step to an address of the personal information specified by said second step.

13. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein said fifth step displays the contents of all kinds of trading cards enclosed in said card pack.

14. A method according to any one of claims 8 to 12, wherein said fifth step displays as a contents display of a trading card of the kind enclosed in said card pack image data having the same figure as that of said trading card of the kind.

16. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said server further includes a first transmission data storage for storing transmission data, a first reception data storage for storing reception data, and a first transmitting/receiving means,

said user terminal further includes a second reception data storage for receiving reception data, a second transmission data storage for storing transmission data, and a second transmitting/receiving means,

said first transmission data storage stores respective data of said purchase selecting screen, a screen for specifying said personal information, a screen for specifying said payment method, a screen for confirming the contents, and a screen for displaying the contents of said trading card, and sequentially transmits each screen display data in response to a transmission command from said terminal computer via said first transmitting/receiving means,

said second transmitting/receiving means receives each screen display data transmitted from said first transmitting/receiving means, and writes each screen display data into said second reception data storage,

said terminal computer sequentially processes each screen display data stored in said second reception data storage so as to be displayed on the screen, and sequentially transmits the input or selected purchase determination data, the individual specifying information, the payment method data, and the contents confirmation necessity/unnecessity data to said host computer via said second transmitting/receiving means,

said host computer stores the purchase determination data, the individual specifying information, the payment method data, and the contents confirmation necessity/unnecessity data received by said first transmitting/receiving means in said first reception data storage each time they are received so as to be subjected to a corresponding process.

17. A system according to claim 15, wherein

said server further includes a first reception data storage for storing reception data and a first transmitting/receiving means,

said user terminal further includes a second transmission data storage for storing transmission data and a second transmitting/receiving means,

any one of said server and said user terminal includes a program storage for storing program data for an electronic business transaction,

said program storage stores respective data of said purchase selecting screen, a screen for specifying the personal information, a screen for specifying the payment method, a screen for confirming the contents, and a screen for displaying the contents of said trading cards,

said terminal computer sequentially processes each screen display data stored in said program so as to be displayed on the screen, and sequentially transmits the input or selected purchase determination data, the individual specifying information, the payment method data, the contents confirmation necessity/unnecessity data to said host computer via said second transmitting/receiving means,

said host computer stores the purchase determination data, the individual specifying information, the payment method data, and the contents confirmation necessity/unnecessity data received by said first transmitting/receiving means in said first reception data storage each time they are received so as to be subjected to a corresponding process on the received data.

18. A system according to claim 15, wherein said purchase selecting screen includes a card pack kind determination means for randomly determining any one of said multiple kinds of card packs.

19. A system according to claim 18, wherein said card pack kind determination means determines any one of said multiple kinds of card packs by generating random number data.

20. A system according to claim 18, wherein said card pack kind determining means includes a random number data generation means, and the kinds of cards to be enclosed in said card pack are determined by a predetermined number on the basis of random number data generated by said random number data generation means.

21. A system according to claim 15, further comprising a shipping process means for performing a shipping process on said card pack of the kind determined by said card pack kind determination means to an address of the personal information specified by said personal information input means.

22. A system according to claim 15, wherein said user terminal when confirmation of the contents of said card pack is selected, displays the contents of all kinds of trading cards enclosed in said purchased card pack.

23. A system according to claim 15, wherein said user terminal displays as a contents display of a trading card of the kind enclosed in said card pack image data having the same figure as that of said trading card of the kind.

15. An electronic business transaction system of a trading card for selling, on a web page opened on a server, a card pack in which a plurality of kinds of trading cards are randomly selected by a predetermined number and enclosed,

wherein said card pack is sold with a seal so that contents of said trading cards cannot viewed from outside and are multiple in kinds depending on a combination of the kind of the enclosed trading cards,

said electronic business transaction system is formed by said server including a host computer, a user terminal including a terminal computer selectively connected to said server, a connecting line connecting said server and at least one of said user terminals,

said host computer transmits/receives data required for purchase of said card pack by the user between said user terminal when said user terminal is connected,

said user terminal, when connected to said host computer,

displays a purchase selecting screen for allowing the user to select purchase of said card pack, and transmits purchase determination data to said server when the user makes a decision to purchase said card pack,

displays a screen for specifying personal information so as to allow the user to specify the personal information, and transmits individual specifying information to said server when the individual specifying information is input,

displays a screen to allow the user to specify a payment method of a cost of said card pack, and transmits the payment method data to said server when the payment method is specified,

displays a screen for confirming contents of said card pack so as to select confirmation of the contents after the individual specifying information is input and the payment method of the cost is specified,

displays at least the contents of a part of kind of the trading card enclosed in said purchased card pack when the confirmation of the contents of said cad pack is selected,

said host computer further processes data required for an electronic business transaction transmitted from said terminal computer so as to perform electronic account settlement.

24. A server for an electronic business transaction system selling, by an electronic business transaction utilizing a computer, a card pack in which a plurality of kinds of trading cards are randomly selected and enclosed by a predetermined number, comprising:

a purchase determination screen display means for displaying on said user terminal a screen to select purchase of said card pack so as to allow the user to make a decision to purchase said card pack;

a personal information input means for displaying on said user terminal a screen to specify personal information of an user so as to allow the user to input the personal information;

a payment method specifying means for displaying on said user terminal a screen to specify a payment method of a cost by the user specified by said personal information input means so as to allow the user to specify the payment method;

a contents confirmation selecting means for displaying on said user terminal a screen to confirm contents of said card pack so as to allow the user to select to confirm the contents after the personal information is input by said personal information input means and the payment method of the cost is specified by said payment method specifying screen display means; and

a contents display means for displaying on said user terminal contents of at least a part of kind of said trading cards enclosed in said card pack purchased by the user when confirmation of the contents of said card pack is selected on said user terminal.