ONLINE RACING SYSTEM USING ELECTRONIC TRADING CARDS

• US 20080265509A1
• Filed: 04/24/2007
• Published: 10/30/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Spin Master Limited (Spin Master Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Spin Master Limited (Spin Master Corp.)
• Inventors: Gatzios, Peter
• Application Number:
  US11/739,481
• Publication Number:
  US 20080265509A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 273/296
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3232 wherein the operator is informed
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3293 Card games, e.g. poker, canasta, black jack

Abstract

A game system is presented. The system includes a plurality of cards, each card being associated a game feature, and a scanner configured to scan information from the cards. The processor is operable to associate a first card with a first player upon the first player causing the first card to be scanned, associate the first card with a first game feature, display a representation of the first game feature on a first display area associated with the first player, enable the first player to access the first game feature, reassociate the first card with a second player upon the second player causing the first card to be scanned, display the representation of the first game feature on a second display area associated with the second player and enable the second player to access the first game feature.

Claims

1. A game system comprising:

a plurality of cards, each card being associated with one or more of a plurality of game features;

a scanner configured to scan information associated with one or more of the plurality of cards;

a processor operable to

associate a first card of the plurality of cards with a first player upon the first player causing the first card to be scanned by the scanner,

associate the first card with at least a first game feature of the plurality of game features based on first information scanned from the first card by the scanner,

display a representation of the first game feature on a first display area associated with the first player,

enable the first player to access the first game feature,

reassociate the first card with a second player upon the second player causing the first card to be scanned, reassociating the first card including unassociating the first card from the first player,

display the representation of the first game feature on a second display area associated with the second player, and

enable the second player to access the first game feature.

2. The game system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to remove the representation from the first display area upon the first player being unassociated from the first card.

3. The game system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to disable the first player from accessing the first game feature upon the first player being unassociated from the first card.

4. The game system of claim 1, wherein the processor is operable to prompt the first player to rescan the first card.

5. The game system of claim 4, wherein the processor is operable to prompt the first player to rescan the first card periodically.

6. The game system of claim 4, wherein the processor is operable to prompt the first player to rescan the first card upon the first game feature becoming inoperable or less operable due to game play.

7. The game system of claim 1, wherein the first card includes a barcode area on one side of the first card, the barcode area including a barcode that specifically identifies the first card, and wherein the first card includes an anti-counterfeiting measure.

8. The game system of claim 1, wherein the first card includes a first barcode area located on a first side of the first card and a second barcode area located on the second side of the first card, the first barcode area including a first barcode, the second barcode area including a second barcode, and the first and second barcodes, combined, specifically identifying the first card.

9. The game system of claim 1, wherein unassociating the first card from the first player includes requiring the first user to rescan the first card to prevent being unassociated.

10. The game system of claim 1, wherein unassociating the first card from the first player includes maintaining a record of scannings of the first information, determining a number of the plurality of cards that are associated with the first information, and unassociating the first player if that number of other players have scanned cards associated with the first information more recently than the first player.

11. The game system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to

associate the first card with a second game feature of the plurality of game features,

display a representation of the second game feature on the first display area,

enable the first player to access the second game feature,

display the representation of the second game feature on the second display area,

enable the second player to access the second game feature,

remove the representation of the second game feature from the first display area upon the first player being unassociated from the first card, and

disable the first player from accessing the second game feature upon the first player being unassociated from the first card.

12. A method of operating a game system comprising:

providing a plurality of cards, each card being associated with one or more of a plurality of game features;

providing a scanner configured to scan information associated with one or more of the plurality of cards;

associating a first card of the plurality of cards with a first player upon the first player causing the first card to be scanned by the scanner;

associating the first card with at least a first game feature of the plurality of game features based on first information scanned from the first card by the scanner;

displaying a representation of the first game feature on a first display area associated with the first player;

enabling the first player to access the first game feature;

reassociating the first card with a second player upon the second player causing the first card to be scanned, reassociating the first card including unassociating the first card from the first player;

displaying the representation of the first game feature on a second display area associated with the second player; and

enabling the second player to access the first game feature.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

removing the representation from the first display area upon the first player being unassociated from the first card.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

disabling the first player from accessing the first game feature upon the first player being unassociated from the first card.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

prompting the first player to rescan the first card.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prompting the first player to rescan the first card periodically.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

prompting the first player to rescan the first card upon the first game feature becoming inoperable or less operable due to game play.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the first card includes a barcode area on a first side of the first card, the barcode area including a barcode that specifically identifies the first card, and wherein the first card includes an anti-counterfeiting measure.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the first card includes a first barcode area located on a first side of the first card and a second barcode area located on the second side of the first card, the first barcode area including a first barcode, the second barcode area including a second barcode, and the first and second barcodes, combined, specifically identifying the first card.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein unassociating the first card from the first player includes requiring the first user to rescan the first card to prevent being unassociated.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein unassociating the first card from the first player includes maintaining a record of scannings of the first information, determining a number of the plurality of cards that are associated with the first information, and unassociating the first player if that number of other players have scanned cards associated with the first information more recently than the first player.

22. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

associating the first card with a second game feature of the plurality of game features,

displaying a representation of the second game feature on the first display area,

enabling the first player to access the second game feature,

displaying the representation of the second game feature on the second display area,

enabling the second player to access the second game feature,

removing the representation of the second game feature from the first display area upon the first player being unassociated from the first card, and

disabling the first player from accessing the second game feature upon the first player being unassociated from the first card.