Card printing and dispensing system
First Claim
1. A card printing and dispensing device located at a venue of an entertainment event and operable by an operator, comprising:
- (a) control means;
(b) an operator interface in communication with said control means for displaying control options to the operator and for accepting control instructions from the operator;
(c) a source of information regarding events that occurred during an ongoing or recently completed entertainment event, said information being updated as said entertainment event progresses and said information being independent of said control instructions accepted from the operator;
(d) a supply of card blanks;
(e) a printer in communication with said control means, for receiving said card blanks from said supply of card blanks, and for printing a subset of said information regarding the ongoing or recently completed entertainment event on said card blanks to create a printed card having independent and enduring value memorializing said subset of said information regarding the entertainment event; and
(f) dispenser means for receiving said printed card from said printer and for dispensing said printed card to the operator for subsequent sale.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A card printing and dispensing system located at the venue of an ongoing or recently completed entertainment event and including a video display monitor, a customer interface, a printer, and a computer control. A customer interested in purchasing a card selects using the customer interface from a variety of options displayed on the video monitor a desired card unique to the particular ongoing or recently completed entertainment event for printing and dispensing by the system. The system is particularly suited to printing and dispensing unique baseball cards which would include information corresponding to an individual game or series of games and available only at the venue where the individual game or series of games were actually played.
102 Citations
27 Claims
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1. A card printing and dispensing device located at a venue of an entertainment event and operable by an operator, comprising:
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(a) control means; (b) an operator interface in communication with said control means for displaying control options to the operator and for accepting control instructions from the operator; (c) a source of information regarding events that occurred during an ongoing or recently completed entertainment event, said information being updated as said entertainment event progresses and said information being independent of said control instructions accepted from the operator; (d) a supply of card blanks; (e) a printer in communication with said control means, for receiving said card blanks from said supply of card blanks, and for printing a subset of said information regarding the ongoing or recently completed entertainment event on said card blanks to create a printed card having independent and enduring value memorializing said subset of said information regarding the entertainment event; and (f) dispenser means for receiving said printed card from said printer and for dispensing said printed card to the operator for subsequent sale. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A customer-operated sports card printing and dispensing device located at a venue of a sporting event, comprising:
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(a) control means; (b) a customer interface in communication with said control means for displaying control options to the customer and for accepting control instructions from the customer; (c) a source of information regarding events that occurred during an ongoing or recently completed sporting event taking place at the sporting event venue, said information being updated as said sporting event progresses and said information being independent of said control instructions accepted from the customer; (d) a supply of card blanks; (e) a printer in communication with said control means, for receiving said card blanks from said supply of card blanks, and for printing a subset of said information regarding the ongoing or recently completed sporting event on said card blanks to create a printed card having independent and enduring value memorializing said subset of said information regarding the sporting event; (f) means for accepting payment for a printed sports card; and (g) dispenser means for receiving said printed sports card from said printer and for dispensing said printed sports card to the customer.
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14. A customer-operated sports card printing and dispensing device located at a venue of a sporting event, comprising:
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(a) control means including a digital computer and a modem for connection to a remote database over a telephone line; (b) a customer interface in communication with said control means for displaying on a video monitor control options to the customer and for accepting control instructions from the customer; (c) a source of information regarding events that occurred during an ongoing or recently completed sporting event taking place at the sporting event venue, said information being updated as said sporting event progresses and said information being independent of said control instructions accepted from the customer; (d) a supply of card blanks; (e) a printer in communication with said control means, for receiving said card blanks from said supply of card blanks, and for printing a subset of said information regarding the ongoing or recently completed sporting event on said card blanks to create a printed card having independent and enduring value memorializing said subset of said information regarding the sporting event; (f) means for accepting payment for a printed sports card; and (g) dispenser means for receiving said printed sports card from said printer and for dispensing said printed sports card to the customer. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 23, 24, 25)
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22. A method controlled by an operator for printing and dispensing a card from a printing and dispensing device located at a venue of an entertainment event, comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying to the operator on an operator interface of the printing and dispensing device a choice of control options; (b) communicating control options accepted by the operator from said operator interface to a control means of the printing and dispensing device; (c) accessing by said control means a source of information regarding events that occurred during an ongoing or recently completed entertainment event, said information being independent of said control instructions accepted by the operator; (d) updating said information as the entertainment event progresses and clearing said information a predetermined time after the entertainment event is completed to prevent the creation of cards pertaining to the entertainment event after said information is cleared; (e) communicating a subset of said information, as it exists at the time the operator is accepting said control options and corresponding to said control options accepted by the operator, from said control means to a printer; (f) receiving a card blank from a supply of card blanks and printing said subset of information on said card blank to create a printed card having independent and enduring value memorializing said subset of information regarding the entertainment event; and (g) dispensing said printed card to the operator for subsequent sale. - View Dependent Claims (26)
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27. A method controlled by a spectator for printing and dispensing a souvenir baseball card from a printing and dispensing device located at a baseball park where a baseball game is being played or has just been completed, comprising the steps of:
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(a) displaying to the spectator on an operator interface of the printing and dispensing device a choice of control options; (b) communicating control options accepted by the spectator from said operator interface to a control means of the printing and dispensing device; (c) accessing by said control means a source of information regarding events that occurred during the ongoing or recently completed baseball game, said information including a summary of statistics or images pertaining to the baseball game and being independent of said control instructions accepted by the spectator; (d) updating said information as each inning of the baseball game is completed and clearing said information when the baseball park is closed after completion of the baseball game to prevent the creation of baseball cards pertaining to the said baseball game event after said information is cleared; (e) communicating a subset of said information, as it exists at the time the spectator is accepting said control options and corresponding to said control options accepted by the spectator, from said control means to a printer; (f) receiving a card blank from a supply of card blanks and printing said subset of information on said card blank to create a souvenir baseball card having independent and enduring value memorializing said subset of information regarding the said baseball game; and (g) dispensing said souvenir baseball card to the operator for subsequent sale.
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Specification