Computer-based trading card system and method

• US 6,061,656 A
• Filed: 11/17/1997
• Issued: 05/09/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 10/06/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Michael Pace
• Original Assignee: Michael Pace
• Inventors: Pace, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell, James P.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Nga B.
• Application Number:
  US08/971,330
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 380/4, 380/24, 380/25, 395/186, 395/187, 463/1, 463/2, 463/29, 463/43
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/00086 Circuits for prevention of unauthorised reproduction or copying, e.g. piracy indicating unauthorised use of record carriers in general G11B23/28; scrambling for television signal recording H04N5/913; network architectures or network protocols for network security H04L63/00; cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for secret or secure communication H04L9/00

Abstract

A collection system using a computer or smart device system wherein the collection items (or more specifically their unlocking keys) are contained in various floppy disks and/or an optical storage drive and/or are obtainable through a network connection. With the collection items in the computer or smart device system, the icons of the collection items appear on the computer monitor or other display. By (double) clicking on or otherwise selecting the icon, the unlocking key unlocks the corresponding collection item in the program into the hard drive and at the same time the unlocking key is rendered inoperative. A generally reverse process can be used to lock the collection item relative to the hard drive and render the unlocking key operative. The user collects the collection items by unlocking, for example using a number of floppy disks, the locks in his/her program, which contains the corresponding locks for all of the collection items in the set. When the entire set or a predetermined subset thereof has been collected, the program allows the user to play an interactive game related to the collection items. The user can also enjoy a video and/or audio presentation contained in the disk and/or the program and/or off the Internet associated with each of the keys (and thereby the corresponding collection items), the collection items themselves or the game by appropriate selection. That is, instead of the prior art system of trading paper cards or the like, the user herein trades the digital files, the floppy disks or the portable optical storage discs to collect the collection items and games, and advantageously can enjoy audio/visual presentations and interactive computer games also associated with the collected items.

Claims

1. A computer-based collection system, comprising:

a computer system including a floppy disk drive, a hard drive, an optical storage drive, a user input and a display system;

a program loaded into said computer system by an optical storage disc into said optical storage drive, said program including different locked first and second collection items;

a first disk having a first coded key, said first disk after being inserted into said disk drive being capable of unlocking, using said first coded key, said first collection item into said hard drive; and

a second disk having a second coded key, said second disk after being inserted into said disk drive being capable of unlocking, using said second coded key, said second collection item into said hard drive;

wherein said first coded key after unlocking said first collection item is rendered inoperative and incapable of unlocking a corresponding first collection item in a similar program.

2. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said program is capable, by actuation of said user input, after said first collection item has been unlocked into said hard drive, of relocking said first collection item relative to said hard drive and rendering said first coded key of said first disk operative and capable of again unlocking said first collection item.

3. The collection system of claim 2 wherein said first disk with said first coded key operative allows said first collection item to be fully displayed on said display system and said first disk with said first coded key inoperative is incapable of fully displaying said first collection item on said display system.

4. The collection system of claim 3 wherein said first collection item when prevented from being fully displayed is displayed with visually dimmer display than when fully displayed.

5. The collection system of claim 4 wherein said computer system, said optical storage drive and said hard drive define, respectively, a first computer system, a first optical storage drive and a first hard drive;

and further comprising a second computer system including a second disk drive, a second hard drive, a second optical storage drive, a second user input, and a second display system, a second program similar to said first program and in said second computer system, and wherein said first disk with said first coded key having been rendered operative can be inserted into said second disk drive to unlock using said first coded key a similar first collection item into said second hard drive.

6. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said second coded key after unlocking said second collection piece is rendered inoperative and incapable of unlocking a similar second collection piece in a similar program.

7. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said user input includes an infrared air mouse.

8. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said first disk includes a first disk program, which includes said first coded key, and which when activated initiates a display, separate from said portable optical storage media program, on said display system, said display being associated with said first collection item.

9. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said program includes a locked third collection item different from said first and second collection items, and said first disk includes a third coded key adapted to unlock said third collection item into said hard drive.

10. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said first disk includes an identifier on its disk case.

11. The collection system of claim 10 wherein said identifier is a hologram.

12. The collection system of claim 10 wherein said second disk includes a different identifier, different from said identifier of said first disk, on its disk case.

13. The collection system of claim 12 wherein said identifier and said different identifier comprise different serial numbers.

14. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said first and second items form part of a larger set of collection items included in said program.

15. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said user input includes a mouse and a keyboard both operatively connected to said hard drive.

16. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said display system includes a visual display monitor and at least one audio speaker, both operatively connected to said hard drive.

17. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said program includes first and second encryption/decryption algorithms corresponding to said first and second collection items, said first coded key is associated with a complementary first encryption/decryption complementary algorithm to said first encryption/decryption algorithm, and said second coded key is associated with a complementary second encryption/decryption complementary algorithm to said second encryption/decryption algorithm.

18. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said program includes an interactive computer game which a user can play using said user input only after said first and second collection items have been unlocked into said hard drive.

19. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said first disk includes a third coded key, and further comprising a third disk containing said third coded key but not said first and second coded keys.

20. The collection system of claim 1 wherein said computer system includes network connectivity providing communication with at least one other computer.

21. A computer-based collection system, comprising:

a smart device with an embedded system, said smart device having network connectivity;

an optical storage drive;

a disk drive;

a program loaded into said smart device by an optical storage disc inserted into said optical storage drive;

said program including different locked first and second collection items;

a first disk having a first coded key, said first disk after being inserted into said disk drive being capable of unlocking, using said first coded key, said first collection item into said smart device; and

a second disk having a second coded key, said second disk after being inserted into said disk drive being capable of unlocking, using said second coded key, said second collection item into said smart device;

wherein said first coded key after unlocking said first collection piece is rendered inoperative and incapable of unlocking a corresponding first collection item in a similar program.

22. The collection system of claim 21 wherein said network connectivity is via a modem, T1 Hub or Ethernet card.

23. The collection system of 21 wherein collection items and/or enhancements can be downloaded via said network connectivity.

24. A computer-based collection method, comprising the steps of:

providing a computer system including a disk drive, a hard drive, an optical storage drive, a user input and a display system;

providing a program loaded into said drive, the program including different locked first and second collection items;

providing first and second disks having respective first and second coded keys;

inserting the first disk into the disk drive;

instructing the computer system via the user input to unlock the first collection item into the hard drive using the first coded key of the inserted first disk;

inserting the second disk into the disk drive; and

instructing the computer system via the user input to unlock the second collection item into the hard drive using the second coded key of the inserted second disk.

25. The collection method of claim 24 wherein the program includes an interactive computer game which game can be played only after a specified series of collection items, including at least the first and second collection items, have been unlocked into the hard drive using respective coded keys contained on disks;

and playing the computer game using the user input.

26. The collection method of claim 25 wherein said playing includes playing the computer game networked with another player.

27. The collection method of claim 25 further comprising inserting a third disk having therein a coded key into the disk drive;

viewing on the display system a collection item associated with the coded key of the third disk; and

without rendering the coded key inoperative, removing the third disk from the disk drive and trading it with another person for at least a fourth disk having a coded key therein.

28. The collection method of claim 24 wherein said first-mentioned instructing step renders the first coded key inoperative and incapable of unlocking a similar first collection piece in a similar program.

29. The collection method of claim 28 further comprising after said first-mentioned instructing step, removing the first disk from the disk drive, and thereafter inserting a disk having an inoperative first coded key into the disk drive, and instructing the computer system to relock the first collection item and render the inoperative first coded key operative and capable of subsequently unlocking the first collection item.

30. The collection method of claim 29 further comprising after said rendering the first coded key operative, inserting the disk into a different computer system and unlocking a corresponding first collection item therein.

31. The collection method of claim 24 further comprising after said second-mentioned instructing step, displaying the first and second collection items on the display system.

32. The collection method of claim 24 wherein said first-mentioned instructing step renders the first coded key inoperative and incapable of unlocking a similar first collection piece in a similar program.

33. The collection method of claim 24 wherein said instructing steps use asymmetric encryption keys.

34. The collection method of claim 24 wherein the optical storage drive is a DVD ROM drive and the program is a DVD ROM program.