Electronic trading card
DCFirst Claim
1. A system for the implementation of a trading card metaphor, comprising:
- a disassociated computer program, consisting of a plurality of electronic trading cards (ETCs), each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity.
2 Assignments
Litigations
0 Petitions
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
A system for the application of a trading card metaphor to a disassociated computer program and the unique design of several hardware and software systems supports and enhances collecting, trading, game playing, and creating of digital electronic trading cards by taking the traditional trading card metaphor and uniquely updating and enhancing it for application in consumer digital media. An electronic hardware and software architecture for electronic trading cards (ETCs) has a number of components that function together as a system that support making electronic trading cards, trading electronic trading cards, activities (such as game playing) with electronic trading cards, and collecting electronic trading cards. The ETC format is embodied in the components of the electronic trading card system, which are designed to generate and accept a common proprietary electronic trading card format, so that, for example, a card created in a card-making application can be recognized by an electronic trading card album. The card format supports both scarcity and authenticity, which are essential to card collecting and trading, within a disassociated computer code segment.
522 Citations
39 Claims
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1. A system for the implementation of a trading card metaphor, comprising:
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a disassociated computer program, consisting of a plurality of electronic trading cards (ETCs), each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
an ETC header identification code that uniquely identifies the ETC;
an optional lock and key mechanism to limit access and impose password protection on the ETC;
an ETC graphic identification code that may include any of an audio visual logo, a copyright notice, and company information;
multimedia data that may include any of animation, video, pictures, sounds, and text;
pointers to external data and programs embedded in scripts that trigger the display of external media or run external applications;
utility programs;
applications, including any of incomplete linkable code segments, games, puzzles, and utilities; and
a user writable area for any of personalization, messages, voice recording, image storage, and score keeping.
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3. The system of claim 2, said utility programs further comprising any of:
copy protection schemes, print drivers, telecommunications protocols, and self destruction routines.
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4. The system of claim 1, wherein said ETC is transportable across a wide range of digital media, including CD-ROM, networked servers, fixed discs, floppy discs, data cards, writable optical storage, and RAM.
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5. The system of claim 1, wherein said trading card metaphor is a puzzle distributed to at least two ETCs.
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6. The system of claim 5, wherein said puzzle uses timing to generate scarcity in ETCs in any of the following ways:
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said ETCs self-destruct or self erase after a given time has elapsed;
said ETCs are made available for limited times on on-line systems; and
said ETCs are time stamped.
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7. The system of claim 1, wherein said ETC is copy protected to limit the number of times said ETC can be copied.
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8. The system of claim 7, said ETC further comprising:
public-key/private-key encryption means for detecting illegal copying.
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9. The system of claim 1, wherein said ETC is randomly distributed in partial sets.
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10. The system of claim 1, further comprising:
a runtime engine that must be present in a local computing device for a user to view and interact with an ETC, said runtime engine including media handlers and display routines, a timing mechanism, display management, and input handlers.
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11. The system of claim 1, wherein said trading card metaphor further comprises:
printed/printable incomplete cards in which a portion of their printed information is missing, said missing information being provided through the use of at least one ETC, such that said incomplete card can be printed when said missing information is found, wherein disassociated information from said ETC completes said incomplete card, thereby creating a hybrid ETC/paper trading card.
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12. The system of claim 1, wherein said trading card metaphor further comprises:
an adventure game, including a plurality of linked ETCs, each ETC adapted to offer clues, hints and/or other special properties that give a ETC owner an advantage when playing said adventure game.
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13. The system of claim 12, wherein said ETCs augment an existing game with additional levels of play, characters, or other game elements.
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14. The system of claim 12, wherein said ETCs provide either of a reward and proof that a player has solved a level of play in said game.
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15. A method for implementing a trading card metaphor in an electronic trading card (ETC), comprising the steps of:
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assembling and personalizing at least one ETCs, each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity;
choosing a format and setting for said ETC;
optionally adding a personalized multimedia character to said ETC;
optionally selecting a game to be incorporated into said ETC;
optionally adding a secret message, linked to said game, to said ETC; and
optionally adding links to other ETCs.
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16. A method for implementing a trading card metaphor in an electronic trading card (ETC), comprising the steps of:
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entering a multiroom virtual environment where each room in said environment requires a specific set of ETCs to complete an ETC collection, each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity;
finding a missing ETC;
completing said set; and
reward when said set is completed. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18)
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19. A method for implementing a trading card metaphor in an electronic trading card (ETC), comprising the steps of:
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solving a puzzle having increasing levels of difficulty using a series of linked electronic trading cards (ETCs), each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity; and
reproducing a personalized certificate of completion when, and only when, each level of said puzzle is solved, said certificate of completion optionally including clues to solve a next level of said puzzle. - View Dependent Claims (20)
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21. A method for the implementing a trading card metaphor, comprising the steps of:
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a dissociating a computer program, consisting of a plurality of electronic trading cards (ETCs), each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
providing an ETC header identification code that uniquely identifies the ETC;
providing an optional lock and key mechanism to limit access and impose password protection on the ETC;
providing an ETC graphic identification code that may include any of an audio visual logo, a copyright notice, and company information;
providing multimedia data on said ETC that may include any of animation, video, pictures, sounds, and text;
providing pointers on said ETC to external data and programs embedded in scripts that trigger the display of external media or run external applications;
providing utility programs on said ETC;
providing applications on said ETC, including any of incomplete linkable code segments, games, puzzles, and utilities; and
providing a user writable area on said ETC for any of personalization, messages, voice recording, image storage, and score keeping.
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23. The method of claim 22, wherein said utility programs comprise any of copy protection schemes, print drivers, telecommunications protocols, and self destruction routines.
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24. The method of claim 21, wherein said ETC is transportable across a wide range of digital media, including CD-ROM, networked servers, fixed discs, floppy discs, data cards, writable optical storage, and RAM.
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25. The method of claim 21, wherein said trading card metaphor is a puzzle distributed to at least two ETCs.
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26. The system of claim 25, wherein said puzzle uses timing to generate scarcity in ETCs in accordance with any of the following steps:
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self-destructing or self erasing said ETC after a given time has elapsed;
limiting ETC availability times on on-line systems; and
time stamping said ETC.
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27. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:
copy protecting said ETC to limit the number of times said ETC can be copied.
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28. The method of claim 27, said ETC further comprising:
detecting illegal copying with public-key/private-key encryption means.
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29. The method of claim 21, wherein said ETC is randomly distributed in partial sets.
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30. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:
requiring the presence of a runtime engine in a local computing device before a user can view and interact with an ETC.
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31. The method of claim 21, wherein said trading card metaphor further comprises the step of:
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providing a printed/printable card, where a portion of said card'"'"'s printed information is missing;
using at least one ETC to find said missing information, such that said incomplete card can be printed when said missing information is found, wherein disassociated information from said ETC completes said incomplete card, thereby creating a hybrid ETC/paper trading card.
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32. The method of claim 21, wherein said trading card metaphor further comprises an adventure game, including a plurality of linked ETCs, each ETC adapted to offer clues, hints or other special properties that give a ETC owner an advantage when playing said adventure game.
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33. The method of claim 22, wherein said ETCs augment an existing game with additional levels of play, characters, or other game elements.
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34. The method of claim 22, wherein said ETCs provide either of a reward and proof that a player has solved a level of play in said game.
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35. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:
trading ETCs on writable media.
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36. The method of claim 21, further comprising the step of:
trading ETCs on-line.
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37. The method of claim 36, wherein said ETC has a built-in phone number that is dialed on command.
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38. A system for the implementation of a trading card metaphor, comprising:
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a disassociated computer program, consisting of a plurality of electronic trading cards (ETCs), each ETC corresponding to a disassociated computer code segment and having an electronic format that supports card scarcity and card authenticity;
said ETC including a display system, a housing, software, a battery, a CPU, and an LCD display.- View Dependent Claims (39)
means for outputting files contained on said ETC onto any of paper cards, which paper cards may be traded and used in card games.
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Specification