Method of displaying and transacting electronic trading cards

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

The sports trading card industry lacks innovation in digital formats, with electronic trading cards not offering significant improvements over traditional cardboard or paper cards in terms of functionality and user experience.

Innovation Solution

A method for purchasing, trading, and displaying electronic trading cards using servers and handheld devices, enabling features like electronic cross-referencing, video clips, and real-time statistics, with user-friendly interfaces for sorting and transaction processes.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If electronic trading cards are displayed on personal computers or handheld devices with enhanced features like electronic cross-referencing, video clips, and sound recordings, then the information content and user experience are improved, but the device complexity and data storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveinformation contentVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic trading card system divides information into modular components: basic card data (image, name, team), statistical data, video clips, sound recordings, and electronic cross-referencing information. Each component can be independently stored, retrieved, and displayed, allowing the system to provide comprehensive information without requiring all features to be loaded simultaneously, thus managing device complexity while maximizing information content.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent transitions from two-dimensional physical trading cards to multi-dimensional electronic cards that incorporate temporal (video clips, sound recordings), spatial (electronic cross-referencing), and interactive dimensions. This dimensional expansion allows vastly more information to be contained within the same physical footprint of a handheld device, resolving the contradiction between information content and device complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If electronic trading cards include enhanced statistics, video clips, and sound recordings, then the functionality and user engagement are improved, but the data storage space and transmission bandwidth requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
ImprovefunctionalityVSAvoiddata storage space
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The electronic trading card system is designed as a universal platform that can accommodate multiple types of content (statistics, video, audio, images) and multiple card formats within a single database structure. This multi-functionality allows the system to provide diverse functionality without requiring separate storage systems for each content type, optimizing data storage efficiency while maintaining versatility.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses digital copying of card data across multiple servers and user devices. Instead of requiring unique physical storage for each card instance, the electronic cards can be replicated and distributed efficiently across the network, reducing the total data storage requirement while maintaining universal access and functionality.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Ease of operation

If the trading card application allows seamless purchasing, trading, and displaying of electronic cards with real-time verification, then the ease of operation is improved, but the server communication requirements and processing time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoidprocessing time
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by pre-verified card ownership, pre-calculated trading values, and pre-established user credentials before actual trading or purchasing operations. When a user initiates a trade or purchase, the verification process completes rapidly because the foundational data is already prepared and stored, significantly reducing processing time while maintaining secure and seamless operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements real-time feedback mechanisms where server verification results, trading confirmations, and card display updates are immediately communicated back to the user interface. This continuous feedback loop creates the perception of seamless operation by providing instant confirmation of actions, reducing user waiting time and improving ease of operation even as server communication requirements increase.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS10373243B2Method of displaying and transacting electronic trading cards
Publication Date: 2019.08.06 CLARK ROY
  • US10373243B2 patent drawing
  • US10373243B2 patent drawing
  • US10373243B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A method of displaying, buying, and trading electronic trading cards on a computer or handheld electronic device by running an electronic trading card application on the computer or handheld device that communicates via the internet with at least one remote server containing a registry of all electronic trading cards. The electronic trading card application running on the computer or handheld device transmits a transaction request to the at least one remote server to execute a purchase or trade between two users of one or more electronic trading cards. The electronic trading card application further displays various components of an electronic trading card based upon user inputs.