EP1184057A2

EP1184057A2 - Deck of cards

Info

Publication number: EP1184057A2
Application number: EP01307263A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Tomoharu Chida
Original assignee: Konami Corp
Current assignee: Konami Group Corp
Priority date: 2000-08-28
Filing date: 2001-08-28
Publication date: 2002-03-06
Also published as: US20020024179A1; EP1184057A3; KR20020018008A; JP2002065935A; AU767884B2; US20030052455A1; AU6548001A; TW548117B; CN1340369A; HK1043554A1

Abstract

Cards (10) of thirteen kinds ranging from A to K that belong to a certain class among four classes: spade, club, diamond and heart are turned over so as to exhibit the obverse (11) in the order of the card identification alphanumeric letter (16). By doing so, a character performs a certain series of actions as far as the final card or a card in the middle. Therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be further invoked.

Description

The present invention relates to improvement of a deck of cards.

Games using decks of cards have been played from old days. In order to eliminate the monotony of the games, various improvements have been conducted on cards. For example, in a deck of cards described in Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 6-91904, a specific substance indication area is formed in a part of a transparent area of each of the obverse and reverse, and a specific indication substance such as a character, an animal, or a commodity is indicated definitely in order to increase the commodity value of the cards.

Certainly, in this conventional technique, it is attempted to increase the commodity value of the cards. Since transparent portions are formed, however, there is a problem that the cost is increased by that amount. There has been desired appearance of such a deck of cards as to cause the player's will to collect cards and thereby increase the commodity value without using a special fabrication process.

In order to solve such problems of the prior technique, the present invention has been made. An object of the present invention is to provide a deck of cards that causes the player's will to collect cards without increasing the cost.

The above described object is achieved by first and second aspects of the present invention.

In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deck of cards including a plurality of cards, each of said plurality of cards comprising: first identification information indicated on the card; second identification information indicated on the card; and a pattern indication portion formed on the card, wherein, when said deck of cards are classified according to said first identification information, same basic pattern is indicated on the pattern indication portions of cards belonging to each of classes obtained by said classification, and wherein, on pattern indication portions of cards belonging to the same class, patterns obtained by making a change differing from said second identification information to said second identification information in said same basic pattern are indicated.

According to the first aspect of the present invention, on cards of the same class obtained by classification according to the first identification information, the same basic pattern is indicated. In addition, even in the same class, different changes are made in the basic pattern according to the second identification information. Therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be invoked.

In the deck of cards, the first identification information may be an identification alphanumeric letter for cards, the second identification information may be an identification icon for cards, and the basic pattern may be a character.

To be more concrete, there is provided a deck of cards, comprising thirteen groups formed so as to be respectively associated with card identification alphanumeric letters of thirteen kinds, cards of four kinds belonging to each of said groups, wherein character indication portions indicating same character preset differently from group to group are respectively formed on obverses of said cards of four kinds belonging to each group, and wherein the respective character indication portions of said cards of four kinds belonging to same group are formed so as to differ in clothes of the character preset for the group.

According to the invention, different characters are indicated from group to group among groups of thirteen kinds ranging from A to K in card identification alphanumeric letter. In addition, even in the same group, the same character wears clothes of four kinds for the spade, club, diamond and heart. Without increasing the cost, therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be invoked.

In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a deck of cards including a plurality of cards, each of said plurality of cards comprising: first identification information indicated on the card; second identification information indicated on the card; and a pattern indication portion formed on the card, wherein, when said deck of cards are classified according to said second identification information, same basic pattern is indicated on the pattern indication portions of cards belonging to each of classes obtained by said classification, and wherein said pattern indication portions are formed so that the pattern will show a certain series of motions as far as a final card or a card in middle, by turning over cards belonging to same class in order of the first identification information.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, the pattern shows a certain series of motions as far as a final card or a card in middle, by turning over cards belonging to a certain class obtained by classification using the second identification information, in order of the first identification information. Therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be further invoked.

More concretely, there is provided a deck of cards, comprising four groups formed so as to be respectively associated with card identification icons of four kinds, cards of thirteen kinds belonging to each of said groups, wherein character indication portions indicating same character are respectively formed on obverses of said cards of thirteen kinds belonging to each group, and wherein said pattern indication portions are formed so that the character will perform a certain series of actions as far as a final card or a card in middle, by turning over cards of the thirteen kinds in order of card identification alphanumeric letters.

According to the invention, a character performs a certain series of motions as far as a final card or a card in middle, by turning over cards of thirteen kinds ranging from A to K belonging to a certain class obtained by classifying cards into four kinds: spade, club, diamond and heart, in the order of the first identification information. Therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be further invoked.

The deck of cards may be formed so that in card identification icon groups of the four kinds, the same character in different clothes will perform different series of actions.

In the Drawings;

FIG. 1A is a configuration diagram showing an obverse of a card which is an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 1B is a configuration diagram showing an obverse of a card which is an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a deck of cards of a first embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a deck of cards of a second embodiment of the present invention.

Hereafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described by referring to the drawing.

(Outline of trading type cards)

This deck of cards is such a deck of cards made of plastic that characters of thirteen kinds appearing in a certain comic strip are indicated in the center of cards. By flipping and turning over the cards, indicated characters move as in a turning-over comic strip. A large variety of characters are indicated. Even if the character is the same, pauses and clothes thereof may vary. By selecting fifty-two cards from hundreds of kinds, a deck of cards can be formed.

For example, in the case where thirteen kinds of characters and ten kinds differing in pause and clothes per character are manufactured and sold, there are a total of one hundred thirty kinds of cards. From among character cards of one hundred kinds or more, arbitrary cards are selected and formed so as to function as playing cards. These cards form a "set". In the same way, eight arbitrary cards are selected and packed as "pack". It is possible to collect cards by buying packs. And as for cards having complete characters, each of the characters performs a series of actions by arranging cards suitably and flicking them.

(Concrete example)

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a card 10 included in a deck of cards of an embodiment of the present invention. Two jokers, which are not illustrated, are added to this deck of cards and sold.

As shown in FIG. 1A, a character indication portion 14 for indicating a character is formed in the center portion of an obverse 11 of the card 10. Furthermore, a card identification alphanumeric letter 16, which indicates one of alphanumeric letters of thirteen kinds ranging from A to K, and a card identification icon 17, which indicates one of four kinds: spade, club, diamond and heart, are formed on the left top portion and the right bottom portion of the obverse 11 point-symmetrically. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1B, a common pattern indication portion 15 for indicating a picture which is common to a total of fifty-four (= 13 × 4 + 2 jokers) cards is formed on a reverse 12 of the card 10. In the example of FIG. 1, a card 10 having "A" as the card identification alphanumeric letter 16 and "spade" as the card identification icon 17 is shown.

(First Embodiment)

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a deck of cards of a first embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, jokers are not illustrated. Fifty-two cards of a deck are grouped according to 13 card identification alphanumeric letters. As a result, cards 10 of four kinds (spade, club, diamond and heart) belong to each of groups of 13 kinds. On obverses of cards of four kinds belonging to each group, character indication portions 14 for indicating the same character are formed. Characters indicated on the character indication portions 14 differ from group to group. In addition, character indication portions 14 of cards of four kinds belonging to the same group are formed so as to differ in clothes of the character set for that group, respectively.

For example, on

cards

10a, 10b, 10c and 10d that belong to a group having "A" as the card identification alphanumeric letter, a character "Hikari Hinoshita" is indicated on the character indication portions 14 thereof. In addition, on the card 10a, which is a spade, clothes are a summer uniform although the character is the same. In addition, on the card 10b, which is a club, clothes are a winter uniform although the character is the same. On the card 10c, which is a diamond, clothes are private clothes although the character is the same. On the card 10d, which is a heart, clothes are a swimming suit although the character is the same.

In the same way, on four cards belonging to a group having "2" as the card identification alphanumeric letter, a character "Kotoko Minazuki" is indicated on the character indication portion 14. In addition, the clothes are changed as a summer uniform, a winter uniform, private clothes, and a swimming suit respectively for its spade, club, diamond heart. By the way, in the case where the character is a student, the uniform becomes a school uniform. On the other hand, in the case where the character is engaged in an occupation (including part-time jobs) that requires a uniform, however, that uniform becomes the uniform.

According to this embodiment, therefore, different characters are indicated from group to group among groups of thirteen kinds having A to K as the card identification alphanumeric letter. In addition, even if the group is the same, the same character wears clothes of four kinds respectively for the spade, club, diamond and heart. Without increasing the cost, therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be caused.

(Second Embodiment)

FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a deck of cards of a second embodiment of the present invention. For convenience of description, jokers are not illustrated. Fifty-two cards of a deck are grouped according to the card identification icons of four kinds: spade, club, diamond and heart. On obverses of cards of thirteen kinds ranging A to K belonging to each group, character indication portions 14 for indicating the same character are formed. Characters indicated on the character indication portions 14 differ from group to group. In addition, character indication portions 14 are formed so that the character will perform a certain series of actions as far as the final card or a card in the middle by turning over the cards of thirteen kinds in the order of the card identification alphanumeric letter ranging from A to K.

The second embodiment will now be described by taking, for example, the character "Hikari Hinoshita" as an example. Thirteen spade cards ranging from A to K having the character "Hikari Hinoshita" on the character indication portion 14 are piled up, and the cards are turned over to exhibit the obverse 11 in the order of the card identification alphanumeric letter ranging from A to K. As a result, the character "Hikari Hinoshita" in a summer uniform will perform a certain series of actions as far as the final card or a card in the middle. Since it is similar to the so-called turning-over comic strip, it is described as turning-over animation in FIG. 3. In the same way, if thirteen club cards ranging from A to K having the character "Hikari Hinoshita" in a winter uniform on the character indication portion 14 are piled up, and the cards are turned over in the order of the card identification alphanumeric letter ranging from A to K, then the character "Hikari Hinoshita" in a winter uniform will perform a certain series of actions as far as the final card or a card in the middle. As for each of diamond and heart cards as well, a similar series of actions can be seen.

In this embodiment, therefore, a character performs a certain series of actions as far as the final card or a card in the middle, by turning over cards of thirteen kinds ranging from A to K that belong to a certain class among four classes: spade, club, diamond and heart, so as to exhibit the obverse 11 in the order of the card identification alphanumeric letter. Therefore, the player's will to collect cards can be further invoked. By the way, as shown in FIG. 3, cards may be formed so that the same character "Hikari Hinoshita" in different clothes will perform different series of actions from group to group among card identification icon groups of four kinds (spade, club, diamond and heart) in order to enhance the pleasure.

If all cards having character indication portions 14 formed so as to perform a series of actions as shown in FIG. 3 are not sold at one time, but sold at separate times, then the will to collect cards is further improved. Taking spades in FIG. 3 as an example, only a card 10 can be acquired in a first starter kit as spade cards of "Hikari Hinoshita". And cards are sold by stages successively as the first-stage booster, the second-stage booster, and so on.

For example, in the first-stage booster, twelve cards shaded in FIG. 3 are sold. In the second-stage booster, the following twelve cards are sold. In each of the following stage boosters, the following twelve cards are sold in the same way. By purchasing cards successively sold by stages, therefore, cards for performing a series of actions are becoming complete. In the example shown in FIG. 3, it becomes possible to see a series of actions as far as the final card by completing cards as far as the fourth-stage booster. In such a stage that cards as far as the fourth-stage booster are not complete, a series of action operations in cards as far as that stage can be seen.

By the way, if cards sold in each stage are not cards for each of the characters shown in FIG. 2, but cards for a series of actions corresponding to each of three to four characters among all characters, then the interest in the contents of boosters is further invoked.

While FIG. 3 has been described by taking the character "Hikari Hinoshita" as an example, a similar configuration is possible for other characters as well.

Heretofore, embodiments of the present invention have been described. Without departing from the spirit of the present invention, various modifications and changes can be made on the embodiments of the present invention. For example, there can be mentioned various modifications and changes, such as suitably changing the positions of indication and the number of indications of the card identification alphanumeric letter 16 and the card identification icon 17, suitably changing the size and disposition position of the character indication portion 14, and changing the kinds of clothes into, for example, bathrobes or kimonos (Japanese clothes).

As heretofore described, the present invention brings about an effect that the player's will to collect cards is caused without increasing the cost.

Claims

A deck of cards including a plurality of cards, characterized in that each of said plurality of cards (10) comprises:

first identification information (16) indicated on the card;

second identification information (17) indicated on the card; and

a pattern indication portion (14) formed on the card,

wherein, when said deck of cards are classified according to said first identification information, same basic pattern is indicated on the pattern indication portions of cards belonging to each of classes obtained by said classification, and

wherein, on pattern indication portions of cards belonging to the same class, patterns obtained by making a change differing from said second identification to said second identification in said same basic pattern are indicated.
The deck of cards according to claim 1, wherein

said first identification information is an identification alphanumeric letter (16) for cards,

said second identification information is an identification icon (17) for cards, and

said basic pattern is a character.
A deck of cards, comprising thirteen groups formed so as to be respectively associated with card identification alphanumeric letters of thirteen kinds, cards of four kinds belonging to each of said groups,
characterized in that character indication portions (14) indicating same character preset differently from group to group are respectively formed on obverses (11) of said cards (10) of four kinds belonging to each group, and

that the respective character indication portions of said cards of four kinds belonging to same group are formed so as to differ in clothes of the character preset for the group.
A deck of cards including a plurality of cards, characterized in that each of said plurality of cards (10) comprises:

first identification information (16) indicated on the card;

second identification information (17) indicated on the card; and

a pattern indication portion (14) formed on the card,

wherein, when said deck of cards are classified according to said second identification information, same basic pattern is indicated on the pattern indication portions of cards belonging to each of classes obtained by said classification, and
wherein said pattern indication portions are formed so that the pattern will show a certain series of motions as far as a final card or a card in middle, by turning over cards belonging to same class in order of the first identification information.
The deck of cards according to claim 4, wherein

said first identification information is an identification alphanumeric letter (16) for cards,

said second identification information is an identification icon (17) for cards, and

said basic pattern is a character.
A deck of cards, comprising four groups formed so as to be respectively associated with card identification icons (17) of four kinds, cards of thirteen kinds belonging to each of said groups,
characterized in that character indication portions (14) indicating same character are respectively formed on obverses (11) of said cards (10) of thirteen kinds belonging to each group, and

that said pattern indication portions are formed so that the character will perform a certain series of actions as far as a final card or a card in middle, by turning over cards of the thirteen kinds in order of card identification alphanumeric letters (16).
The deck of cards according to claim 6, wherein, in card identification icon groups of the four kinds, the same character in different clothes performs different series of actions.