JP2002117294A - Trading card sales system - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Problem] To provide a trading card sales system that can be applied to a project in which the market scale is considered to be relatively small or sales forecast cannot be made. An order receiving means for receiving an order through a network, and a predetermined number of images selected from a large number of images belonging to a selected category are selected.
A server computer 100 including a set of image data and a set assembling means 103 for sending necessary data relating to each image to an on-demand printing machine, and a large number of groups belonging to several categories. The above problem is solved by a trading card sales system including an image database 111 for storing image data and data related to each image, and an on-demand printing machine 200.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a trading card sales system for receiving an order for a trading card on a Web and selling the card without stock by an on-demand printing machine.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There is a trading card in which several cards are randomly selected from a set of a set of cards, and the cards are sold as a set without knowing the contents. Card collectors often buy cards that are sold without knowing their contents in order to bring them all together. The availability of the card you want depends on chance, and collectors will enjoy that chance. In addition, unnecessary cards may be exchanged between collectors to collect necessary cards. Exchanging information between collectors to exchange cards is also an element of the collector's enjoyment.

[0003]

Until now, a certain number of cards have been printed and secured in stock, and then placed on distribution channels. Could not be implemented unless it was a project that could be expected to sell. The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and is considered to have a relatively small market size.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a trading card sales system that can be applied to a project for which sales prediction cannot be made.

[0004]

Accordingly, a first aspect of the present invention is to provide an order receiving means for receiving an order through a network, and to select a predetermined number of images from a large number of images belonging to a selected category. A server computer including a set of image data and a set assembling means for transmitting necessary data related to each image to an on-demand printing machine; A trading card sales system comprising an image database for storing image data and data relating to each image, and an on-demand printing machine.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the trading card sales system according to the first aspect, the order receiving means handles an identification number for identifying a purchaser, and the set assembling means includes: When one set of image data is determined, the identification number of the purchaser and the number of the selected image are recorded as purchase history data, and the next time an order is received from the same purchaser, an image that does not overlap with the previous one is selected. This is a trading card sales system that is characterized in that

[0006]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of an E-trading card sales system 1 (hereinafter, a card sales system 1) according to an embodiment of the present invention. 100 is a card sales server. The card sales server 100 has W
An WW server 101, an order receiving unit 102, a set assembling unit 103, and a database management unit 104 are provided. An image database 111 is recorded in an external storage device 110 connected to the card sales server 100. The image database 111 is a set of a table for managing image file names and text data corresponding to card numbers and a large number of image files. Reference numeral 200 denotes an on-demand printing machine. 9 is the Internet. The card collector accesses the card sales server 100 through the Internet 9 from a computer at home equipped with a WWW browser or a card sales terminal installed at a storefront. The card sales server 100 has a WWW server 101 mounted thereon, and displays an order acceptance screen prepared by the order acceptance means 102 on a computer of a card collector or a card sales terminal.

Reference numeral 200 denotes an on-demand printing machine. An on-demand printer is a so-called DTP (DiskTop Publis)
hing), a printing machine capable of directly printing out digital data edited in a format to be printed. The on-demand printing machine is suitable for small lot printing, and the quality is almost the same as ordinary offset printing. Although the unit price per copy is higher than that of a normal printing press, the printing plate process is not required, and the preparation work required for the normal printing press is not required, so that a small lot of printed matter can be produced in a short time at relatively low cost.

The on-demand printing machine 200 includes a control unit 20
1 is provided. The control unit 201 receives a set of image data and related text data determined by the set combination determination unit 103, prints them on the spot, and creates a trading card.

Next, the operation flow of the card sales system 1 will be described. FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the card sales system 1. First, when the collector accesses the WWW server 101 via the Internet 9, the WWW server 101 sends the order screen data prepared in advance to the computer of the collector (the WWW browser) (S).
1). The order screen data is, for example, as shown in FIG.
FIG. 3 shows nine sample images of a set of several cards (which will be referred to as categories). The collector selects the category that he / she wants to purchase from among these using the code of the sample image and presses the order button. Then W
The order receiving means 102 is called from the WW server 101, the selected code is read, and screen page data for inputting information such as the mailing destination of the commodity and the settlement method is sent to the purchaser (S2). Thereafter, the number of the category relating to the selected image code is transmitted to the set assembling means 103. The set assembling means 103 randomly determines card numbers of a predetermined number, such as three or four, from a set of cards belonging to the specified category (S3), and outputs data of the determined card numbers. Is sent to the on-demand printing machine 200 to issue a print request (S4). The on-demand printing machine 200 receives data necessary for card printing, prints the data, and creates a trading card (S
5).

[0010] The settlement method of the card sales system 1 is not particularly limited. The payment method is 1) a method of performing a postal money order or bank transfer in the form of enclosing a transfer form with the sending flight of the trading card. 2) Entering the credit number on the order screen, encrypting this, and transferring it to the server 100. 3) A method of purchasing a prepaid card with an identification number and a method of using a prepaid card with an identification number suitable for small-lot payment in a form of inputting the identification number of this card on an order screen. And 4) a method using an electronic money card or a debit card, and the like. However, 4) requires a card reader / writer device in the computer used by the purchaser. Order receiving means 1
No. 02 prepares an order acceptance screen suitable for the settlement method to be actually used, encrypts the input data, and transfers it to the card sales server.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the set assembling process performed by the set assembling means 103. The operation of the set assembling means 103 will be described with reference to FIG. First, the category number specified by the purchaser is received from the order receiving means 102 (S10). The category number corresponds to a certain set of image data (such as a set of image data of a player in a specific professional sports competition). Each image data has a number (card number). Next, a predetermined number of numbers are randomly extracted from the set of image data (S15). Next, image data and text data of the selected card number are extracted from the image database 111 (S20). Then, the on-demand printing machine 200
Is transferred to the printer, and a print request is issued (S25). The above is the operation of the set assembling means 103. In the on-demand printing machine 200, the transferred data is temporarily stored in the external storage device 210, the transferred data 8 is poured into the template card data prepared in advance, and is configured as card print data, and then printed. I do.

The details of the card sales system 1 have been described above. By using the card sales system 1, the card collector can access the card sales server 100 from a personal computer at home or a trading card sales terminal at a store to order a desired card. The ordered card will be delivered to the buyer later by Takkyubin (registered trademark) or mail. From the perspective of a trading card publisher,
Since the card sales system 1 does not need to have a stock of cards, it is possible to carry out planning of a genre for which sales prediction cannot be made.

Next, a trading card sales system 1
Modifications will be described. FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a card sales system 2 which is a modification of the card sales system 1.
The difference from the card sales system 1 is that a purchase history data table 112 is provided in the external storage device 110. The purchase history data table 112 stores the category (genre of card) purchased by the purchaser and the card number distributed at that time. The purchaser is assigned a unique user number from the order receiving means when purchasing a card for the first time, and thereafter, when purchasing a card, inputs this user number from the order screen.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of the set assembling means 103 in the card sales system 2. Set assembling means 1 of card sales system 1 in FIG.
03 is different from the order receiving means 102 in that
Receive the buyer ID number in addition to the category number (S4
0), the card number that the purchaser has already purchased is extracted with reference to the purchase history data table 112 (S45),
The required number of card numbers is randomly selected from the set of card numbers of the designated category (trading card genre) excluding the already purchased card numbers (S50). This is to add the purchase record of the purchaser to the purchase history data table (S57).

In the card sales system 2, there is no danger that the card collector will purchase a card having the same card number as that already possessed. Such a method of providing has not been available in conventional trading card sales.

[0016]

As described above, the trading card sales system 1 and the trading card sales system 2 as a modified example thereof have been described in detail. Since none of the sales systems need to have a stock of cards, the trading card publisher can be expected to have a remarkable effect that it is possible to carry out planning of a genre for which sales forecast cannot be made.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a trading card sales system 1.

FIG. 2 is an operation flowchart of the trading card sales system.

FIG. 3 is an interactive screen displayed on a purchaser's computer provided by an order receiving means.

FIG. 4 is a set assembling process 1 performed by a set assembling unit 103;
It is a flowchart explaining.

FIG. 5 is an overall configuration diagram of a trading card sales system 2.

FIG. 6 is a set assembly process 2 performed by a set assembly unit 103;
It is a flowchart explaining.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Trading card sales system 2 Trading card sales system 8 Image data and text data 9 Internet 100 Card sales server 101 WWW server 102 Order receiving means 103 Set assembling means 104 Database management means 110 External storage device 111 Image database 112 Purchasing history data table 200 On-demand printing machine 201 Control unit 210 External storage device

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. An order receiving means for receiving an order through a network, and a predetermined number of images selected from a large number of images belonging to a selected category are selected as one set, and the one set of image data and A server computer having a set assembling means for sending necessary data relating to each image to an on-demand printing press; and storing and storing a large number of image data belonging to several categories and data relating to each image. Trading card sales system consisting of an image database and an on-demand printing machine. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the order receiving means handles an identification number for identifying a purchaser, and
When the image data of the set is determined, the identification number of the purchaser and the number of the selected image are recorded as purchase history data,
2. The trading card sales system according to claim 1, wherein when an order is received from the same buyer next time, an image that does not overlap with the previous time is selected.