Abstract:
The Action Sequence Sports Collectible is a bound, graphical publication possessing an enhanced collectible value which utilizes the phenomena of persistence of vision of the eye and the human mind to render, through the rapid sequential presentation of a series of printed two-dimensional images, the actions of a subject athlete. The invention comprises a bound stack of flexible planar leaves on which are imprinted successive photographic renderings of an extreme sports stunt or similar athletic activity. It preserves the recognized attributes of the traditional collector card while representing an enhanced visual experience and collecting opportunity for the user.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]    This application claims the benefit of Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/347,766, filed Jan. 11, 2002. 
     
    
     
       STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT  
         [0002]    Not Applicable.  
         REFERENCE TO SEQUENCE LISTING, A TABLE, OR A COMPUTER PROGRAM LISTING COMPACT DISC APPENDIX  
         [0003]    Not Applicable.  
         BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0004]    The field of endeavor to which the invention pertains is:  
           [0005]    Class 352—Optics: Motion Pictures, specifically Subclass 99—Book leaf type, e.g. Mutotropes: Subject matter in which the picture carrier plates are attached together or to a common support by one edge and are successively brought into recording or viewing position by successively angularly indexing the individual carriers, as turning the leaves of a book. The successive action is generally accomplished by bringing a rigid stop against the carrier edge opposite the mounting edge, and forcing the stop and carriers past one another. The natural resiliency of the carrier or the mounting provides for the successive indexing of the carriers as they are freed from the stop.  
           [0006]    Other classes relating to the invention include:  
           [0007]    Class 283—Printed Matter; especially Subclasses/63.1, and /117.  
           [0008]    Class 434—Generic class for apparatus and processes . . . for purpose of comparison contrast, or demonstration; especially Subclasses/247, and /257.  
           [0009]    Class 40—Card, Picture or Sign Exhibiting; especially Subclass/124.191.  
           [0010]    This invention relates generally to optical toys and sports collectibles and memorabilia. It specifically relates to a bound stack of flexible planar leaves that, through rapid sequential viewing shows an “extreme” sports stunt or other sports action sequence, and possesses intrinsic attributes that enhance its appeal to children, teenagers, and adults who buy, collect, and trade sports memorabilia. The invention is a new and novel use for optical toys of Class 352/Subclass 99 in its function as a sports collectible item, and represents a significant improvement to the sports collectible trading cards typifying Classes 283/ and 40/, among others.  
           [0011]    Sports trading cards, such as baseball cards, have existed in essentially the same form since the 1880&#39;s. They are generally a piece of cardboard printed with pictorial images and statistical information. And although they can be thought of as merely printed matter on a backing material, sports cards have come to represent more than the sum of their constituent materials. Sports trading cards have become a recognizable form in and of themselves. Their form is differentiated from a mere piece of paper with a photograph on it through their emphasis on athletes, the depiction of an athlete&#39;s likeness, the statistical and biographical information about the athlete, the semi-rigid, paper-based backing material of the card&#39;s construction, and the fact that they are issued in sets of varying sizes. They perform the function of being collectibles, and are obtained, collected and traded for the subjects they portray as well as the appearance they may themselves take.  
           [0012]    Throughout recent years, inventors have worked toward the goal of improving the traditional collectible trading card. Unable to fully and accurately render action in their limited format, these efforts have generally been attempts to offer the collector an enhanced experience, commonly by using existing technology in new ways to increase the cards&#39; appeal to the senses. Examples of this would include the Talking Trading Card Player System (U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,855,001 and 6,292,780) which utilizes sound data stored on a circuit chip embedded within the trading card and a separate portable card player housing batteries and a speaker, or the Squeezable Talking Trading Cards (U.S. Pat. No. 5,938,199) which uses flexible sheets affixed to the front and back surfaces for the trading card, with sound generating and activation means located in a housing unit for supplying electrical power. While these inventions represent an improvement to the traditional trading card, the strong visual nature of athletic endeavor is not addressed, and an audible element must substitute for the fundamental goal of accurately capturing and rendering the physical actions of the subject athlete.  
           [0013]    Trading cards with enhanced visual effects are becoming increasingly common. U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,431, Trading Card with Three-Dimensional Effect, achieves enhanced depth of the image through multiple substrate layers, and collector cards have been produced that use holographic images to produce an interactive image display on at least one surface of the cards (as in U.S. Pat. No. 5,517,336, Display Card with Interactive Imagery and Method of producing Same). However, in this and similar inventions, the illusion of movement depends on the shifting of the lighting in the area and/or shifting the angle of viewing, and the movement offered is characteristically a shift in view or perspective. Combining a lithographic printed image with a three-dimensional holographic image creates a situation whereby, when the card is tilted back and forth with reference to the observer&#39;s line of sight, the holographic image appears to move. Such movement gives the impression that the viewer is actually seeing around and behind the player depicted in the ink printed image, but these examples of prior art cannot manage the accurate rendering of athletic action.  
           [0014]    This desire to portray action in a sports collectible has forced prior art far outside the realm of the traditional collector card. Utilizing existing technology, miniature videocassette tapes (in a digital format, for example, or similar) for use with a playback device can physically store a video representation of an athlete subject, as can compact discs, which utilize an optical data recording and reading system. But besides the limited pictorial or commemorative opportunities, these forms lack the accepted traditional attributes that have made card collecting so popular and long lived. U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,801, Collectable Video Sports Card, is representative. In this device the video “sports card” used in conjunction with the hand held video game unit is actually removable media in which video highlight sequences are stored and which an electronic playback device is required for viewing. The “sports card” of the inventions&#39; title is far removed from the traditional trading card model.  
           [0015]    U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,736, Trading Card Optical Disc and Methods of Using and Forming Same, the Card Compact Disc, Compact Disc Interface Seat and Methods of Using Same (U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,544), and U.S. Pat. No. 6,400,675, Compact Disc With A Disc Tray Alignment Means refer variously to compact discs with a collector card appearance or to a collector card with a compact disc attached or built in. While all of the above can manage the visual presentation of athletic action, all require the use of a compact disc to store, and an optical data reader to present, the information. In the above prior art the composition of the optical disc is of the expected plastic material and its graphical content is limited to a single side. Playback is achieved through a computer or similar optical data reader, again a significant departure from the traditional collecting model.  
           [0016]    The present invention solves the aforesaid shortcomings of the prior art. In contrast to the above, the Action Sequence Sports Collectible renders the action of an athlete through a sequential series of two-dimensional images that utilize the phenomena of persistence of vision of the eye and the human mind, and can be used without additional equipment or the burdensome means of providing a screening of a video, film, or digital video device (DVD). Moreover, it possesses the attributes of more traditional printed collector cards, in particular the semi-rigid paper-based construction and indicia that includes photographic, biographical and statistical information, to complement the significant improvement of providing an accurate portrayal of an athletic action sequence. The user of the Action Sequence Sports Collectible may learn about the athlete or performer from the information provided on both the inside and outside covers of the collectible, as well as be entertained by viewing the actual featured stunt or athletic achievement within its pages.  
           [0017]    In 1882, Van Hoevenbergh was granted patent number 258,164 for an Optical Toy invention that related “to that class of optical toys which depend for their action upon the well-known fact that the impression communicated by an object to the eye remains upon the retina for a short time after the object itself has been withdrawn.” He discussed the contents of his invention as being “some natural or artificial object”, and used by example in his drawings the depiction of a train coming toward the viewer.  
           [0018]    In 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,171,038 was awarded to an Interactive Advertising Device. Like Van Hoevenbergh&#39;s invention, it was comprised of a stack of sheets bound together along one edge, the top face of each sheet imprinted with an image depicting a frame from a motion sequence. The user would riffle through the sheets viewing each image imprinted on each sheet as it passed through their field of sight. Because each image represented a frame from a motion sequence viewed in succession, the images appeared to produce motion. While it did address the possible subject of athletic endeavors, the basis of the invention was as an advertising device, with advertisements on each facing, or back page, throughout the device. The limitations of the invention as described are formidable. In fact, its pages were designed to be torn out individually, so that the coupons printed on the back could be used for purchases. Because of this, any success of the Interactive Advertising Device would necessarily be relative to its failure as commemorative or collectible. The Action Sequence Sports Collectible is a significant improvement on this prior art in that it will be of a length sufficient to show an entire action stunt, which has been found to run between 40-70 pages. It will be confined to rendering an action sequence for its entertainment value, providing the athlete&#39;s statistical and biographical information, and possessing the appearance details necessary to establish it as a desired collectible.  
           [0019]    As an aid for teaching sports, various inventions, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,593,432 and 3,453,746, have also built on VanHoevenberg&#39;s basic concept. Unlike the prior art, the invention instant was created for the purpose of becoming a collectible memorabilia item; while the action it portrays and statistics it features have some inherent instructional value, its written text consists of matter designed to appeal to the sports fan or collector, thereby enhancing its collectibility.  
           [0020]    As an optical toy, the invention instant represents a significant improvement to U.S. Pat. No. 853,699 (a Device For Producing Moving-Picture Effects), which describes a series of cards hinged to a wooden board to achieve the effects of viewing a motion picture sequence; U.S. Pat. No. 1,787,592 (for a Motion Picture Device) which uses a folded strip to view the sequenced drawings; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,159,405 Cards Selectively Usable For Playing A Game Or For Producing A Motion Picture Effect, which is based on placing drawings or instructive information on the reverse side of a deck of playing cards that, when shuffled, produces a motion picture effect.  
           [0021]    While the typography and detailing of collector cards has changed over the years, the cards to this day typically offer on one side a reproduction of a photograph or likeness of a famous figure or personality, with statistical and biographical information about the famous figure provided on the reverse, or back side of the card. Despite variations in appearance and method of manufacture, a commonality exists to the extent that cards produced by differing companies and possessing specific improvements are still thought of in an overall, all-inclusive way: in the vernacular, as “baseball cards”.  
           [0022]    In contrast, the Action Sequence Sports Collectible is a new and novel product, offering a feature that has been lacking in the prior art. The present invention will allow the visual portrayal of the subject athlete in action in a device that is easy to carry, trade, collect, and use, while still retaining the character and consumer appeal of the traditional sports trading card. It is particularly suitable for introducing the modern “extreme” sports such as skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding and skiing, which place an emphasis on a particular trick or stunt, into the realm of collecting, as well as representing the more traditional play of baseball, football, or other team sports. It enhances the memorabilia aspect of the traditional sports trading card while keeping the integrity of what has allowed sports collector cards to maintain their continued popularity in the first place: application, simplicity, portability, and ease of use.  
         BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0023]    With the Action Sequence Sports Collectible, the images of an athlete participating in their specific endeavor are recorded on film, videotape, or some other method of visually recording live action. Still images are then “captured” or selected from the motion sequence, either physically or through electronic means. Each individual photographic image is printed onto a flexible planar leaf. The leaves are then collected into an accurately aligned stack and bound along one edge. The size, approximately 2″×4″, is designed to be small enough to fit into a child&#39;s hand, while its horizontal orientation helps clue the user as to its proper use.  
           [0024]    Once assembled, the collected sequential series of photos can be viewed by flexing the book backward and allowing the unbound edges of the succeeding pages to escape by slipping beneath the restraining grip of the thumb. In this manner and without additional equipment, the rapidly passing leaves of the Action Sequence Sports Collectible provide sufficient visual information so that the illusion of smooth and natural movement of the subject athlete is indeed taking place.  
           [0025]    Further included within its pages may be portait photographs, personal biographical information about the athlete, statistics, and achievements or awards. In this way the user may learn about the athlete or performer from the information provided on both the inside and outside covers of the collectible, as well as the inside matter.  
           [0026]    This inventive device solves the problem identified in the BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION of portraying motion in a sports collector card through its use of improved mutotropic processes developed originally for optical toys. Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the claims. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING  
       [0027]    One way of carrying out the invention is described in detail below with reference to drawings, which illustrate only one specific embodiment of the invention. In describing a preferred embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, specific terminology will be resorted to for the sake of clarity. However, the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific terms so selected, and it is to be understood that each specific term includes all technical equivalents that operate in a similar manner to accomplish a similar purpose.  
         [0028]    [0028]FIG. 1 (Page 1/4 of the Drawings) is a perspective view of an embodiment of the invention. It comprises a stack of sheets  1  and  2  made of glossy or matte, eight to twelve point coated or uncoated cover stock, or their equivalent. Sheets  1  and  2  are all the same size in accordance with the embodiment of FIG. 1. Sheets  1  and  2  are stacked one over the other into a deck, with their edges  3 ,  4  and  5  substantially overlying each other. Sheets  1  may be “perfect bound”, which involves an edge-glued binding with a wraparound cover. It may also be bound by other suitable fastening devices in accordance with the invention, as well as other appropriate binding techniques. Edge  3  represents the front cover portion of the collectible, while edge  6  represents the back cover of the collectible.  
         [0029]    [0029]FIG. 2 (Page 1/4 of the Drawings) is an elevation view of the side of the Action Sequence Sports Collectible, as if the collectible were lying on a hard surface, such as a table, with the bound edge on one side (the left in this drawing) and the unbound edge on the other side (the right side in the drawing). Looking at the collectible at table level, for example, one would be able to view the edges of the stacked sheets  2 , the front cover edge  3 , back cover edge  6 , and the bound edge  4 .  
         [0030]    [0030]FIG. 3 (Page 1/4 of the Drawings) represents the side of the collectible as viewed in FIG. 2, with the bound side, or “spine”, facing the viewer. 
     
    
       [0031]    The details of FIGS. 1 and 3 demonstrate the enhanced collectible aspects incorporated into the exterior construction of the Action Sequence Sports Collectible. The featured athlete&#39;s portrait or stopped-action photograph  7 , featured athlete&#39;s name  8 , the name of his or her team  9 , and the position he or she plays  10 , are all characteristic of traditional sports collector cards. The year of the collectible  11 , and the special edition  12 , establishes its limited availability and enhances the concept of collectibility, an idea that the series  13 , and number  14 , further emphasize.  
         [0032]    [0032]FIGS. 4 and 5 (Page 2/4 of the Drawings) illustrate the inside covers, with FIG. 4 showing the inside front cover and FIG. 5 the inside back cover. In FIG. 4, the concept of enhanced collectibility is emphasized by the additional photograph  21  of the athlete, additional personal information  22 , a citation of an award the athlete has just received  23 , and a facsimile of the athlete&#39;s signature  24 . FIG. 5 offers the view of a sample statistics table, an expected constituent of sports collector cards.  
         [0033]    Referring to FIGS. 6 through 8, in the illustrated sequence an extreme sport athlete (in this example, a person riding a wakeboard, or a “wakeboarder”) is in the middle of a stunt that involves turning in the air. The three FIGS. 6 through 8 involve just three frames, or pages, of a possible 40 to 70 frame action sequence, and but one enbodiment; the invention can comprise skating, skateboarding, surfing, wakeboarding, snowboarding, diving, baseball, football, hockey, soccer, tennis, or any other sporting event or athletic stunt or performance that can be captured in a motion picture or video recorded sequence. The photos making up the action sequence inside the device will be of the featured athlete and sport as depicted on both the outside and inside covers of the device.  
         [0034]    In FIG. 6 (Page 3/4 of the Drawings), the athlete  34  can be seen on the wakeboard  35  in a stunt that involves the athlete being already airborne. The athlete holds onto a handle bar  38  and rope attachment  39  for speed and momentum. The athlete is clothed in apparel  40  that is easy to view and provides the maximum artistic value for the collectible. As needed, many of the athletes featured in the collectible will be wearing the appropriate attire and protection necessary for safe performance of the stunt. In FIG. 6, the athlete&#39;s helmet  41  and life vest  43  indicate an example of the appropriate safety equipment necessary to perform the sport or stunt.  
         [0035]    [0035]FIG. 7 (Page 3/4 of the Drawings) continues the same action sequence, yet is a depiction of a page that appears several leaves later. Again, for brevity and comprehension, not all of the 40 to 70 pages of the collectible appear on these drawings. The selected FIGS.,  6 ,  7 , and  8  are intended to represent the progression of the stunt as the collectible&#39;s pages near their conclusion.  
         [0036]    As can be seen in FIG. 7, the wakeboarder  34  has been flipped in the air, so that the athlete is now viewed in a different position as that in FIG. 6. The towline  39  still leads in the same direction, however. The athlete has turned so that the right side of their body, and not their back, now faces the viewer. FIG. 7 also represents the wakeboarder in a more horizontal attitude, parallel to the surface of the water. In accordance with the progression of the stunt, the wakeboard  35  has now changed its perspective from a flat view while the athlete  34  was rising into the air, to a side view as they further progess in their flip.  
         [0037]    [0037]FIG. 8 (Page 4/4 of the Drawings) depicts said wakeboarder  34  readying himself to land back on the water by assuming a more perpendicular angle and upright attitude. The wakeboard  35  is now on the right side of the page as opposed to its placement on the page in FIGS. 6 and 7. The rope  39  is still headed in the same direction which would indicate that, while the wakeboarder performs the stunt featured in FIGS.  6 , and  7  and the position and attitude of their body changes, the overall direction of their movement has remained consistant. FIG. 8 illustrates also the way the inventive device would appear if the user paused the flipping or thumbing through motion in order to more closely observe an individual planar leave, or specific page of the Action Sequence Sports Collectible.  
         [0038]    As discussed above regarding the sequence appearing in FIGS. 6 and 7, FIG. 8 is an example page from many pages after the (illustration of) the photograph that appears in FIG. 5. In the intervening pages, the wakeboarder  34  was shown in a progressive series of photographs as the stunt or flip continued within the pages of the collectible. In those intervening pages, the wakeboarder moved in a motion and arc that completed the flip, or stunt, featured in a typical Action Sequence Sports Collectible.  
         [0039]    [0039]FIG. 9 (Page 4/4 of the Drawings) illustrates the device in use. The user has grasped the inventive device in both hands  52  and  53 . The bound edge of the inventive device  4  rests between the thumb  56  and the fingers  54  of the left hand. At the same time, the collectible has been flexed backward by applying a slight bending force with both hands. By easing the restraining pressure of the right thumb  51 , the unbound edges of each sheet slip from beneath it. With the passage of each individual sheet, for example  59 , the photographic image is briefly brought into view. The remaining sheets  57  remain trapped behind the right thumb  51 , until that point that they slip beneath it. Through the phenomenon of persistence of vision, the brain combines the rapidly viewed single images into a smooth, continuous movement. The user is able to view a sequenced sport action as if viewing a motion picture or videotape clip of the event.  
         [0040]    The action depicted in the Action Sequence Sports Collectible will be produced by the highest quality full color photographs taken from video tape, motion picture film, DVD, or other means of creating and preserving existing archived footage, or from a live photographic shoot, and computer enhanced for maximum viewability. The athlete or performer will be in clear view, situated on the page for maximum exposure. The page will contain additional background details only if necessary to enhance the entertainment value of the collectible, but not so much as to detract from the stunt that is a primary function of the Action Sequence Sports Collectible. Details within the photographs will vary from each series, and within each series depending on the footage or shooting arrangements available.  
         [0041]    In view of the foregoing, it will be appreciated that the invention advantageously provides a collectible suitable for use either as an item in and of itself, or in conjunction with the retail sale of collectible items and related collectible trading cards.  
         [0042]    While the forms of apparatus herein described constitute preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined above and in the claim.  
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0043]    The Action Sequence Sports Collectible is made up of a series of graphic depictions of an action sequence or physical stunt, such as might be performed by both amateur and professional skateboarders, bike riders, or baseball and football players for example, in its entirety. They are assembled from high quality full color photographs, selected from either live shoots using the highest quality camera and production crews and equipment, or from assembled and archived footage provided by the teams or athlete or their representatives on either high quality video, DVD, compact disk read only media (CD-ROM), or other appropriate means.  
         [0044]    The necessary photographs are selected from the available segment, and then individually digitally enhanced to provide a clear and specific view of the athlete performing the collectible&#39;s featured hit, play, stunt or achievement. With the proper selection and sequencing of the necessary frames, the viewer will then be able to view the hit, play, stunt or action in its entirety. The book will be bound on the left side with high quality binding that allows the pages to be bent, flexed, or held open to a specific page as well. The three edges not bound will be smooth and loose to provide an easy motion for flipping through the pages.  
         [0045]    The timing and selection of the individual frames in the sequence can be edited to include those individual photographs that represent best a smooth display of the motion sequence. For example, rather than show many similar consecutive frames of one action of a snowboarder in the air, frames can be selectively edited to most advantageously advance the action as the pages are flipped, keeping in mind the action sequence sports collectible&#39;s overall length and ease of use, while enabling the most entertaining parts of a stunt to be rendered in their entirety.  
         [0046]    The outside cover may consist of the name of the product, the series number, a photograph or likeness of the performer inside, with a title or photograph to indicate the sport represented inside. The inside and back covers may include additional information about the Action Sequence Sports Collectible, its athletes, team associations and other pertinent information as may be necessary to let the buyer know more about the contents and related series of Action Sequence Sports Collectibles.  
         [0047]    The Action Sequence Sports Collectible will be bound in some manner on the left side, with straight, smooth edges on the three remaining sides. It will be approximately 2″ to 4″ tall and 3″ to 6″ wide for optimal thumbing through. Its paper will be eight to twelve point, coated or uncoated cover stock, or text stock of similar thickness to ensure durability and flexibility of its pages. The paper will be of either matte or gloss finish, depending on the suitability of the subject matter, to further enhance the quality of the full color photographs on its pages. It will run approximately 40 to 70 pages, a length necessary in order to render most complete sports action sequences.  
         [0048]    While in this preferred embodiment the photographs appear on one surface only, with no additional text or other information on the page or on their back sides of the individual leaves, it may be deemed advantageous at some point in the future to have either text and/or another sequence appearing on the back side of the pages, so as to provide a different action sequence if the book is flipped, and thumbed through in the reverse direction.  
         [0049]    The cover stock will either be the same thickness or of a slightly thicker stock than the inside pages of the collectible, increasing the collectible&#39;s durability while still allowing for the flexing necessary to initiate the action sequence. The outside cover may show a photograph of the athlete or performer within its pages, and be detailed with sufficient information to indicate the action sequence portrayed within the pages of the collectible. The inside front cover may include additional information about the individual or team featured in the Action Sequence Sports Collectible. The inside back cover may either be left blank, provide the statistical information as illustrated in FIG. 5, or as necessary will include additional information about the current series of the collectible, the athlete, their team, or additional information about the publisher or publishing company. The back cover of the collectible may indicate the other collectibles available in the series, and other information as stated above as is deemed necessary.  
         [0050]    The most common way for the user to operate the Action Sequence Sports Collectible is to hold it in their left hand, with the front cover up. Their four left-hand fingers will be behind the collectible, with the binding resting about mid-point on their fingers. The left thumb will then be placed on the front cover of the book, near the binding. The right hand will hold the right (unbound) side of the book; four fingers on the back cover, with the thumb on the right margin of the front cover. With the left hand gripping the book tightly enough so as not to drop it during the viewing of the action sequence, and with the right hand flexing the entire book backward, the thumb of the right hand will allow the free (unbound) ends of the several pages on the right side of the book to slip successively and rapidly from beneath it in an even succession. As the unbound pages slip beneath the right thumb and regain their normal position by virtue of their inherent flexibility and resiliency, the printed photograph on each page will be briefly presented to the device&#39;s user. The user will also have the ability to pause at a page, stopping the flipping action to observe or study a portion of the sequence for additional benefits. The binding will be flexible and strong enough to allow said collectible to be opened to any individual page for studied examination of the static image.  
         [0051]    While the description constitutes preferred embodiments of this invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise forms of design and apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined above and in the claims.