Promotional card deck

Abstract

A playing card includes a suit indicator indicating an entity to be promoted, and a ranking within the suit indicator that indicates an object associated with the entity.

Description

The disclosed embodiments are directed to playing cards that function as both promotional and gaming devices.

BACKGROUND

Playing cards have been in existence for some time and are generally sized to fit in a hand. A set of cards is usually referred to as a deck. Playing cards are used in magic tricks and are generally used to play games. Playing cards may be used to play, for example, Baccarat, Blackjack, Cribbage, Pinochle, Poker, Rummy, etc. It would be advantageous to provide a deck of cards that in addition to providing a gaming function also promotes or advertises products and services.

SUMMARY

In one embodiment, a playing card includes a suit indicator indicating an entity to be promoted, and a ranking within the suit indicator that indicates an object associated with the entity.

In another embodiment, a playing card deck includes a plurality of playing cards, each having a suit indicator indicating an entity to be promoted and a ranking within the suit indicator that indicates an object associated with the entity.

In another embodiment, a playing card includes a face having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product. The playing card also includes a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product.

In still another embodiment, a playing card deck includes a plurality of playing cards, each having a face with a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product; and a back with promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product.

In still another embodiment a method of promoting an enterprise includes applying a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product on the face of a playing card; and applying promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product on a back of the playing card.

In yet another embodiment, a method of promoting an enterprise includes assembling a plurality of cards into a deck, wherein each card of the deck has a face including having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product; and a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product. The method also includes distributing the deck of cards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing aspects and other features of the present invention are explained in the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment including a portion of a deck of playing cards according to the disclosed embodiments;

FIGS. 2-9 show embodiments with suit indicators indicating an entity to be promoted and rankings indicating objects associated with the entity.

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment where each card has a face with a ranking indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a product;

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment where the enterprise may be a provider of process measuring and controlling equipment;

FIG. 12 shows a portion of a card deck where the back of each card may include promotional indicia for a particular product line of the enterprise;

FIG. 13 shows an embodiment where the suits each designate an enterprise product line;

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment where the cards within each suit have representations of products and services within a designated product line; and

FIG. 15 shows a single card embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary embodiment including a portion of an exemplary deck of playing cards 100. Although the presently disclosed embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings, it should be understood that they may be embodied in many alternate forms. It should also be understood that In addition, any suitable size, shape or type of elements or materials could be used.

It is a feature of the disclosed embodiments to provide a set or deck of playing cards that provide users with a game to play as well as providing an advertising, marketing, or promotional device.

In the embodiment of FIG. 1, the deck 100 may include, for example, a number of playing cards 110, 115. Each card 110, 115 may generally have a rectangular shape. Each card may also have a suit indicator 120 and a ranking 125. In this embodiment, the suit indicator may be any common marking for a group of cards and the ranking may be any hierarchical indication. Some embodiments may include more than one ranking indicator, for example, a numerical ranking indicator and a non-numerical ranking indicator. The non-numeric ranking indicator may be a symbol. As another example, a typical playing card ranking such as 2-10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace, along with a ranking specific to a suit indicator may be included on each card. As a more specific example, cards having a mountain as the suit indicator might display photographs of different mountains in order of their height with the lowest mountain displayed on the card showing a 2, each subsequently higher mountain displayed on cards showing 3-10, Jack, Queen, and King, respectively, with the highest mountain displayed on the card showing the Ace.

Individual cards or the deck of cards may be embodied in an electronic form, for example, in a video game. Other embodiments may include electronic wagering or gaming devices, such as or similar to video poker or video blackjack games. Electronic gaming devices are generally controlled by a computing device such as a microprocessor that may include a random number generator. The random number generator may be used to generate suit indicators and rankings within a set of suits indicators and rankings specific to one or more decks of cards. A user interface provides a visual and audio presentation to a player and receives input from the player related to playing the game. The computing device generates cards and computes outcomes based on the game being played, the cards, and player input.

Individual cards or the deck of cards may also be embodied in a tangible form and may be constructed of cardboard, linen, paper, plastic, or any other suitable material. The cards may each typically measure approximately 2½ inches in width by 3½ inches in height. Each card may typically range in thickness from 0.001 to 0.02 inches, but may have any thickness.

In this embodiment the suit indicators may be indicative of an entity to be promoted and the rankings may indicate objects within each entity. For example, the suit indicators may be indicative of a group to be promoted by distributing or displaying the cards and the rankings may indicate individuals or individual entities within each group. An entity may include an organization, group, enterprise, event, or any suitable grouping. An entity may also include an artistic, dramatic, literary, or musical work, for example, a work of art, a film, a show, a published work, etc. An object may include an individual, a unit, or a sub-entity associated with the entity.

FIG. 2 shows an example where, in a deck of cards 200, the entities shown by the suit indicators 210 may indicate sports, for example, football, baseball, basketball, soccer, etc. and the rankings 220 within each suit may show athletes that play that sport.

In FIG. 3, an exemplary card deck 300 where the suit indicators 310 may indicate an entertainment field, for example, movies, television, music, theater, etc. is depicted. The ranking indicators 315 may display celebrities within each of the fields of entertainment.

FIG. 4 shows an example of a portion of a card deck 400 where the suit indicators 410 may indicate a field of activity or employment, for example, science, medicine, law, business, etc. In this embodiment, the ranking indicators 415 may indicate various positions within each profession. For example, the ranking indicators in the law profession may range from a clerk position to a seat on the Supreme Court.

FIG. 5 illustrates a card deck example 500 where the suit indicators 510 may indicate political parties such as Democratic, Republican, Independent, Libertarian, and the ranking indicators 515 may display candidates for office within each particular party.

An exemplary embodiment 600 is represented in FIG. 6 where the suit 610 indicators may indicate different categories of tools such as power tools, hand tools, landscaping tools, automotive tools, etc. In this embodiment, the ranking indicators 615 may indicate various types of tools within each category, such as types of saws, shovels, wrenches, etc.

The embodiment shown in FIG. 7 depicts a card deck 700 with suit indicators 710 that may include indications of branches of military service, i.e. Army, Navy, Marines, Air force, Coast Guard, etc. The ranking indicators 715 may indicate the various ranks within each service branch. One example may include a Five-Star General as the top rank and a Private as the lowest rank.

FIG. 8 illustrates another embodiment of a card deck 800 for promoting a food service or supermarket, where the suit indicators 810 may depict different types of food or departments. For example, suit indicators may include produce, meats, health and beauty, dry goods, canned goods, etc. The rank indicators 815 may then include representations of products within a type of food or within a particular department.

FIG. 9 shows an example of a deck of cards 900 for promoting a department store, where the suit indicators 910 may indicate different departments, such as women's clothing, men's clothing, boys' clothing, girls' clothing, housewares, shoes, bedding, furniture, etc. The ranking indicators may include various items within each department. As mentioned above, each card may have more than one ranking indicator including a numerical indicator 915 and a symbol 920 indicating an item.

Using shoes as a suit indicator example, the 2 card may display slippers, the 3 card, sandals, the 4 card, athletic wear, the 5 card, flats, and continuing in like manner through the 6-9 cards, with the 10, pumps, the Jack, oxfords, the Queen, evening wear, the King, wingtips, and boots may be displayed on the Ace.

It is another feature of the disclosed embodiments to provide a playing card for promotional purposes that has a face with a ranking indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a product. The playing card has a back with promotional indicia for the enterprise that provides the product.

FIG. 10 shows an embodiment of a deck of cards having this feature. The deck 1000 of FIG. 10 may include, for example, fifty-two playing cards similar to those used in playing card games such as Poker and Blackjack. Each card 1010 may generally have a rectangular shape. Each card has a front and a back. In this embodiment, the deck of playing cards may include four suits, that is, clubs, diamonds, hearts and spades. Each suit may include cards with values of 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, face cards Jack, Queen and King, as well as an Ace. Designations of the suits 1015 and values 1020 or face cards 1025 may be placed on opposing diagonal corners 1030, 1035 on the front 1040 of each card.

The back 1045 of each card in the deck may be imprinted with the same design which may include a logo, trademark, trade name, service mark, slogan, product, service or any other promotional indicia 1050 of an enterprise. The promotional indicia 1050 may also include enterprise contact information, sales information, etc. The enterprise may include any business, group, association, individual, or any other entity for which promotion or marketing may be desired.

The front or face of each card may also include a representation 1055 of a product offered by the enterprise. In one embodiment, the front of each of the cards of the card deck 1000 may have a representation of a different product.

It should be understood that the representations 1055 may include a product, and for purposes of the disclosed embodiments, a product may include a device, a system, various components or equipment, a service, a number of services, or any combination of devices, systems, components, equipment, or services. The products may be represented by photographs, drawings, symbols or any representation for conveying product information. In addition, the deck 1000 is not limited to any number of cards or to having suits or any particular type or number of suits.

FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of a deck of cards 1100 where the enterprise may be a provider of process measuring and controlling equipment and services and the products may include process measurement devices, process control equipment, measurement and control systems, or measurement and control services. The process measurement and control products may include measurement and control devices and services related to temperature, force, flow, levels, pH, conductivity, and power. The process measurement and control products may also include process design and consultation services. The front or face 1110 of each card may include a representation 1115 of a product offered by the enterprise. Designations of the suits 1120 and values 11125 or face cards 1130 may be placed on opposing diagonal corners on the front 1110 of each card, similar to other embodiments.

The back 1135 of each card in the deck may be imprinted with the same design which may include a logo, trademark, trade name, service mark, slogan, product, service or any other promotional indicia 1140 of an enterprise.

FIG. 12 shows a portion of another embodiment of a card deck 1200. In this embodiment, the back 1210 of each card may include promotional indicia 1220 for a particular product line of the enterprise and the representations 1225 on the front 1230 of each card may include products of that particular product line. For example, the promotional indicia on the back 1210 of all cards in the deck 1200 may be related to a product line of temperature measurement and control equipment and services, and the representations on the front 1230 of each card could include a different temperature measurement and control device, for example, various types of thermocouples, infrared thermometers, and various temperature control devices.

FIG. 13 shows a card deck embodiment 1300 where the suits each designate an enterprise product line and the representations within each suit include products from the particular product line. As a further example of process control and measurement products, cards 1310 having the suit of clubs may include representations of temperature measurement products 1315 on their face 1320, cards 1325 having the suit of diamonds may include force measurement products 1330 on their face 1335, cards 1340 having the suit of hearts may include flow and level measurement products 1345 on their face 1350, and cards 1355 having the suit of spades may include pH and conductivity products 1360 on their face 1365. The back 1370 of all cards in the deck 1300 may include promotional indicia 1375 of the enterprise.

FIG. 14 shows an embodiment where the suits themselves may be symbols that designate a product line and the cards within each suit may have representations of products and services within the designated product line. For example, a portion of a deck of cards 1400 may represent a line of temperature measurement products and may be designated by a suit having a temperature symbol 1410 on their front 1415 and cards having the temperature symbol suit may each portray a temperature measurement product 1420 on their face 1425.

Other suits may include a force symbol 1430, where cards having the force symbol suit each portray a force measurement product 1435 on their face 1440, a flow symbol 1445, where cards having the flow symbol suit each portray a flow measuring product 1450 on their face 1455, and a pH symbol 1460, where cards having the pH symbol suit each portray a pH measuring product 1465 on their face 1470. The number of suits within the deck 1400 may be any suitable number as may be the number of cards within each suit.

The enterprise may utilize the card deck embodiments in promotional activities by assembling a quantity of cards into a deck. Each card may generally include a face including having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product. Each card may also include a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product. The enterprise may then distribute the assembled card deck to potential clients, interested parties, or elsewhere.

FIG. 15 shows a single card embodiment of the concepts described herein. The card 1500 has a face 1510 with a value indicator 1515, a suit indicator 1520, and a representation 1525 of a process measurement and control product. The card has a back 1530 with promotional indicia 1540 for the enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product.

The enterprise may use the single card embodiment for promotional activities. This may be accomplished, for example, by applying a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product on the face of a playing card; and applying promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product on a back of the playing card. The single playing card may then be distributed. Promotional activities may include encouraging potential clients to collect all variations of the playing cards in order to assemble them into a deck.

Thus, the disclosed embodiments provide a card or deck of cards that promote various products including devices, systems, components, equipment, and services of an enterprise and in addition, provide a game for potential clients.

It should be understood that the foregoing description is only illustrative of the present embodiments. Various alternatives and modifications can be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the embodiments disclosed herein. Accordingly, the embodiments are intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variances which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A playing card comprising:

a suit indicator indicating an entity to be promoted; and

a ranking within the suit indicator that indicates an object associated with the entity.

2. A playing card deck comprising:

a plurality of playing cards, each having: a suit indicator indicating an entity to be promoted; and a ranking within the suit indicator that indicates an object associated with the entity.

3. The playing card deck of claim 2, wherein the entity to be promoted includes a sport.

4. The playing card deck of claim 3, wherein the ranking includes athletes that play the sport.

5. The playing card deck of claim 2, wherein the entity to be promoted includes an entertainment field.

6. The playing card deck of claim 5, wherein the ranking includes celebrities within the entertainment field.

7. The playing card deck of claim 2, wherein the entity to be promoted includes a profession.

8. The playing card deck of claim 7, wherein the ranking includes positions within the profession.

9. The playing card deck of claim 2, wherein the entity to be promoted includes a product line of an enterprise.

10. The playing card deck of claim 9, wherein the ranking includes products in the product line of the enterprise.

11. The playing card deck of claim 2, wherein the entity to be promoted includes a provider of process measurement equipment and services.

12. The playing card deck of claim 11, wherein the ranking includes products of the provider of process measurement equipment and services.

13. A playing card comprising:

a face having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a product; and

a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the product.

14. A playing card deck comprising:

a plurality of playing cards, each having: a face having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a product; and a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the product.

15. The playing card deck of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of cards includes a representation of a different product.

16. The playing card deck of claim 14, wherein the promotional indicia for the enterprise includes an indicator of a product line of the enterprise and the representation includes a product from the product line.

17. The playing card deck of claim 14, wherein each suit indicator designates an enterprise product line and playing cards having a particular suit indicator include a representation of a product from the product line.

18. The playing card deck of claim 17, wherein each suit indicator includes a symbol designating an enterprise product line.

19. A playing card comprising:

a face having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product; and

a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product.

20. A playing card deck comprising:

a plurality of playing cards, each having: a face having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product; and a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product.

21. The playing card deck of claim 20, wherein each of the plurality of cards includes a representation of a different process measurement and control product.

22. The playing card deck of claim 20, wherein the promotional indicia for the enterprise includes an indicator of a product line of the enterprise and the representation includes a process measurement and control product from the product line.

23. The playing card deck of claim 20, wherein each suit indicator designates an enterprise product line and playing cards having a particular suit indicator include a representation of a process measurement and control product from the product line.

24. The playing card deck of claim 23, wherein each suit indicator includes a symbol designating an enterprise product line.

25. A method of promoting an enterprise comprising:

applying a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product on the face of a playing card; and

applying promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product on a back of the playing card.

26. A method of promoting an enterprise comprising:

assembling a plurality of cards into a deck, wherein each card of the deck includes: a face including having a value indicator, a suit indicator, and a representation of a process measurement and control product; and a back having promotional indicia for an enterprise that provides the process measurement and control product; and

distributing the deck of cards.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein each of the plurality of cards includes a representation of a different process measurement and control product.

28. The method of claim 26, wherein the promotional indicia for the enterprise includes an indicator of a product line of the enterprise and the representation includes a process measurement and control product from the product line.

29. The method of claim 26, wherein each suit indicator designates an enterprise product line and playing cards having a particular suit indicator include a representation of a process measurement and control product from the product line.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein each suit indicator includes a symbol designating an enterprise product line.