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Description  |
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FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method of manufacturing a publication which
associates or identifies a subject with a particular one of a plurality of
organizations within a common association. More particularly, this
invention relates to a method wherein generic graphic indicia, common to
each of the organizations, is placed on sheets of paper or other means for
storing a tangible medium of expression and the generic graphic indicia is
subsequently enhanced by superimposing additional indicia to depict a
particular one of a plurality of organizations within an association. This
invention further relates to providing means for additionally identifying
or associating a subject with the particular organization or a member
within the particular organization.
BACKGROUND ART
The use of computer printing to insert personalized data into a preprinted
text of a book, such as a child's name, address, friend's names and data
of a personal nature, is known. An example of a method for personalizing
preprinted text is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,744 and 3,982,427 to
Kraynak. U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,472 additionally discloses typing in
information on a preprinted greeting card so as to personalize the card.
Computer programs for generating and combining for reproduction on a
single format having standardized text and graphics or personalized text
and graphics are known, per se, as shown in the Rosewarne et al. U.S. Pat.
No. 4,616,327. Also known are electronic printers operated by a computer
software program which print certain portions of the text in a color
different from the remainder of the text. See U.S. Pat. No. 4,857,955.
Moreover, U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,171 to Yeh et al. discloses a memory system
for enhancing the transference of data from a data source to a printer.
The memory system provides memory designations for four different types of
data relating to text, fill areas, images and line graphics so that the
most efficient memory storage means can be used for each type of data.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,935 discloses a book for young readers which contains
pages with apertures cut therein, such that the apertures are capable of
superimposing images affixed to the front and rear covers. The pages
contain illustrations and/or text on the front and rear surface.
BACKGROUND DISCUSSION
Various associations, such as professional sports associations or leagues
(e.g., NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, etc.), have gained a high degree of popularity
and recognition among people of all ages. Also organizations within these
associations, such as the teams within particular cities, typically have a
large following of admiring fans. Persons following a particular team are
often highly biased against opposing teams in the league and often closely
identify with the team of their choice. In an attempt to enable fans to
show identification with a particular team, the leagues make available a
large assortment of sales products containing indicia representing the
individual teams. As each team has a specific logo and color scheme, the
products representing the different teams are often made separately which
necessitates large manufacturing costs and time expenditures. Also, while
the sales products identify particular teams, they do not provide a
product which allows a purchaser to feel specifically associated or
identified with a particular team within the organization.
Further, there is typically one or more individuals on a team which are the
favorite of fans who identify with the team. For children, the favorite
players often represent role models which children aspire to be like,
especially with respect to performance in a particular sport.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides a method which achieves an efficient and
less expensive way for organizations or teams within a common association
or league to be separately identified in a publication. The present
invention also provides a method in which fans can closely identify
themselves with a team of their choice and even a particular member of a
team of their choice. The present invention, through its use of team
association and story line, provides a publication which is exciting to
read, fun and educational. The story line can be personalized and written
so as to build feelings of confidence and self esteem in a child by having
the child achieve an important goal such as hitting a game winning home
run or the winning basket at the buzzer.
In so doing, the present invention features a method for making a
publication or other tangible medium of expression that differentiates in
an enhancement stage one or more particular organizations (e.g., teams)
which are members of a common association (e.g., a sports league). The
method includes generating a graphic indicia image that is generic with
respect to each of the organizations and pertains to the association. The
method also includes enhancing the generic graphic indicia by applying
additional indicia to the generic graphic indicia so as to convert the
generic graphic indicia to depictions which depict a particular one of the
organizations in the association. The method further includes forming a
plurality of pages which include the enhanced generic graphic indicia. The
forming of a plurality of pages also can include generating a first type
of text that is generic with respect to the different organizations and
forms part of the generic graphic indicia, a second type of text which is
particular to one or two of the organizations and forms part of the
enhancement indicia and a third type of text which pertains to the
intended viewer.
Also, the invention includes providing means for identifying or associating
a subject significant to a reader of the publication (and preferably free
from association with the association) with the organization or a member
of the organization. The identifying means includes strategic positioning
of cut-outs with respect to the facial area of a depiction of a
representative or member of the organization and providing a pictorial
representation positioning means for assuring proper placement of the
pictorial representation with respect to the facial cut-outs.
The present invention further comprises personalizing the publication
through the placement of a pictorial representation in the positioning
means. Personalizing the page sets also includes providing blank spaces
within the generic text printed out in the printing stage. The blank
spaces are arranged and sized for insertion of the subject's name therein
such that an incomplete sentence is completed. The personalizing of the
publication preferably includes positioning a pictorial representation
(e.g., photograph) on a page of the publication such as the last page or
the interior surface of a hard cover. The cut-outs are formed so as to be
aligned in the intermediate pages and in the front cover so that the face
in the pictorial representation is visible through the front surface of
each of the intermediate pages and the front cover of the publication.
The generic graphic indicia preferably depicts individuals in a sports
league with a generic representation of a uniform that is common to all of
the teams or organizations in the league. The generic graphic indicia can
also include background indicia that pertains to the sport of the
particular sports league being represented.
The generic graphic indicia is preferably either drawn on artwork and
scanned to store the artwork in memory or generated on a computer from the
outset.
Enhancing the pages includes modifying generic graphic indicia so as to
depict at least one representative member of one of the organizations. The
pictorial representation positioning means is located so as to position
the pictorial representation such that the face in the pictorial
representation is aligned with the facial cut-out in the graphic depiction
of the organization's representative member. Thus, upon insertion of a
pictorial representation of the subject, the subject appears to be the
individual that is a member of one of the organizations. For example, the
generic graphic indicia can include a generic depiction of a sports player
in uniform and the enhancing indicia can include the logo, color scheme,
uniform striping and name or number of a particular "real" player on the
team or just the color scheme and number of either a particular player or
just a fictional player on that particular team. The player depicted by
enhanced generic graphic indicia has the cut-out in the facial area and
the subject's face on the pictorial representation appears through the
aligned cut-outs.
In a preferred embodiment, cut-outs are provided in a plurality of pages
such that the face portion of the subject is viewable through a plurality
of pages. Text can be provided which corresponds with the enhanced
depictions appearing on the pages. Also, to even further personalize the
publication, some of the text which is placed on the pages can be with
specific reference to the subject; for instance, "the coach looked to
[subject's name] to replace the injured player". Blank spaces in the text
can be used to allow for the manual insertion of the subject's name by the
subject.
Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, the step of placing graphic
indicia on individual pages includes providing characterizations of a team
member or a plurality of team members with generic representations of each
member's team uniform, and wherein enhancing at least some of the pages
includes providing color to the team uniforms and additional indicia which
is characteristic of a particular team within the sport association. Also,
the step of identifying a subject with a member on a particular team of
choice includes providing a cut-out in each page of the publication which
is aligned with the pictorial representation positioning means in which
the pictorial representation is to be provided. The single, representative
member of the particular organization is shown in a plurality of different
pages in different settings and activities. The depiction of the
representative member is arranged in each page image so that the cut-out
is aligned with an adjacent page and with the pictorial representation
positioning means. Thus, it appears that the subject is carrying out the
different activities being carried out by the representative member of the
team in each setting provided on a page of the publication.
The invention also contemplates providing a plurality of positioning means
for receiving a plurality of pictorial representations. Also, a plurality
of cut-outs are provided on each page to correspond with the plurality of
pictorial representations. This arrangement allows for the facial area of
a plurality of non-member subjects to appear as particular members of a
sports team due to the facial area of the non-members being aligned with
the cut-out facial areas of a plurality of member illustrations.
The method of the invention also includes enhancing the same generic
graphic indicia with different enhancement features to convert the generic
graphic indicia so as to depict a different one or more of the
organizations or teams within the same association or league. The present
invention makes it possible to enhance pages so as to illustrate two
different organizations on the same page or within the same page set. For
example, two different rival sports teams can be shown in competition. The
individual teams are shown separately based on their associated color
scheme, uniform striping, logos, etc. The generic graphic indicia would
include, in this situation, a generic depiction of two teams in
competition and thus the enhancing step would be conducted with the same
steps for each team but different color schemes, logos, etc. would be
provided for the members on the different teams. In this way, the local
favorite team can be shown in competition with the main rival of the
favorite team. Different teams can also be represented alone on a
plurality of respective pages in the publication.
The generic graphic indicia can be in the form of action scenes wherein the
silhouette of a plurality of individuals are shown. The action scenes can
be extended for two adjacent pages within the page sets.
The step of enhancing can also feature providing sufficient detail (e.g.,
name, team number, etc.) to a generic representation of an individual to
designate a particular individual which is a member of the organization
and is familiar to the viewer. For example, a famous basketball player's
name and team characteristics can be added in the enhancement step. Thus,
when the subject's face is aligned with the cut-out, the subject appears
as though he is the famous player.
The fixed text (i.e., text that is non-variable from page set to page set)
is preferably provided to the pages at the time of applying the generic
graphic indicia but could be applied at a later stage (e.g., at the same
time the generic graphic indicia is being enhanced). The fixed text can
also be provided with the generic graphic indicia and scanned along with
the generic graphic indicia. Variable text, such as text which changes
from set to set and which can include personal information about either an
individual associated with the team (e.g., stats for a particular sports
player), the team's name or, personalized data which is significant to a
subject not associated with the association (e.g., the name of the
purchaser's child), can be added to the page set. The personalized data
can also be provided manually by the recipient after purchase.
Alternatively, the personalized data can be provided at the point of
manufacture through oral or written information provided by the intended
recipient.
When the variable text involves a particular member of the team, it is
possible in the present invention to place a pictorial representation of
that player (as opposed to the subject's picture) in a pictorial
representation storage location such that the representation is aligned
with cut-outs which correspond with the facial area of an enhanced generic
representation of that team player. More preferably, however, a facial
representation of someone significant to the viewer (e.g., the viewer's
own face) and not associated with any of the organizations is positioned
within or on a pictorial representation positioning means for proper
placement of the picture. The positioning means is preferably located on a
support member such as an extra page in the page set. The positioning
means can include a pocket storage member with transparent cover for
protection of the picture or added indicia to designate the proper
location of the picture. The added indicia can also include information
concerning the association or league.
The above described method of the present invention also provides for a
unique publication which comprises a plurality of sheets, with at least
some of the sheets including graphic indicia generically depicting
individuals which are members of an association comprised of a plurality
of organizations. At least some of the sheets further comprise enhancing
indicia which includes coloring and logos for depicting the individuals as
members of a particular one of the organizations in the association. The
individuals include facial areas and a plurality of the sheets have a
common individual depicted in each. The facial area of the common
individual has an aperture Or cut-out formed therein which is preferably
aligned on at least some of the sheets in which the common individual is
depicted. There is also provided a pictorial representation positioning
means for helping to properly position a pictorial representation of a
subject which is free from association with the association or a
particular member of the association. The pictorial facial representation
is positioned on the publication at the positioning means location so as
to be visible through the cut-out formed in each of the depictions of the
common individual. Also provided as part of the publication is text which
relates to the individual depictions and spaces strategically positioned
for the insertion of personalized text which is in personal reference to
the non-member subject being represented as a member of the organization
or team of a particular association or league.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention will be more fully understood from the detailed
description given herein below and the accompanying drawings which are
given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the
present invention and wherein:
FIG. 1 illustrates, in perspective, one embodiment of a publication formed
in accordance with the method of the present invention;
FIG. 2 provides an elevational view of the cover of another embodiment
formed in accordance with the method of the present invention;
FIG. 3A illustrates one embodiment following enhancement of the generic
graphic indicia contained in FIG. 2;
FIG. 3B illustrates a second embodiment following enhancement of the
generic graphic indicia contained in FIG. 2;
FIG. 4 illustrates positioning means which includes a sports card which is
intended to extend about the pictorial representation;
FIG. 5 illustrates one of the first pages of text with generic,
non-variable text placed thereon;
FIG. 6 illustrates a front face of one page of the publication with a
pictorial representation visible through a cut out formed therein;
FIG. 7 illustrates the front face of a subsequent page in the same
publication containing the page shown in FIG. 6;
FIG. 8 shows a rear face of a first page of a publication formed in
accordance with the present invention and a front face of a page
immediately following;
FIG. 9 shows generic graphic indicia of a sports team with coach and each
player having a facial cut-out;
FIGS. 10A-10D illustrate the steps involved for enhancing originally
generic graphic indicia in one embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 11 shows a flowchart of the alternate method of forming a publication
under the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIG. 1 of the present invention illustrates, in perspective, one embodiment
of a completed publication 10 formed in accordance with the method of the
present invention. Publication 10 is shown to comprise a page set 12 which
includes front cover page 26, intermediate pages 28 and 30, back cover
page 32 and gate fold 31. The front and back cover pages can be formed of
the same material as the intermediate pages or, more preferably, of a more
durable material such as a wipeable plastic or of a thicker paper material
(hard cover material). The cover pages and intermediate pages can be
joined in any one of the methods commonly known in the art (e.g., staples
or adhesive along a back binder) or placed in loose leaf fashion within a
continuous sheet folded to represent the back, front cover and gate fold.
Also, although only a few intermediate pages have been shown, any desired
number of intermediate pages can be used.
Intermediate pages 28 and 30, gate fold 31, and front cover 26 are each
formed with at least one cut-out 20 which is positioned essentially at the
same location on each of the pages so as to be in alignment.
FIG. 1 also illustrates generic graphic indicia 14 outlining an individual
wearing a football uniform. The generic graphic indicia 14 is shown in
FIG. 1 to have been subjected to an enhancement method step which includes
the addition of added indicia 16 which can take any form which will depict
and distinguish one organization in an association from the remaining
organizations in the association. For example, indicia that would be
capable of converting a generic depiction of an individual in a
professional sports league to a depiction of an individual belonging to a
particular team in that league would be suitable. The added indicia 16 can
thus include a particular color scheme, team logos, striping, numbers,
etc. FIG. 1 illustrates added indicia 16 in the form of a team's logo on
the helmet 18 and jersey of a football player as well as numbers on the
jersey of the football player. The other intermediate page 30 also
features enhanced generic representations of players in action (partially
shown). The numbers on the jersey can also be provided as part of the
generic graphic indicia, and an enhancement step provides the appropriate
color to the interior of the number while the surrounding jersey or helmet
is usually enhanced in a different color.
FIG. 1 further illustrates picture positioning means 22 provided on the
interior face of back cover page 32 positioning means 22 can take the form
as a holder supported by a support member such as one of the pages in the
page set. The holder is preferably an adhesive patch provided on the back
cover, a pocket with protective plastic cover, or a clip. Alternatively,
the positioning means can take the form of added indicia which depicts the
proper position for a pictorial representation such as photograph 24.
Thus, the positioning means helps ensure that the photograph is in a
proper position with respect to the aligned cut-outs. The proper
positioning of the photograph results in the facial component of the
photograph being aligned with the cut-outs 20 formed in the intermediate
pages, front cover page and gate fold 31. FIG. 1 also illustrates the
positioning of cut-out 20 in the facial area of the enhanced generic
graphic representation of a football player. Cut-out 20 is actually
configured to correspond with the open facial area of helmet 18.
On the interior of cover page 26 and on the front face of page 30 there is
provided text 34 which preferably forms part of a storyline extending
throughout the publication 10. Text 34 is shown in FIG. 1 to comprise
non-variable text portion 36 (i.e., text which is generic to each
organization in the association and text which does not include data
pertaining to a particular organization or personalized data concerning
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