IP Library Granted Patent US 11,364,522
Granted Patent B2
US 11,364,522 · App. 16/709,443 · Granted Jun 21, 2022

Method for producing collectible cards

Inventors: David Eastwood (Durham, NC); Harold Aldridge Benson (Graham, NC); Joe Cholewinski (Durham, NC)
Assignee: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company
B07C5/362B65H33/02B65H33/14B65H39/00B65H43/04B65H43/06B65H2301/4228B65H2301/431B65H2511/413B65H2701/18265B65H2701/1914
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,364,522
App. No.
16/709,443
Granted
Jun 21, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

Methods and systems of producing collectible cards are disclosed. An example method includes producing a first stack of cards including a first card type and a second card type from a single substrate sheet, separating the first stack of cards into a first sub-stack and a second sub-stack. The first sub-stack includes the first card type and the second sub-stack includes the second card type. The example method includes comparing a first top card of the first sub-stack to a first reference card and, based on the first top card being substantially similar to the first reference card, automatically transferring the first sub-stack to a first tray designated to receive the first card type.

Claims (18)

1. A method comprising the steps of:

determining a first number of cards of a first card type in a first tray, a second number of cards of a second card type in a second tray, and a third number of cards of the first card type in a third tray;

when the first number satisfies a first threshold, separating a stack of cards into a first partial sub-stack, a second partial sub-stack, and a third sub-stack, the first partial sub-stack including the first card type, the second partial sub-stack including the first card type, and the third sub-stack including the second card type, the first partial sub-stack being sized not to overfill the first tray when the first partial sub-stack is positioned in the first tray; and

determining a first quality value of a first top card of the first partial sub-stack and determining a second quality value of a second top card of the second partial sub-stack when the first number satisfies the first threshold; and

in response to receiving an indication from a processor that the first quality value satisfies a second threshold, automatically transferring the first partial sub-stack to the first tray; and

in response to receiving an indication from the processor that the second quality value satisfies a third threshold, automatically transferring the second partial sub-stack to the third tray.

2. The method of claim 1 , further including the step of producing a second stack of cards including the first card type and the second card type.

3. The method of claim 2 , further including the steps of separating the second stack of cards into a sixth sub-stack and a seventh sub-stack, the sixth sub-stack including the first card type and the seventh sub-stack including the second card type, comparing a third top card of the sixth sub-stack to a reference card, and, based on the third top card not being substantially similar to the reference card, rejecting the sixth sub-stack and not transferring the sixth sub-stack to the first tray.

4. The method of claim 3 , further including the step of separating the second stack of cards into an eighth sub-stack including the first card type and a ninth sub-stack including the first card type if the first number exceeds a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 3 , further including the step of automatically transferring the sixth sub-stack to the first tray if the third top card is substantially similar to the reference card.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the sixth sub-stack includes a fourth number of cards equal to the threshold value.

7. The method of claim 6 , further including the step of generating an alert indicative of the first tray being full.

8. The method of claim 3 , wherein the step of comparing the third top card of the sixth sub-stack to the reference card includes the step of comparing quality characteristics of the third top card to quality characteristics of the reference card.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cards comprise collectible cards.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first card type is different than the second card type.

11. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of producing a second stack of cards including a third card type and a fourth card type, separating the second stack of cards into a fourth sub-stack and a fifth sub-stack, the fourth sub-stack including the third card type and the fifth sub-stack including the fourth card type, comparing a third top card of the fourth sub-stack to a reference card, and based on the third top card being substantially similar to the reference card, automatically transferring the fourth sub-stack to a fourth tray designated to receive the third card type.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first card type is different than the third card type.

13. The method of claim 1 , further including the steps of, when the first number does not satisfy the first threshold, separating the stack of the cards into a fourth sub-stack and a fifth sub-stack, the fourth sub-stack including the first card type, the fifth sub-stack including the second card type and loading the fourth sub-stack in the first tray.

Assignments (19)
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2025
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 070919/0394 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 9, 2024
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.; VALASSIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; VALASSIS DIGITAL CORP.; VALASSIS DIRECT MAIL, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 068534/0447 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 9, 2024
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.; VALASSIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.; VALASSIS DIGITAL CORP.; VALASSIS DIRECT MAIL, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 068534/0366 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (R/F 064463/0597) Recorded Aug 9, 2024
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068534/0330 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENT RIGHTS (R/F 064462/0445) Recorded Aug 9, 2024
From: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068534/0306 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 9, 2024
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.; VALASSIS DIGITAL CORP.; VALASSIS DIRECT MAIL, INC.; VALASSIS COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC
Reel/Frame 068533/0812 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2024
From: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
To: R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 068467/0314 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST RECORDED AT RF 056122/0839; ASSIGNED VIA RF 059203/0333 TO JEFFERIES AND RF 063487/0449 TO APOLLO Recorded Apr 17, 2024
From: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC
To: R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
Reel/Frame 067131/0845 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 3, 2024
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 067000/0669 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS 2028 NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064463/0597 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Aug 1, 2023
From: R.R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
To: U.S. BANK TRUST COMPANY, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 064462/0445 →
TERMINATION AND RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN PATENTS, PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL 056079, FRAME 0534 Recorded Jul 31, 2023
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 064441/0646 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME 056122/0839 AND 059203/0333 Recorded Apr 28, 2023
From: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
To: APOLLO ADMINISTRATIVE AGENCY LLC
Reel/Frame 063487/0449 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY ASSIGNMENT AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 10, 2023
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 062702/0648 →
ASSIGNMENT OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY COLLATERAL RECORDED AT R/F 056122/0839 Recorded Feb 25, 2022
From: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
To: JEFFERIES FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 059203/0333 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2021
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056122/0810 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 3, 2021
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
To: BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.
Reel/Frame 056122/0839 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 28, 2021
From: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY; CONSOLIDATED GRAPHICS, INC.
To: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 056079/0534 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 12, 2019
From: EASTWOOD, DAVID; BENSON, HAROLD ALDRIDGE; CHOLEWINSKI, JOE
To: R. R. DONNELLEY & SONS COMPANY
Reel/Frame 051268/0231 →