Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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TITLE OF THE INVENTION
COMPUTER ORDERING/SELLING METHODOLOGY FOR
LASER ENGRAVED GAME BALLS
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
Priority is claimed from U.S. Provisional Application, Serial No. 60/157,994.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to a method for customizing game balls.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a method, using a computer
network, for soliciting orders for customized game balls, including, allowing
a user to
transmit to the supplier, manufacturer or retailer customized indicia to be
applied to
the customized game balls.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is a method for soliciting or placing orders for
customized game balls. The present method includes providing a game ball order
form accessible through a computer network by one or more users from one or
more
remote sites. The present method further includes providing one or more
possible
design criteria, requesting the user to customize a game ball by entering at
least one of
the design criteria on the order form, requesting the user to submit the order
form
through the computer network, and receiving the order form.
The design criteria may include customizing indicia to be applied to the
surface of the game ball. Laser engraving is one method of applying the
indicia to a
game ball. Laser engraving technology, described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,125,
allows
the manufacturer or printer to quickly customize the indicia to be applied to
the game
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ball. This is because the image can simply be generated on or scanned into a
computer, and then laser engraved on the game ball as it appears on the
screen. No
dedicated printing plate needs to be etched. This quick and simple laser
engraving
process makes it easy to solicit orders for customized game balls on which
custom
indicia are desired.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Fig. 1 is a flow chart showing a preferred embodiment of the present method
for soliciting orders for customized game balls using a computer network.
Fig. 2 is a flow chart showing an integrated manufacturing process for
customizing the indicia on a golf ball using a laser engraving technique.
Fig. 3 is a flow chart showing an alternative integrated manufacturing process
for ordering, customizing and delivering game balls with laser engraved custom
indicia via a computer network.
Fig. 4 illustrates the laser engraving system for applying indicia to game
balls.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
While the invention will be described in connection with one or more
embodiments, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to those
embodiments. On the contrary, the invention includes all alternatives,
modifications,
and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the appended
claims.
The preferred method of the present invention for soliciting or placing orders
for customized game balls using a computer network is shown in the flow chart
of
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Fig. 1. The preferred method generally includes the step 105 of providing a
game ball
order form accessible through a computer network by one or more users from one
or
more remote sites, the step 110 of providing one or more possible design
criteria, the
step 115 of requesting the user to customize a game ball by entering at least
one of
the design criteria on the order form, the step 125 of requesting the user to
submit the
order form through the computer network, and the step 130 of receiving the
order
form. The preferred method may also include the step 135 of determining
whether to
accept the order represented by the customized game ball order form, and the
step 140
of manufacturing one or more customized game balls according to the customized
game ball order form.
The step 105 of providing a game ball order form accessible through a
computer network by one or more users from one or more remote sites may be
accomplished by including such an order form on a manufacturer's, supplier's
or
retailer's website on the Internet. Alternatively, the order form may be sent
to users
via e-mail. The present method may include the step 120 of requesting various
information from the user including, but not limited to, his or her name,
address, place
of business, work and home phone number(s), fax number, e-mail address, and
credit
card number and expiration date. In some circumstances, a user may be asked to
provide a predetermined identification number. In an embodiment where a pro
shop
or retailer is placing the order with a manufacturer, this step 120 may also
include
requesting a predetermined identification number corresponding to that pro
shop or
retailer.
In accordance with the present method, the manufacturer, supplier or retailer
may carry out the step 110 of providing to the user one or more possible
design
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criteria which may be used to customize game balls. As explained below, these
design criteria generally define the characteristics of a specific game ball
or game
balls in general. The design criteria which generally apply to all types of
game balls
may include the color, quantity and type of game balls. The user is then asked
to
customize the desired game ball by entering at least one design criterion on
the order
form to be applied to the customized game balls (step 115). The user may enter
the
desired design criteria by either typing in the desired values for each
criterion, or by
selecting one value from a choice of values. In the preferred embodiment, the
user
may choose the particular type of game ball that he or she desires to
customize. For
example, the user may choose to customize golf balls, footballs, basketballs,
baseballs, softballs, volleyballs, soccer balls, tennis balls, or other types
of game balls.
One important advantage of the present method is the ability for a user to
quickly and easily order, using a computer network, game balls personalized
with
custom indicia or logos. As explained above, one method of applying custom
indicia
or logos to a game ball is by laser engraving. This method of forming indicia
on a
game ball is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,523,125, which is incorporated
herein by
reference. A brief description follows.
Fig. 4 illustrates a laser engraving system 400 for applying indicia to game
balls. The illustrated laser engraving system comprises a laser gas supply
402, a laser
engraver power supply 404, a laser 406, a mount fixture 412, an engraving
table 410,
a controller 414, and a computer terminal or workstation 416.
The laser engraving process generally includes the following steps. First, the
artwork to be engraved on the game ball is selected from the appropriate
database of
electronically stored files. Then, the mount fixture 410 is selected and
placed on the
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engraving table 412. The mount fixture 410 on which the game ball is placed
has a
slight indentation to keep the game ball 408 from rolling off the engraving
table 412.
The size and shape of the indentation on the mount fixture 410 depends on the
height
and shape of the game ball 408 being placed on it.
The particular game ball 408 selected to be engraved is then placed onto the
mount fixture 412, and aligned such that the area to be lasered is centered
above the
mount fixture 412. Next, the laser 406 is focused on the surface of the game
ball to
insure good artwork definition. The laser 406 is then turned on, and printing
is
initiated. Printing of the selected artwork onto the game ball is accomplished
by
movement of the engraving table in both the X and Y directions in coordination
with
the activation of the laser. This coordination of the laser and the movement
of the
engraving table is handled by the system's controller 414.
A further advantage of the present invention is that rather than applying
indicia onto a completely finished game ball, the indicia may be applied to a
game
ball before any clear finishing or protective layers are applied to the ball.
For
example, golf balls are often manufactured with a clear protective top coat to
maximize durability. It is possible to apply custom indicia either directly
onto the top
coat of the golf ball, or onto the golf ball before the top coat is applied.
The latter
method is more advantageous because the durability of the indicia or logo
itself, in
addition to the durability of the golf ball, is maximized. Because a preferred
embodiment of the present method includes the step of manufacturing a certain
number of customized game balls according to the customized game ball order
form,
it is easy to apply the indicia or logo before applying any desired protective
layer.
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The next step 120 of the present method is to ask the user to provide any
information to complete the current order. For example, the user may be asked
to
provide his or her name, address, place of business, work and home phone
number(s),
fax number, e-mail address, and credit card number and expiration date. In
some
circumstances, a user may be asked to provide a predetermined identification
number.
Once all of the relevant and/or necessary information has been provided by the
user on the game ball order form, the user is asked to submit the completed
order
form to the manufacturer, retailer or supplier over the computer network, thus
placing
the order (step 125). In a preferred embodiment, the user may be given
alternative
options before submitting the completed form. For example, the user may be
able to
clear the form and start over, revise the form, save the form in a database
for a
predetermined amount of time before actually placing the order, or cancel the
order
altogether. Once the order form is submitted by the user, the present method
includes
the step 130 of receiving the completed order form by a second party,
generally the
party who will fill the order (e.g., the manufacturer, supplier or retailer).
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the party who receives the
completed order form (i.e., manufacturer, supplier, retailer) may carry out
the step
135 of determining whether or not to accept the order. This feature of the
present
invention prevents the manufacturer, supplier or retailer from attempting to
fill an
impracticable or impossible order, or from filling an order for a user who has
provided a false, invalid or cancelled credit card. After the party who
receives the
completed order form decides to accept the order (step 135), the order may be
filled
(step 140).
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One advantage of the present invention is that the manufacturing process may
be integrated as part of the overall customization process. This integration
may be
accomplished by, for example, translating the design criteria data into
manufacturing
control data to be used directly by the machinery at a manufacturing facility.
The
manufacturing facilities, which operate to create the customized game balls,
generally
comprise different machines operated in a series for making the game ball. For
example, there may be a ball-molding apparatus which can mold a golf ball with
the
dimple type selected by the user on the game ball order form. As described
below,
Figure 2 illustrates an integrated manufacturing process for customizing the
indicia on
a golf ball.
After the customized order form is accepted (step 135 of Figure 1), the order
may then be received by the manufacturing facility (step 205). This may be
accomplished by, for example, sending the order to the manufacturing facility
via e-
mail or by loading the data from the order form onto a data base accessible by
the
manufacturing facility. The manufacturing facility can alternatively receive
the order
directly from the original sender or user, without intermediate transfers. The
present
method may also include the step 210 of reading the specific data or
information
corresponding to the desired custom indicia submitted by the user. This
specific data
may be read and saved into a file accessible by the laser engraver which will
be used
to form the indicia on the game ball.
Next, the laser engraver is activated (step 215) for applying indicia to the
customized game ball. This activation step 215 may include, for example,
turning on
the engraver, turning on the laser gas tank, resetting the required settings
for laser
engraving, selecting the mount fixture, placing the game ball to be engraved
onto the
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mount fixture, aligning the laser such that the area to be lased is centered
above the
mount fixture, focusing the laser, placing the appropriate game ball in place
for laser
engraving, and running a preliminary check on the laser engraver. In
accordance with
one embodiment of the present invention, each of these activation sub-steps is
carned
out automatically after the customized order form is received electronically
by the
manufacturing facility (step 205), based on the content of the customized
order.
Then the laser engraver may apply the indicia onto the game ball (step 220).
This application step 220 may include selecting the indicia to be printed on
the game
ball, loading the data or information which defines the indicia into the laser
engraver's
memory, selecting a print command, turning on the laser, and then operating
the laser
so as to physically print the selected indicia on the game ball (i.e., by
moving the
engraving table in both the X and Y directions in coordination with the
shining of the
laser). Similar to the activation step 215, each of the sub-steps of the
application step
220 may be carried out automatically after the customized order form is
received
electronically by the manufacturing facility (step 205), based on the content
of the
customized order.
Another example illustrating an integrated manufacturing process of the
present invention is shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 illustrates a general
manufacturing
process for ordering, customizing and delivering game balls with custom
indicia, via a
computer network. As described with respect to Figure 2, after the customized
order
form is accepted (step 135 of Figure 1), the order may then be received by the
manufacturing facility (step 305). Then, the data corresponding to the indicia
is
uploaded to a data spooling system connected to the game ball manufacturing
facility
(step 310). The data spooling system may be, for example, a database or other
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memory storage device. Next, the user is provided with an order identification
number associated with the particular order (step 315), after which the custom
indicia
data is queued in a laser engraving system via software or human interface
(step 320).
Based on the data uploaded to the data spooling system (see step 310), the
appropriate
game balls (e.g., the type of game balls and the number ordered) are allocated
to a
laser engraving station (step 325), and the desired indicia is applied to the
game
balls) (step 330), as described above with respect to Figure 2.
According to the present invention, subsequent steps 335-355 may include
placing the laser engraved game balls in the proper packaging via a
computerized
system (step 335), checking the user's present game ball order for accuracy
(step 340),
shipping the game balls to the user via a predetermined system such as, for
example,
ground, overnight or hand delivery (step 345), and notifying the user, via the
computer network, that the order has been shipped, including providing the
user with
the order identification number and the shipping tracking number (step 350).
The
present invention may also include the step 355 of storing in memory
information
provided by and identifying the user. This information may include, for
example, the
user's name, address, phone, occupation, and prior orders. This information
may then
be accessed for various purposes such as, for example, to speed up future
orders, or
for future promotional e-mails or postal mailings from the manufacturer.
In addition to laser engraving, the user may customize the game ball by
entering additional desired design criteria, including design criteria
specific to the
chosen game ball. For example, a user may select a golf ball as the desired
type of
game ball to customize. Because there are certain design criteria that apply
specifically to golf balls but not to other types of game balls, the present
method may
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include providing a specific set of design criteria corresponding to golf
balls. This set
of golf ball design criteria may include, but are not limited to, amount of
compression,
coefficient of restitution, level of spin, dimple pattern, shape of dimples,
number of
dimples, dimple size, overall dimple volume, percent of dimple coverage,
distance
level, core type, cover material, cover appearance, level of control, and
trajectory
level. Each of these design criteria will be discussed below.
One advantage of the present invention is that a user can select any value
within a range of acceptable values for certain design criteria. For example,
compression may be such a customizable design criterion. Standard golf balls
are
generally sold with a PGA compression of 70-110. However, the present
invention
may allow a user to specify any compression value from within a given range of
acceptable values. The acceptable values will generally be determined based on
acceptable manufacturing criteria or limitations. For example, a user may be
able to
choose any PGA compression in multiples of 5 from within the range of 50-110,
thus
allowing the user to obtain a golf ball that will perfect his or her personal
golf game.
The acceptable manufacturing criteria or limitations may dictate that the
desired value of compression, hardness, etc. must be rounded to the nearest
10,
nearest 5, nearest integer or nearest tenth of an integer. For example, if a
user
believes a Shore D cover hardness of 56.4 is ideal, this user would select 60
if the
manufacturing criteria call for a multiple of 10, 55 if the manufacturing
criteria call
for a multiple of 5, 56 if the manufacturing criteria require an integer-
value, or 56.4 if
the manufacturing criteria allow increments of one tenth of an integer for the
Shore D
hardness value. This ability to select any value is discussed further below
with regard
to other customizable design criteria.
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For the level of spin of a golf ball, the possible choices may include, for
example, extra high, high, medium, low, or extra low, for a specific set of
conditions
such as, for example, launch angle, speed, or club type. Alternatively, the
user may
identify a specific value of maximum 8-iron spin such as, 8100 RPM, or a
maximum
driver spin such as 3400 RPM. This option to specify-a maximum 8-iron or
driver
spin value is advantageous as it allows a user to tweak the value of spin in
order to
perfect his or her own golf game. The selected value for the maximum 8-iron
spin
may be chosen from a range of values such as, for example, 6000 - 10000 RPM,
with
acceptable manufacturing criteria being increments of 500. Similarly, the
selected
value for the maximum drive spin may be chosen from a range of values such as,
for
example, 2000 - 5000 RPM, with acceptable manufacturing criteria being minimum
increments of 500.
For the dimple pattern, the possible choices may include, for example,
icosahedron, dodecahedron, single radius icosadodecahedron, dual radius
icosadodecahedron, tetrahedron, and counter rotating double helix. The
possible
choices for the shape of the dimples on the golf ball may include, for
example,
circular, tear-drop, ellipsoid, or any combination of these shapes. The
possible
choices for the distance level of the customized golf ball may include, for
example,
average, long or extra long. The possible choices for core type include, for
example,
wound, solid or liquid, single layer, or multi-layer.
The cover material design criterion for each layer of the cover may allow a
user to select among several different materials such as, for example, balata,
polyurethane, metallocene catalyzed polyolefin, polyamide, elastomer, ionomer,
or
particular blends containing ionomer or other materials, for example,
Zinthane~ II
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(Trademark of Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc., Chicopee, MA), Terthane~
(Trademark of Spalding Sports Worldwide, Inc., Chicopee, MA), Surlyn~
(Registered
Trademark of E.I. Du Pont, Wilmington, DE), or Iotek~ (Registered Trademark of
Exxon Corp.). For the level of control, the user may select, for example, low,
average, high or extra high. The trajectory level is another possible design
criterion,
allowing a user to select, for example, an ultra low, low, medium, high, or
ultra high
trajectory level.
The "cover appearance" referred to above may include the incorporation of
clear "windows" in the outer cover of the ball, allowing the underlying layer,
such as
a mantle layer, to be partially visible. Non-limiting examples of such windows
are
provided in U.S. Des. Nos. 410,511; 410,979; 411,599; 412,193; 410,512;
412,543;
and 412,954, and U.S. Patent Application No. 09/049,868, the contents of which
are
incorporated herein by reference.
Other golf ball design criteria not already mentioned above, which the present
method may allow a user to customize, include, but are not limited to, cover
thickness
(e.g., .03 - .10 inches in increments of .0l inches), construction type (e.g.,
two-piece,
wound, mufti-layer), and cover Shore D hardness (e.g., 40 - 70, increments of
1) for
various parts of the ball.
The present invention as described in this specification has numerous
advantages over the prior art. For example, the present method of ordering
custom
game balls is more efficient, even for relatively small orders, because the
order may
be accessed by the manufacturing facility itself. Further, the present method
of
customizing game balls is much more flexible than prior customization methods
in
that there are many more choices available to the user. In addition, the
present
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invention allows for a consumer to order custom golf balls from a computer
terminal
in a golf pro shop after the consumer has received the advice of the golf
professional
on what type of golf ball will suit the consumer's game. This advice may be
coupled
with a hitting net and feedback system in the golf pro shop.
