Greeting card having audio recording capabilities with trial mode feature

• US 10,071,590 B2
• Filed: 04/11/2008
• Issued: 09/11/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Hallmark Cards Incorporated
• Inventors: Lien, Timothy J., Knipp, Randy S., Watkins, John B.
• Primary Examiner(s): COLUCCI, MICHAEL C
• Application Number:
  US12/101,789
• Publication Number:
  US 20090259474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,805 Days
• Field of Search: 40717, 4012403, 434319, 3406861, 704270
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records

Abstract

A greeting card having an audio message recording and playback device permits recording of personalized audio messages to be played upon opening of the greeting card. The recording device is operable in either a trial mode or a use mode. In the trial mode, which would be applicable when the card is displayed in a store, a potential purchaser may experience the functionality of the card by recording their own test message. The test message is played back initially for the potential purchaser but is not subsequently played back to be later heard by other potential purchasers. In the use mode, which the card may be switched to after purchase by removal of a trial mode panel from the greeting card, a user recorded message is played repeatedly upon subsequent openings of the card. The user recorded message may be followed by a prerecorded recording, such as a song. Additional prerecorded messages, such as voice prompts with instructions for recording a message, may also be included.

Claims

1. An audio greeting card comprising:

a card body having a plurality of panels; and

an audio message recording and playback device coupled with the card body, the device having a microphone, a speaker, a power source, a first switch for initiating a message recording session, and a second switch for initiating a message playback session, wherein the device has a first mode where a recorded message may be played back a predetermined number of times and a second mode where the number of times a recorded message may be played back is greater than permitted by the first mode.

2. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein the recorded message is played back only one time in the first mode and wherein the number of times a recorded message may be played back in the second mode is not restricted.

3. The greeting card of claim 2, wherein the first mode is a trial mode, wherein the second mode is a use mode, wherein a perspective purchaser of the greeting card may record a message on the device in the trial mode, wherein the message recorded by the perspective purchaser in the trial mode is played back for the perspective purchaser to hear one time, and wherein the message recorded by the perspective purchaser in the trial mode is not played back a second time.

4. The greeting card of claim 3, wherein the device further includes a third switch, wherein the position of the third switch determines whether the device is in the first mode or the second mode.

5. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein the audio message recording and playback device further includes at least one permanently recorded, prerecorded, non-user recorded recording stored therein.

6. The greeting card of claim 5, wherein the recording is automatically played subsequent to playback of a recorded message.

7. The greeting card of claim 6, wherein the device includes at least two permanently recorded, prerecorded, non-user recorded recordings stored therein, wherein one of the recordings includes audible instructions regarding the device, wherein the recording with instructions is played upon activation of the second switch when the device is in the first mode.

8. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein the first mode is a trial mode where a message recorded during a recording session is automatically played back upon completion of the recording session, wherein activation of the second switch subsequent to completion of the recording session when the device is in the trial mode does not replay the message recorded during the recording session, wherein the second mode is a use mode, and wherein a message recorded during a recording session when the device is in the use mode may be played back subsequent to completion of the recording session by activation of the second switch.

9. The greeting card of claim 1, wherein the recorded message is played back automatically upon conclusion of a message recording session.

10. An audio message recording and playback device with a trial feature, the audio device comprising:

a circuit board;

a plurality of electrical components coupled with the circuit board, the components including a speaker, a microphone, a battery, an integrated circuit,

and first, second and third switches;

at least one recording stored in the audio device;

wherein activation of the first switch initiates a message recording session, whereby a user may record a message and the user recorded message is stored in the audio device;

wherein activation of the second switch initiates playing of one of the recording and the user recorded message stored in the audio device; and

wherein the third switch is movable from a first state to a second state, wherein the audio device operates in a first mode when the third switch is in its first state, wherein the audio device operates in a second mode when the third switch is in its second state, wherein activation of the second switch initiates playing of the recording when the audio device is in the first mode, and wherein activation of the second switch initiates playing of the user recorded message when the audio device is in the second mode, wherein the user recorded message is played back automatically upon completion of the message recording session, wherein the user recorded message is prohibited from additional playback when the audio device is in the first mode, and wherein the user recorded message is permitted additional playback when the audio device is in the second mode upon subsequent activation of the second switch.

11. A method of providing a customizable greeting comprising:

providing a greeting card body having an audio message recording and playback device coupled therewith, wherein the audio device has a trial mode where a test message may be recorded on the audio device by a user, wherein the user recorded test message is automatically played back upon conclusion of recording the test message, wherein additional playback of the test message is not permitted in the trial mode, wherein the audio device has a use mode where a user message may be recorded on the audio device by a user, wherein the user recorded user message is automatically played back upon conclusion of recording the user message, and wherein additional playback of the user message is permitted in the use mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio device further includes a non-user recorded recording, wherein the recording includes audible instructions that when played inform the user about the device, wherein the recording is played in the trial mode, and wherein the recording is not played in the use mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the audio device further includes at least two non-user recorded recordings, wherein a first of the recordings includes audible instructions that when played inform the user about the device, wherein a second of the recordings includes music, wherein the first recording is automatically followed by the second recording in the trial mode, and wherein the user recorded user message is automatically followed by the second recording in the use mode.

14. An audio message recording and playback device with a trial feature, the device comprising:

a circuit board;

a plurality of electrical components coupled with the circuit board, the components including a speaker, a microphone, a battery, an integrated circuit, and first, second and third switches;

wherein activation of the first switch initiates a message recording session, whereby a user may record a message and the user recorded message is stored in the audio device;

wherein the user recorded message is automatically played back upon completion of the message recording session; and

wherein the third switch is movable from a first state to a second state, wherein the audio device operates in a first mode when the third switch is in its first state, wherein the audio device operates in a second mode when the third switch is in its second state, wherein activation of the second switch does not initiate playing of the user recorded message when the audio device is in the first mode, and wherein activation of the second switch initiates playing of the user recorded message when the audio device is in the second mode.

15. An audio greeting card comprising:

a card body having first, second and third panels, wherein adjacent panels are connected together; and

an audio message recording and playback device coupled with the card body, the audio device having a microphone, a speaker, a battery, at least one recording stored therein, a first switch for initiating a message recording session, and a second switch, wherein the audio device has a trial mode and a use mode, wherein activation of the second switch initiates playing of the at least one recording in the trial mode, and wherein activation of the second switch initiates playback of a recorded message in the use mode, wherein the at least one recording that is played upon activation of the second switch in the trial mode and is stored in the audio message recording and playback device is a permanently recorded, prerecorded, non-user recorded recording and wherein the recorded message that is played upon activation of the second switch in the use mode is a message stored in the audio device that was previously recorded by user during a message recording session.