Interactive greeting card

• US 10,456,668 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Mayer, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Dunn, David R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Veraa, Christopher E
• Application Number:
  US15/691,056
• Publication Number:
  US 20170361220A1
• Time in Patent Office: 790 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0628 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/02 Shooting or hurling games throwing-implements for sports or recreational use A63B65/00; throwing or projecting toys per se A63H33/18; gun simulators F41A33/00, e.g. light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; practice apparatus for gun-aiming F41G3/26, e.g. using a light-emitting device F41G3/2616; targets, target ranges, bullet catchers F41J, photo-electric hit-detector systems F41J5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/02 Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets B42D25/00 takes precedence; envelopes B65D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/027 combined with permanently fastened other articles, e.g. photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0002 using resistive RAM [RRAM] elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0026 Bit-line or column circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0028 Word-line or row circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/02 Disposition of storage elements, e.g. in the form of a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/82 to produce devices, e.g. integrated circuits, each consisting of a plurality of components
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/20 comprising selection components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/34 : of the vertical channel field-effect transistor type
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/845 : the switching components being connected to a common vertical conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/023 : by chemical vapor deposition, e.g. MOCVD, ALD
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/231 : based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/235 : between different crystalline phases, e.g. cubic and hexagonal
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/24 : based on migration or redistribution of ionic species, e.g. anions, vacancies
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/245 : the species being metal cations, e.g. programmable metallization cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/823 : adapted for essentially horizontal current flow, e.g. bridge type devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8418 : adapted for focusing electric field or current, e.g. tip-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8822 : Sulfides, e.g. CuS
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8825 : Selenides, e.g. GeSe
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8828 : Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8833 : Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8836 : Complex metal oxides, e.g. perovskites, spinels
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8845 : Carbon or carbides

Abstract

An integral greeting card/game is disclosed wherein a multi-panel greeting card also serves as a game board and is combined with a game piece and launch mechanism to create a novel, interactive greeting card. The multi-panel greeting card contains a sound module therein and a magnetic trigger is contained and concealed below one or more of the multiple greeting card panels. The game piece contains a magnet therein so that when the game piece comes into contact with the area of the greeting card above or proximate to the magnetic trigger, playback of an audio file is initiated. In one embodiment, the game piece is operative to interact with a touch screen of a mobile device.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card, comprising:

a greeting card body;

an article associated with the greeting card body and decoupled from the greeting card body; and

a launch mechanism attached to the greeting card body and configured to move the article relative to the greeting card body while the article is decoupled from the greeting card body,

wherein positioning the article proximate a particular location on the greeting card body with the launch mechanism, while the article is decoupled from the greeting card body, triggers playback of a digital audio file via the greeting card.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the greeting card body comprises a sound module operative to playback a first digital audio file in response to the article being positioned proximate the location.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 2, wherein the sound module is further operable to playback a second digital audio file upon opening the greeting card.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 2, wherein the greeting card further comprises a switch mechanism connected to the sound module, and the sound module is further operable to playback the first digital audio file in response to activation of the switch mechanism.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 2, wherein the sound module is further operable to playback a message different from the first digital audio file in response to the greeting card body being open for a predetermined period of time.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 2, wherein the greeting card body and the article include visual indicia indicating a particular theme, and wherein the first digital audio file corresponds to the particular theme.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the greeting card body further comprises a pop-up structure operable to move between:

a first position in which the pop-up structure extends substantially parallel to a panel of the greeting card body, and

a second position in which the pop-up structure extends substantially perpendicular to the panel body.

8. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, further comprising a spring mechanism concealed by the greeting card body and operably connected to the launch mechanism.

9. An interactive greeting card, comprising:

a greeting card body;

an article associated with the greeting card body; and

a mechanism configured to physically launch the article from the greeting card body to a location spaced from the greeting card body and proximate a digital device,

wherein the article is operative to communicate with an application operable on the digital device when the article is moved from the greeting card body to the location by the mechanism.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the mechanism is connected to the greeting card body and is configured to move the article from the greeting card body onto the digital device, the article being configured to activate the application once the article is disposed on the digital device.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the article includes a digital watermark, a QR code, printed electronics, foil stamping, conductive foam, or an augmented reality marker configured to communicate with the application.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a first response when the article is disposed proximate a first location on the digital device, and wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a second response different from the first response when the article is disposed proximate a second location on the digital device different from the first location.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the article is configured to unlock the application when the article is positioned proximate the digital device.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 13, wherein the article is configured to cause the application to be unlocked at least partly in response to a motion detection device of the digital device sensing the article.

15. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the article is configured to cause the application to play a video on a display of the digital device at least partly in response to the article being positioned proximate the digital device.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the greeting card body includes visual indicia indicating a particular theme, and wherein the video corresponds to the particular theme.

17. An interactive greeting card, comprising:

a greeting card body;

a launch mechanism attached to the greeting card body; and

an article removably retained by the greeting card body, the article including a component configured to communicate with an application operable on a digital device when the article is positioned proximate the digital device,

wherein the launch mechanism is configured to move the article to a location spaced from the greeting card body.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 17, wherein the component of the article includes a digital watermark, a QR code, printed electronics, foil stamping, conductive foam, or an augmented reality marker.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 17, wherein the article is operable to unlock the application on the digital device, and to trigger playback of at least one of an audio file or a digital file, via the digital device, once the application has been unlocked.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 17, wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a first response when the article is disposed proximate a first location on the digital device, and wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a second response different from the first response when the article is disposed proximate a second location on the digital device different from the first location.