FLAP SENSOR ACTIVATED GREETING CARDS

• US 20120317850A1
• Filed: 08/29/2012
• Published: 12/20/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Beth Laverdiere, David Sapp, Jerry Guo, Johnathan Talbot, Tiger Qiao
• Original Assignee: Beth Laverdiere, David Sapp, Jerry Guo, Johnathan Talbot, Tiger Qiao
• Inventors: Qiao, Tiger, Sapp, David, Laverdiere, Beth, Talbot, Johnathan, GUO, Jerry
• Granted Patent: US 8,549,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 40/124.03
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records

Abstract

The interactive flap sensor activated greeting card of the present invention contains an audio module and a series of “window flaps” across the inside of the greeting card. When the greeting card is opened, a short audio prompt instructs the user to open a series of flaps inside the card to hear further audio messages or sound clips that correlate with the art work inside the card. When each flap is opened, a different audio file is played. The sound module is programmed to react to the card opening and then to trigger additional individual sounds each time one of the flaps of the card is opened. In another embodiment, the greeting card contains a series of flaps wherein opening one flap reveals another flap, and so on. Once the last flap is opened, a short audio recording is activated.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having a plurality of panels attached along a plurality of fold lines, the plurality of panels forming at least one cavity therebetween and at least one of the plurality of panels having one or more flaps contained thereon;

a sound module operative to store and playback at least one digital audio file, the sound module located within the at least one cavity;

a slide switch operative to initiate playback of a first digital audio file upon opening the greeting card;

one or more activation mechanisms operative to initiate playback of one or more digital audio files upon lifting the one or more flaps.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the first digital audio file contains verbal instructions for a user to open the one or more flaps to hear replay of the one or more digital audio files.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, having one flap located on a first greeting card panel and two flaps located on a second greeting card panel.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the one or more activation mechanisms are pull string mechanisms.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein a printed message is revealed when lifting each of the one or more flaps.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein a picture is revealed when lifting each of the one or more flaps.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the greeting card contains a vertical open-ended cavity along the bisecting fold line for storing and concealing one or more wires.

8. An interactive greeting card comprising:

at least four main greeting card panels, a first and second panel overlapping to form a cavity therebetween and a third and fourth panel overlapping to form a cavity therebetween, the first and second panels attached along a main fold line to the third and fourth panels;

a sound module contained within one of the cavities formed between the first and second panels or the third and fourth panels, the sound module operative to store and playback at least two digital audio files;

a first flap contained on the first or second overlapping panels;

a second flap contained on the third or fourth overlapping panels;

a pull-string trigger mechanism located beneath the first and second flaps which is operative to initiate playback of a first digital audio file;

a pull string trigger mechanism located beneath the third and fourth flaps which is operative to initiate playback of a second digital audio file.

9. The interactive greeting card of claim 8 further comprising a slide switch mechanism which initiates playback of a third digital audio file upon opening the greeting card.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the third digital audio file contains verbal instructions for a user to open the first or second flaps to hear replay of the first or second digital audio files.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the first and second digital audio files contain different verbal messages.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 8, wherein the first and second digital audio files contain content which relates to printed text or graphics on the first and second flaps, respectively.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 8 further comprising a vertical open-ended cavity between the first and second overlapping panels and the third and fourth overlapping panels for storing and concealing one or more wires.

15. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having three or more greeting card panels;

a sound module operative to store and playback at least two audio files;

two or more flaps contain on the greeting card body;

wherein lifting each of the two or more flaps causes playback of one of the at least two audio files.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 15 further comprising a slide switch which triggers playback of a third audio file upon opening the greeting card.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 16, wherein the third audio file contains instructions for hearing additional audio by lifting the two or more flaps.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein lifting the two or more flaps reveals a hidden picture beneath each flap.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein lifting the two or more flaps reveals a hidden message beneath each flap.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 18, wherein the hidden picture corresponds to an audio message played back when lifting the flap.