Personalizable animated character display clock

• US 5,380,206 A
• Filed: 03/09/1993
• Issued: 01/10/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/1993
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Margaret S. Asprey
• Original Assignee: Margaret S. Asprey
• Inventors: Asprey, Margaret S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mancene, Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A.
• Application Number:
  US08/028,321
• Time in Patent Office: 672 Days
• Field of Search: 368/223, 368/224, 368/225, 368/228, 368/229, 368/141, 434/99, 434/94, 434/257, 434/304, 434/428, 446/321, 446/391, 446/387
• US Class Current: 434/257
• CPC Class Codes: G04B 45/0061 Moving parts of the clockwork, e.g. pendulum, hands in special form, mostly constructed as a figure cases and non moving parts of the clockwork in various forms G04B45/0069; decoration and manufacturing methods therefor, also for moving parts G04B45/0076; construction of normal pendulums G04B17/02; construction of normal hands G04B19/042
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/00 Teaching not covered by other main groups of this subclass teaching or practice apparatus for gun-aiming or gun-laying F41G3/26
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/12 Clock-reading
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/02 with visual presentation of the material to be studied, e.g. using film strip

Abstract

A personalizable animated character display (10) for transforming a face photograph (24) into a personalized animated character comprising a body image (20) and one or more movable body parts (12, 14). In the preferred embodiment, the animation is driven by a clock drive mechanism (30) and the display is configured to also serve the role of a clock. The display is made personalizable by providing an opening (22) in the character body image (20), through which the face on the personalizing face photograph (24) may be shown in such a position as to integrate with the character body image (20).

Claims

1. The combination of:

(a) a personalizable animated character display clock, including a character image, one or more movable image parts representing movable portions of a character depicted in said character image, and a clock drive mechanism coupled to rotate said one or more movable image parts relative to said character image; and

(b) a means for personalizing said character image with an image of a person'"'"'s face.

2. The combination recited in claim 1 in which said means for personalizing is a computerized image compositing means.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 in which said means for personalizing is a photographic image compositing means.

4. The combination recited in claim 1 in which said means for personalizing comprises an opening in said character image and a means for mounting a photograph behind said opening.