Interactive audio visual work

• US 5,453,013 A
• Filed: 08/11/1994
• Issued: 09/26/1995
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Golden Books Publishing Company, Inc. (Golden Books Family Entertainment, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Western Publishing Company, Inc.
• Inventors: Pierce, Harold D., Moore, Martin R. J. Sr., Billings, Zeb
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheng, Joe H.
• Application Number:
  US08/289,059
• Time in Patent Office: 411 Days
• Field of Search: 434/169, 434/178, 434/230, 434/317, 434/339, 200/5 R, 200/5 A, 200/512, 341/22, 341/34, 84/615, 84/618, 84/653, 84/656, 84/678, 84/719, 84/684, 446/143, 446/379, 462/55
• US Class Current: 434/169
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/2476 Speech or voice synthesisers, e.g. using a speech chip
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/38 Picture books with additional toy effects, e.g. pop-up or slide displays picture books B42D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G10H 1/344 Structural association with individual keys electrically operated wind-actuated organs G10B3/22

Abstract

An audio-visual book includes a plurality of pages and a text portion on the plurality of pages. The text portion includes, on each of at least two of the pages, both a plurality of lines of text and a plurality of different predetermined graphic depictions related in concept to the subject matter of the text and interposed within the lines of text. A switching mechanism is disposed in predetermined relationship to the text portion and includes a plurality of individually actuable elements, each of the switches being associated with one of the graphic depictions. A digital sound generator, responsive to actuation of one of the switches, is provided for selectively effecting generation of a sound associated with the subject of the depiction associated with the one switch.

Claims

1. An interactive audio-visual work comprising:

(A) a book having a plurality of pages bound together, at least some of said pages bearing graphic material including respective predetermined depictions;

(B) a sound generator unit including

(i) a touchpad having a plurality of individually actuable points, each of said individually actuable points being identified by a respective one of said depictions;

(ii) an electronic sound generator cooperating with said touchpad to generate, in response to actuation of each of said individually actuable points, a respective individual sound associated with the respective one of said depictions identifying said individually actuable point; and

(iii) a casing for receiving said touchpad and electronic sound generator and accessibly disposing said touchpad proximate to one edge of said book; and

(C) means for disposing said casing adjacent to said one edge of said book such that said depictions identifying said points are readily viewed together with said graphic material on said pages and accessible when said pages are opened;

said depictions identifying said points and said graphic material on said pages being conceptually, but not positionally, correlated.

2. The work of claim 1 wherein said book has a spine binding said plurality of paper together, and said one edge of said book is opposite said spine.

3. The work of claim 1 wherein said casing is the length of said one edge of said book.

4. The work of claim 1 wherein said book has a text portion on said plurality of pages, and text portion includes on each of at least two of said plurality of pages both a plurality of lines of text and a plurality of different predetermined graphic depictions related in concept to the subject matter of the text and interposed within said lines of text.

5. The work of claim 1 wherein said disposing means disposes said casing adjacent to said one edge of said book, but not overlapping any edge of said book.

6. The work of claim 1 wherein said depictions identifying said points and said graphic material on said pages are pictorial.

7. An audio-visual book comprising:

(A) a plurality of pages;

(B) a text portion of said plurality of pages, said text portion including, on each of at least two of said plurality of pages, both a plurality of lines of text and a predetermined graphic depiction related in concept to the subject matter of the text and interposed within said lines of text;

(C) a switching mechanism, disposed in predetermined relationship to said text portion, and including a plurality of individually actuable elements, each of said elements being associated with one of said graphic depictions, said graphic depictions in said text portion and said graphic depictions on said elements being correlated only by the subject matter thereof; and

(D) digital sound generator means, responsive to actuation of ones of said elements, for selectively effecting generation of a sound associated with the subject of the depiction associated with said actuated element.

8. The book of claim 7 wherein said text portion includes on each of at least two of said plurality of pages both a plurality of lines of text and a plurality of different predetermined graphic depictions related in concept to the subject matter of the text and interposed within said lines of text.

9. The work of claim 8 wherein said graphic depictions are pictorial.