Method of combining audio and visual indicia

• US 5,609,488 A
• Filed: 02/14/1994
• Issued: 03/11/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/1989
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Augusta Holdings, LLC
• Original Assignee: Stephen I. Mctaggart
• Inventors: McTaggart, Stephen I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Apley, Richard J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Richman, Glenn
• Application Number:
  US08/195,755
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 434/308, 434/309, 434/311, 434/317, 434/156, 434/178, 434/169, 434/339, 200/5 A, 200/5 R
• US Class Current: 434/317
• CPC Class Codes: B42C 9/00 Applying glue or adhesive peculiar to bookbinding
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 1/004 Perforated or punched sheets
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 1/006 with at least one foldable or folded sheet
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 1/009 characterised by printed matter not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 3/123 incorporating sound producing or light emitting means or carrying sound records
• 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: G09B 5/065 Combinations of audio and video presentations, e.g. videotapes, videodiscs, television systems
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display

Abstract

An electronic book comprising a plurality of leaves, each leaf comprising pages of printed material bound at one edge to form a spine, with electrical circuits formed in each leaf. A common electronic circuit such as a speech generator and/or controller cooperates with the electrical circuits on each of the various pages, connected to the electrical circuits in the leaves through conductive paths through the spine of the book. The electrical circuits in the leaves include electrical elements such as switches, and sensory output devices (e.g., thermochromic devices, light emitting diodes, thermo-olfactory devices, electrochromic devices, and the like). The electrical elements are associated with particular portions of the printed material so that the particular portions can be selectively highlighted or emphasized (e.g., designated by actuation of a visual or olfactory device and/or text read). A particularly advantageous switch structure formed integral to the page employing standard printing techniques, the bonding of LEDs directly into the printed circuit, and various advantageous methods of construction of the book are also disclosed.

Claims

1. A method for combining audio and visual indicia comprising the steps of:

printing in flexible conductive ink, a circuit on a continuous substrate sheet;

disposing electrical elements in the printed circuits;

printing visual indicia on the continuous sheet, with particular portions of the visual indicia associated with the electrical elements;

folding the continuous sheet to at least one pair of adjacent segments, the printed circuit extending across the folds of the sheet; and

electrically connecting a common electronic circuit to the printed circuit to cooperate with the electrical elements on the respective segments, the electronic circuit effecting generation of the audio indicia.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical elements comprise switches and the method further comprises printing respective switch terminals of conductive ink, and printing a spacer of dielectric ink in predetermined disposition relative to the terminals.

3. The method of claim 1, including the step of binding one set of folds together.

4. A method for combining audio and visual indicia comprising the steps of:

printing circuits in conductive ink on respective substrate sheets, the circuits including conductive portions and switch portions disposed at predetermined positions on the substrate;

printing visual indicia on the substrate sheets, respective predetermined portions of the visual indicia being disposed in association with the electrical elements;

folding the substrate sheet to form segments of visual indicia;

binding the folded substrate sheets such that the switch portions cooperate as switches and the conductive portions of the circuits adjacent sheets are placed in electrical contact to form conductive paths through the binding; and

connecting the conductive paths to a common electronic circuit to provide coordination between the operation of the common electronic circuit and the switches, the common electronic circuit effecting generation of the audio indicia.

5. The method of claim 4, further including the step of printing a spacer on the substrate sheets in predetermined relation to the switch portions.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the segments comprise the pages of a book.