Message card

• US 5,652,606 A
• Filed: 09/28/1995
• Issued: 07/29/1997
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Japan Servo Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Japan Servo Co., Ltd. (Nidec Corporation)
• Inventors: Sasaki, Naotaka, Kawamata, Shunichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Hjerpe, Richard
• Assistant Examiner(s): LAO, LUNYI
• Application Number:
  US08/535,466
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 40/124, 40/124.1-124.5, 40/454, 40/463, 40/902, 40/906, 446/147, 395/113, 345/80, 345/901, 345/204, 345/101, 428/901, 348/838, 340/815.4
• US Class Current: 345/204
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/13452 Conductors connecting driver circuitry and terminals of panels
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 345/901 Electronic book with display
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 40/902 Circuit control, e.g. flashing light

Abstract

A message card includes a button type dry battery, a visual image display, a speaker, a control circuit for recording, storing and reproducing both of visual images and audio messages data, a flexible circuit substrate for mounting the control circuit, connecting substrate formed integrally to the circuit substrate for connecting electrically the control circuit with the visual image display and with the speaker, writing terminals for writing desired visual images and audio messages data on the control circuit and being connected electrically to the control circuit on the substrate, and a switch for activating the reproduction of the visual images and the audio messages data.

Claims

1. A greeting card comprising:

a folded sheet card,

means for supplying electric energy,

means for displaying visual image data,

means for producing audio messages,

a control circuit mounted on a substrate for recording, storing and reproducing both visual images and audio messages,

connecting means for electrically connecting the control circuit on the substrate with the visual image display means,

connecting means for electrically connecting the control circuit on the substrate with the audio message producing means,

writing terminals for writing desired visual images data and audio messages data on the control circuit from an external source and being connected electrically to the control circuit on the substrate, and

activating means for activating and reproducing the visual images data and the audio messages data so that, when the activating means is activated by pressing a predetermined location on an exterior surface of the folded sheet card, the recorded and stored visual images data and audio messages data are reproduced such that the visual images are displayed and audio messages are generated.

2. The greeting card of claim 1, in which the circuit substrate is formed of a flexible substrate.

3. The greeting card according to claim 2, wherein the flexible substrate has a first portion on which is mounted the control circuit including a

switch electrode of a switch and a second portion which includes a contact electrode of the switch.

4. The greeting card according to claim 3, wherein the flexible substrate includes a third portion located between the first and second portion.

5. The greeting card according to claim 4, wherein all of said portions are substantially parallel to each other.

6. The greeting card according to claim 5, wherein said third portion includes an opening adjacent to said switch electrode and said contact electrode so that said switch and contact electrodes can contact each other upon application of pressure.

7. The greeting card according to claim 2, further including means for displaying a visual image.

8. The greeting card according to claim 7, further including a first set of wires for connecting to the means for visually displaying an image,

a second set of wires for connecting to speaker,

said writing terminals and each of said set of wires being mounted on separate distinct portions of a single substrate.

9. The greeting card according to claim 1, in which the activating means is formed of a substrate which is a single continuous piece with the circuit substrate.

10. The greeting card according to claim 1, in which the writing terminals are formed on separate substrates which form with the circuit substrate a single continuous piece.

11. The greeting card according to claim 1, wherein at least the writing terminals for writing desired visual image data is folded.

12. The greeting card according to claim 11, wherein the control circuit includes an electrically erasable programmable read only memory.

13. A greeting card comprising:

a folded sheet,

a button type dry battery,

a visual image display device,

a speaker,

a control circuit mounted on a flexible circuit substrate for recording, storing and reproducing both visual images and audio messages data,

a connecting substrate formed as a single continuous piece with the circuit substrate for connecting electrically the control circuit with the visual image display device and with the speaker,

writing terminals for writing desired visual images data and audio messages data on the control circuit and being connected electrically to the control circuit on the substrate, and

a switch for activating the reproduction of the visual images data and the phonetic messages data so that, when the switch is activated by pressing a predetermined location on the card, the recorded and stored visual images data and audio messages data are reproduced and the visual images are displayed and audio messages are generated.

14. The greeting card according to claim 13, wherein at least the writing terminals for writing desired visual image data is folded.

15. The greeting card according to claim 14, wherein the control circuit includes an electrically erasable programmable read only memory.