Multimedia collectible

• US 5,841,878 A
• Filed: 02/13/1996
• Issued: 11/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: John J. Arnold
• Original Assignee: John J. Arnold
• Inventors: Wechsler, Lawrence I., Arnold, John J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Application Number:
  US08/600,851
• Time in Patent Office: 1,015 Days
• Field of Search: 381/124, 381/61, 40/124.03, 40/717, 40/906, 704/272
• US Class Current: 381/124
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 27/00 Combined visual and audible advertising or displaying, e.g. for public address
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 40/906 Sound

Abstract

A collectible article provides a multimedia representation of a desired subject. Such multimedia representation will include a visual representation of the subject appearing on at least a portion of the article. In addition to such visual media, an audible sound segment, reproducible and selectively activated as desired by an activation switch. The article is advantageously of compact, card-like format, and can be user personalized by permitting the recording, and selective playback, of a sound segment corresponding to the visually depicted image appearing on a portion thereof. The article may optionally include a space reserved for receiving an autograph. By carrying the article to places where there may be a likelihood of encountering the depicted celebrity, the owner will have same at hand for personalization by the figure. A spoken message to the presenting owner of the card-like article may there be recorded by the celebrity for long term storage and future playback, and/or the card signed in the appropriate location thereon. The article may further include displayed statistical information and the like disposed on an reverse side of the card, conveniently in the form of, for example, a liquid crystal alphanumeric display, or the like, which includes one or more rows. In a further embodiment, the above features are incorporated in a protective housing for display of existing trading cards and the like.

Claims

1. A multimedia collectible capable of presenting a particular subject of interest via a plurality of media representations, said multimedia collectible comprising:

a housing having structure presenting rigid exterior obverse and reverse sides;

said housing including means for receiving visual data, said visual data including at least one of a visual representation of the subject and textual information, in a manner permitting at least partial external viewing thereof from both said obverse and said reverse sides;

means integral with said housing for audibly reproducing at least one stored sound segment, said means for reproducing including external activation means;

said housing including a switch access hole formed crosswise to a plane of said housing, said switch access hole having an opening in at least one of said obverse and reverse sides; and

said activation means including a biased activation switch disposed in said access hole for operable movement in a direction common to said plane of said housing, there being sufficient space between said biased activation switch and a peripheral inner boundary of said switch access hole to permit reception of a finger therethrough and allow depression of said switch against said biasing as desired.

2. A multimedia collectible capable of presenting a particular subject of interest via a plurality of media representations, said multimedia collectible comprising:

a housing;

said housing including means for receiving a visual representation of the subject in a manner permitting external viewing thereof;

means for storing at least one sound segment;

means integral with said housing for audibly reproducing said at least one sound segment, said means for reproducing including external activation means;

means for displaying stored alphanumeric data for viewing of same on a reverse side of said housing to a obverse side containing said visual representation; and

means for selectively scrolling displayed text of said alphanumeric data for incremental display thereof;

a switch;

means for detecting which of two sides of said housing is oriented in an upwardly facing direction; and

means, responsive to said means for detecting, for alternately changing a functional mode of said switch from one providing said activation means to one providing said means for selectively scrolling corresponding respectively to upward orientation of said obverse side and said reverse side.

3. The multimedia collectible in accordance with claim 2, wherein:

said means for detecting includes a detector switch;

said detector switch comprising a switch housing, said switch housing containing a conductive bead captively contained and movable therein; and

said detector switch further comprising at least three contacts disposed in triangular arrangement with one another and having electrical contact surfaces exposed to an interior of said switch housing, movement of said bead within said switch housing bringing said bead into alternating conductive contact with ones of said at least three contacts and effecting a circuit closure when two of said at least three contacts are in contact with said bead at a given time, there being a distance between contacts permitting said circuit closure of only a portion of said at least three contacts at a time.

4. The multimedia collectible in accordance with claim 3, wherein said bead is a metal bearing.

5. The multimedia collectible in accordance with claim 3, wherein said bead is a quantity of mercury.

6. A multimedia collectible capable of presenting a particular subject of interest via a plurality of media representations, said multimedia collectible comprising:

a housing;

said housing including means for receiving a visual representation of the subject in a manner permitting external viewing thereof;

means for storing at least one sound segment; and

means integral with said housing for audibly reproducing said at least one sound segment, said means for reproducing including external activation means; and

means integral with said housing for permitting base-supported vertical display thereof when placed on a horizontal support surface, said means for permitting base-supported vertical display including two pairs of legs hingably connected to said housing proximal lower portions of opposed vertical edges thereof in a manner permitting individual legs of each of said two pairs to be hinged one in a direction outwardly of an obverse side of said housing, and a remaining one of said individual legs in a direction outwardly of a reverse side of said housing.

7. An integrated multimedia device permitting protective display of a card-like item and dimensionally enhancing a subject depicted thereby, the multimedia device comprising:

a flattened housing including structure defining an internally disposed receiving chamber for accommodating the card-like display item, the card-like display item being receivable therein;

said housing including an obverse side and a reverse side, said obverse side and said reverse side being optically transparent over at least area portions thereof to permit at least partial viewing of both sides of said card-like display item when same is received in said receiving chamber;

means for audibly reproducing at least one stored sound segment, said means for reproducing including external activation means;

said housing including a laminated structure comprising a first outer layer, a second outer layer and a separating layer disposed therebetween;

said separating layer including a shaped cutout defining an inner peripheral boundary of said receiving chamber, said shaped cutout having an opening along a peripheral edge of said housing for slidably receiving therethrough the card-like display item within said receiving chamber; and

at least one of said first and second outer layers including a protruding central region, an outer peripheral boundary of which substantially matches said inner peripheral boundary of said receiving chamber defined by said shaped cutout in said separating layer, thereby permitting said receiving chamber to be cross-sectionally configured as desired to allow for proper receptional fit of said card-like display item.

8. A multimedia collectible capable of presenting a particular subject of interest via a plurality of media representations, said multimedia collectible comprising:

a housing;

said housing including means for receiving a visual representation of the subject in a manner permitting external viewing thereof;

means for storing at least one sound segment including means for recording a sound segment for future playback;

means integral with said housing for audibly reproducing said at least one sound segment, said means for reproducing including external activation means;

a switch, said switch alternately providing said external activation means and means for selectively initiating said means for recording;

means for changing a functional mode of said switch from one providing said external activation means to one providing said means for selectively initiating said means for recording;

said housing including a pin receiving chamber having contacts disposed therein; and

said means for changing said functional mode of said switch including a recording pin, the presence of which in said pin receiving chamber determines said function of said switch.