Talking trading card player system

• US 5,855,001 A
• Filed: 08/25/1995
• Issued: 12/29/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 08/25/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Micra Soundcards, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Micra Soundcards, Inc.
• Inventors: Lucas, Michael E., Doederlein, Dieter D., Sharp, Anthony C., Newman, G. Dale
• Primary Examiner(s): Hudspeth, David R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US08/519,839
• Time in Patent Office: 1,222 Days
• Field of Search: 395/2, 395/2.1, 395/2.67, 395/2.79, 395/2.81, 381/51, 40/124.1, 40/152, 40/156, 40/455, 40/906, 446/147-152, 273/308, 364/410, 369/68
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records

Abstract

A talking trading card playing system consists of a portable card player and a plurality of trading cards. Each card includes a card body having front and back surfaces, flexible sheets affixed to the front surface and to the back surface of the housing, and a voice chip for storing and generating sound patterns. The portable player comprises a power source located in the housing for supplying electrical power to the voice chip, and sound generation components. The subject trading card and player may be activated by inserting the card into the player, thereby establishing electrical contact between the card and the player.

Claims

1. A portable pocket-sized trading card playing system capable of generating sounds, comprising a card player and a plurality of cards, wherein each card of the plurality of cards comprises a card body of predetermined dimensions and having a bottom edge, a front surface and a back surface, a front and back surfaces permanently displaying graphics and text of interest to card traders, a voice chip located between the front surface and the back surface of the card body having permanently stored thereon digital sound pattern data representative of preselected patterns of sound correlated with the graphics and text, the voice chip including processing means for receiving sound pattern data from the voice chip and generating electrical analogue signals correlatable therewith, and card contact means located near the bottom edge and electrically connected to the processing means for enabling electrical contact with the card player, wherein the card player comprises a player housing dimensioned to removably receive the bottom edge of the card, the player housing containing sound generating means for generating sounds, power means for supplying electrical power to the processing means and to the sound generating means, and player contact means for making electrical contact with the card contact means.

2. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the card body comprises a card housing having a front housing surface and a back housing surface, a flexible front sheet affixed to the front housing surface and a flexible back sheet affixed to the back housing surface, the flexible sheets displaying said graphics and text, wherein the voice chip is housed in the card housing.

3. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the voice chip and the card contact means are mounted on a circuit board housed in the card housing.

4. The system defined in claim 3, wherein the card contact means comprises a plurality of card contacts located on the circuit board.

5. The system defined in claim 4, wherein the card housing comprises a thin panel having a rectangular aperture therein shaped to fit the circuit board.

6. The system defined in claim 5 wherein the panel comprises a support ledge of reduced thickness adjacent the rectangular aperture for supporting a portion of the circuit board.

7. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the card contact means comprises a plurality of card contacts located on the circuit board, and the card housing is provided with a series of spaced small housing apertures located so as to expose the card contacts, wherein each of the card contacts is recessed within one of the small housing apertures, and wherein the diameter of each aperture and the depth of the recessing of the card contacts are selected to prevent a user'"'"'s fingers from contacting the card contacts.

8. The system defined in claim 7, wherein the front sheet is provided with a series of spaced small circular sheet apertures which register with the housing apertures when the front sheet is applied to the housing.

9. The system defined in claim 8, wherein the housing apertures are located in the support ledge.

10. The system defined in claim 1, wherein the player housing comprises a base and a cover pivotally connected thereto, the cover being pivotal between an open position and a closed position.

11. The system defined in claim 10, wherein the card is removably insertable into the player when the cover is in the open position, and wherein the cover makes contact with and applies pressure to the card, when the cover is pivoted to the closed position, forcing the card contact means onto and thereby making electrical contact with the player contact means.

12. The system defined in claim 11, wherein the power means comprises battery holding means for holding at least one battery.

13. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the battery holding means comprises a battery compartment.

14. The system defined in claim 10, wherein the player housing comprises a card support surface parallel to and spaced from the cover when the cover is in the closed position so as to define a card insertion slot.

15. The system in claim 14, wherein the player housing comprises card stop means for stopping the card once it has been inserted a pre-selected distance into the player, so that the card contacts register with the player contact means, and most of the front surface and the back surface of the card remains outside of the player for viewing by card traders.

16. The system defined in claim 15, wherein the cover is rectangular and U-shaped, in cross-section.

17. The system defined in claim 16, wherein the player contact means comprises a plurality of thin narrow conductive player contacts having one end fixed and extending from the card stop means, and having a free end with a curved tip flexibly biased towards the cover and shaped to fit through the apertures of the card body to make contact with the card contact means.

26. The system defined in claim 2, wherein the graphics and text displayed on the flexible front sheet is correlated to the graphics and text displayed on the flexible back sheet.

27. The system defined in claim 10, wherein the base comprises an enclosed compartment dimensional for housing the power means.

18. A trading card for use with a portable card player having a player housing dimensioned to removably receive the card and containing sound generating means for generating sound, power means for supplying electrical power to the sound generating means and to the card, and player contact means for making electrical contact with the card, the card comprising a card body of predetermined dimensions and having a bottom edge, a front surface and a back surface, the front surface and the back surface displaying graphics and text of interest to card traders, electronic processing means sandwiched therebetween having permanently stored thereon digital sound pattern data representative of preselected patterns of sound correlated with the graphics and text and generating electrical signals correlatable with the sound pattern data to the player, and card contact means electrically connected to the processing means for enabling electrical contact with the player contact means, wherein the card contact means comprises a plurality of card contacts recessed within apertures in the front surface or the back surface of the card near the bottom edge thereof.

19. The trading card defined in claim 18, wherein the electronic processing means comprises storage means for storing the sound pattern data, and output means for outputting electrical analogue signals to the player correlatable with the sound pattern data.

20. The trading card defined in claim 19, wherein the trading card comprises a card housing having a front housing surface and a back housing surface, a flexible front sheet affixed to the front housing surface and a flexible back sheet affixed to the back housing surface, the flexible sheets displaying said graphics and text, wherein the electronic processing means is housed in the card housing.

21. The trading card defined in claim 20, wherein the storage means, the processing means and the card contact means are located on a circuit board.

22. The trading card defined in claim 21, wherein the card housing comprises a thin panel having a rectangular aperture therein shaped to fit the circuit board.

23. A portable card player for use with a trading card having electronically stored therein sound pattern data representative of preselected patterns of sound and having card contact means for enabling electrical contact with the player, the player comprising:

(a) a player housing dimensioned to removably receive the card;

(b) sound generating means located in the player housing for generating sounds;

(c) power means located in the player housing for supplying electrical power to the trading card and to the sound generation means;

(d) player contact means located in the player housing for making electrical contact with the card contact means;

(e) wherein the player housing comprises a base and a cover pivotally connected thereto, the cover being pivotal between an open position and a closed position; and

(f) wherein the player housing comprises a card support surface parallel to and spaced from the cover when the cover is in the closed position so as to define a card insertion slot, and wherein the player housing comprises card stop means for stopping the card once it has been inserted a pre-selected distance into the player so that the card contact means registers with the player contact means and so that most of the front surface and the back surface of the card remains outside of the player for viewing by card traders.

24. The trading card player defined in claim 23, wherein the power means comprises a battery holding means for holding at least one battery.

25. The trading card player defined in claim 24, wherein the player contact means comprises a plurality of thin narrow conductive player contacts having one end fixed and extending from the card stop means, and having a free end with a curved tip flexibly biased towards the cover and shaped to fit through the apertures of the card body to make contact with the card contact means.