Talking trading card player system

• US 6,292,780 B1
• Filed: 12/15/1997
• Issued: 09/18/2001
• 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., Sharp, Anthony C., Newman, G. Dale, Doederlein, Dieter D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Opsasnick, Michael N.
• Application Number:
  US08/990,509
• Time in Patent Office: 1,373 Days
• Field of Search: 704/276, 704/275
• 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 aligning the card with electrical contacts on the face of the player, thereby establishing electrical contact between the card and the player.

Claims

1. A card player capable of successively playing a plurality of electronic trading cards, each trading card containing therewithin an electronic voice chip for processing stored sound pattern data, and having electrical contacts extending from the voice chip to a surface of the card, comprising:

(a) a portable pocket-sized player housing having a top surface dimensioned to receive the trading card,

(b) sound generating means mounted in the player housing for generating sounds correlated with the sound pattern data stored on the card;

(c) power means for supplying electrical power to the voice chip and to the sound generating means;

(d) retaining means on the top surface of the player housing for removably retaining a leading edge of a trading card; and

(e) player contact means extending through the top surface of the player housing for making contact with the electrical contacts on the surface of the card when the leading edge of the card is inserted into the retaining means and pressure is applied to the card forcing the electrical contacts on the surface of the card onto the player contact means.

2. The card player defined in claim 1, wherein the retaining means comprises a retaining wall extending upwardly from an edge of the top surface of the player housing and having a card retaining slot along the length of the inside face of said retaining wall, the retaining slot being shaped to receive the leading edge of the trading card.

3. The card player defined in claim 2, wherein the retaining means also comprises a pair of spaced parallel side walls extending upwardly from parallel edges of the top surface of the player housing, the side walls being spaced so as to slideably receive the side edges of the trading card.

4. The card player defined in claim 3, wherein the player contact means comprises a plurality of thin spaced narrow conductive player contacts, each of the contacts having a fixed end extending from a circuit board within the player housing and a free end with a curved tip flexibly biased toward and protruding through an aperture in the top surface of the player housing.

5. The card player defined in claim 4, wherein the bottom surface of the player housing comprises a hinged access door for providing access to the power means.

6. The card player defined in claim 5, wherein the power means comprises battery holding means for at least one battery.

7. The card player defined in claim 6, wherein the battery holding means comprises a battery compartment.

8. The card player defined in claim 7 wherein the sound generating means comprises a speaker mounted to the inside of the access door, the sound dispersing cone of said speaker facing the access door, and wherein the access door is provided with a plurality of holes to aid in the dispersal of sound emanating from said speaker.

9. A portable pocket-sized trading card playing system capable of generating sounds, comprising a card player and a plurality of cards,

(a) wherein each card of the plurality of cards comprises a card body of predetermined dimensions and having a leading top edge, a front surface and a back surface, the front and back surfaces 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, the voice chip including electronic storage means for storing permanently digital sound pattern data representative of pre-selected patterns of sound, processing means for receiving sound pattern data from the electronic storage means and generating electrical analogue signals correlatable therewith, and card contact means, located on a surface of the card body near the bottom edge and electrically connected to the processing means for enabling electrical contact between the voice chip and the card player;

and

(b) wherein the card player comprises a player housing with a top surface dimensioned to receive a trading card, the player housing containing sound generating means for generating sounds and power means for supplying electrical power to the voice chip, retaining means for removeably retaining a leading edge of the card and player contact means extending through the top surface of the player housing for making electrical contact with the card contact means when the card is disposed on the top surface of the housing.

10. 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, the 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 on a surface of the card body near the bottom edge and electrically connected to the processing means for enabling electrical contact between the voice chip and the card player, wherein the card player comprises a player housing having a top surface dimensioned and shaped to removably receive 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 extending through the top surface of the housing for making electrical contact with the card contact means when the card is disposed on the top surface of the housing.

11. The system defined in claim 10, wherein the voice chip comprises a read only memory having etched therein the digital sound pattern data.

12. The system defined in claim 10, 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.

13. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the voice chip and the card contact means are mounted on a circuit board housed in the card housing.

14. The system defined in claim 12, 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.

17. The system defined in claim 12, wherein the graphics and text displayed on the flexible front sheet is correlated to the graphics and text displayed on the flexible back sheet.

15. 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 on a surface thereof 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 hingedly connected thereto, the cover being movable 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.

16. 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 extending through a surface of the housing 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, 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 a surface of the card near the bottom edge thereof.