Interactive electronic greeting cards with tap and touch activated effects

• US 8,763,285 B2
• Filed: 09/13/2012
• Issued: 07/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Budzar, Lauren, Nelson, Gary, Sapp, Melissa, Flesher, Melissa
• Primary Examiner(s): JUNGE, KRISTINA N S
• Application Number:
  US13/613,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20130000166A1
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.3, 401/240.1, 401/240.2, 401/240.7
• US Class Current: 40/124.03
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: G09F 1/02 Single substantially flat cards

Abstract

The interactive greeting card of the present disclosure and related inventions combines a traditional paper card with one or more special effects that are initiated by interaction between a user and the greeting card. One or more touch sensors are used to initiate effects including, but not limited to sound, light, movement or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a foam greeting card body having at least one cavity contained therein;

an electronics module contained and concealed within the at least one cavity, the electronics module operative to store and replay one or more audio clips;

one or more capacitance touch switches contained within the at least one cavity and accessed through specific touch sensitive areas on an outer surface of the foam greeting card body, wherein touching the touch sensitive areas causes playback of an audio clip;

wherein the foam greeting card body is shaped like an animal or a person and the audio clip contains a voice impersonating the animal or person after which the foam greeting card body is shaped, and

wherein a front sheet material above the one or more capacitance touch switches is covered by a material which is different from the rest of the greeting card.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 further comprising an on/off switch, wherein moving the on/off switch from an off position to an on position causes playback of an audio clip which provides verbal instructions indicating where the touch sensitive areas of the foam greeting card body are located.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein contact with each touch sensitive area triggers playback of a specific audio clip.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein contact with each touch sensitive area triggers playback of audio clips in a specific sequence.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein contact with each touch sensitive area triggers playback of audio clips in random order.

6. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a foam body having a front surface, a back surface opposite the front surface and a perimeter surface therebetween;

a front sheet material attached to the front surface of the foam body;

a back sheet material attached to the back surface of the foam body;

a sound module contained within the foam body between the front and back sheet material, the sound module operative to store and playback two or more unique audio clips;

two or more capacitance touch switch plates placed beneath the surface of the front sheet material, the two or more capacitance touch switch plates operative to trigger playback of the two or more unique audio clips upon user contact with an area above the capacitance touch switch plates;

wherein the front sheet material above the capacitance touch switch plates is covered by a material which is different from the front sheet material.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 6 further comprising an on/off switch.

8. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein the on/off switch is accessed through the perimeter surface of the foam body.

9. The interactive greeting card of claim 7, wherein movement of the on/off switch from an off position to an on position triggers playback of an audio clip.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the audio clip contains verbal instructions indicating where the two or more capacitance touch switch plates.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 6, wherein the foam body is shaped like an animal or character.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 6, wherein the front sheet material is shaped and decorated like a front view of an animal or character.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 6 further comprising a sentiment panel attached to the back sheet material which contains text sentiment printed thereon.

14. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a shaped foam body having one or more cavities contained therein;

a front sheet material attached to a front surface of the shaped foam body;

a back sheet material attached to a back surface of the shaped foam body;

a perimeter wall between the front and back surface of the shaped foam body;

a sound module contained within the one or more cavities in the shaped foam body, the sound module operative to store and playback at least one audio file;

an on/off switch accessed through the perimeter wall;

a plurality of capacitance touch switch plates located below the front sheet material;

wherein user contact with an area above the plurality of capacitance touch switch plates triggers playback of the at least one audio file, when the on/off switch in is an on position; and

wherein a material which is different from the front sheet material covers the areas above the front sheet material and plurality of capacitance touch switch plates.

15. The interactive greeting card of claim 14, wherein the front sheet material above the plurality of capacitance touch switch plates can be distinguished from the other areas of the front sheet material.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 14, wherein the front sheet material above the plurality of capacitance touch switch plates is covered by a material different from the front sheet material.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 14, wherein movement of the on/off switch from an off position to an on position triggers playback of an audio clip instructing a user where to touch the greeting card to hear an additional message.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 14, wherein the front and back sheet material is shaped in the form of the foam body.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 14, wherein contact with each of the plurality of capacitance touch switch plates triggers different audio clips.