Interactive greeting card

• US 9,434,202 B2
• Filed: 03/26/2014
• Issued: 09/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/06/2012
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Original Assignee: American Greetings Corporation
• Inventors: Mayer, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US14/226,550
• Publication Number:
  US 20140202051A1
• Time in Patent Office: 895 Days
• Field of Search: 401/240.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/22 Setup operations, e.g. calibration, key configuration or button assignment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/241 Touch screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2009/247 audible, e.g. using a loudspeaker
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 7/0628 Golf
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 9/02 Shooting or hurling games throwing-implements for sports or recreational use A63B65/00; throwing or projecting toys per se A63H33/18; gun simulators F41A33/00, e.g. light- or radiation-emitting guns F41A33/02; practice apparatus for gun-aiming F41G3/26, e.g. using a light-emitting device F41G3/2616; targets, target ranges, bullet catchers F41J, photo-electric hit-detector systems F41J5/02
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/02 Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets B42D25/00 takes precedence; envelopes B65D27/00
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/022 combined with permanently fastened sound-producing or light-emitting means or carrying sound records
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/027 combined with permanently fastened other articles, e.g. photographs
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/042 Foldable cards or sheets B42D15/045 and B42D15/08 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B42D 15/045 Multi-part cards or sheets, i.e. combined with detachably mounted articles
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0002 using resistive RAM [RRAM] elements
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0026 Bit-line or column circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 13/0028 Word-line or row circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2213/71 Three dimensional array
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 5/02 Disposition of storage elements, e.g. in the form of a matrix array
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/82 to produce devices, e.g. integrated circuits, each consisting of a plurality of components
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/20 comprising selection components having two electrodes, e.g. diodes
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/34 : of the vertical channel field-effect transistor type
• CPC Class Codes: H10B 63/845 : the switching components being connected to a common vertical conductor
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/023 : by chemical vapor deposition, e.g. MOCVD, ALD
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/231 : based on solid-state phase change, e.g. between amorphous and crystalline phases, Ovshinsky effect
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/235 : between different crystalline phases, e.g. cubic and hexagonal
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/24 : based on migration or redistribution of ionic species, e.g. anions, vacancies
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/245 : the species being metal cations, e.g. programmable metallization cells
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/823 : adapted for essentially horizontal current flow, e.g. bridge type devices
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8418 : adapted for focusing electric field or current, e.g. tip-shaped
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8822 : Sulfides, e.g. CuS
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8825 : Selenides, e.g. GeSe
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8828 : Tellurides, e.g. GeSbTe
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8833 : Binary metal oxides, e.g. TaOx
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8836 : Complex metal oxides, e.g. perovskites, spinels
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 70/8845 : Carbon or carbides

Abstract

An integral greeting card/game is disclosed wherein a multi-panel greeting card also serves as a game board and is combined with a game piece and launch mechanism to create a novel, interactive greeting card. The multi-panel greeting card contains a sound module therein and a magnetic trigger is contained and concealed below one or more of the multiple greeting card panels. The game piece contains a magnet therein so that when the game piece comes into contact with the area of the greeting card above or proximate to the magnetic trigger, playback of an audio file is initiated. In one embodiment, the game piece is operative to interact with a touch screen of a mobile device.

Claims

1. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having two or more panels;

a game piece removably attached to the greeting card body;

wherein the game piece is operative to communicate with an application downloaded to a digital device via contact with the digital device touch screen.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 further comprising a launch mechanism.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the launch mechanism is used to move the game piece onto the digital device touch screen.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the game piece activates the application once it is downloaded to the digital device.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the game piece contains a code written thereon for manually entering into the downloaded application on the digital device.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the game piece contains a digital watermark, a QR code, or an augmented reality marker printed thereon or embedded therein.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the game piece contains printed electronics, foil stamping, or conductive foam.

8. The interactive greeting card of claim 1, wherein the game piece and downloaded application work in combination with the digital device or a webcam.

9. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a multi-panel greeting card body;

a game piece removably attached to the multi-panel greeting card body, the game piece having at least one of a digital watermark, a QR code, printed electronics, foil stamping, conductive foam printed or embedded within the game piece;

a launch mechanism attached to the multi-panel greeting card body, the launch mechanism operative to launch the game piece into the air;

a mobile application downloaded to a portable electronic device;

wherein the game piece is operative to unlock access to the mobile application.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein instructions on where to download the mobile application from is printed on the multi-panel greeting card body.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the game piece is operative to interact with the downloaded mobile application which is an interactive game.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein the mobile application displays a video or still images on a touch screen of the portable electronic device when it comes in contact with the game piece.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein contact between the game piece and a touch screen of the portable electronic device initiates some action by the portable electronic device.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 9, wherein once the game piece is used to unlock access to the mobile application, the user has access to one or more games on the portable electronic device.

15. An interactive greeting card comprising:

a multi-panel greeting card body;

a game piece removably attached to the greeting card body;

a mobile application which is downloaded to a mobile electronic device using a code printed or contained within the multi-panel greeting card body;

wherein contact between the game piece and a touch screen of the mobile electronic device unlocks the mobile application so that the user is free to use the mobile application.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 15, wherein the mobile application is a game.

17. The interactive greeting card of claim 16, wherein the game piece interacts with the game.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 15 further comprising a launch mechanism attached to the greeting card which is operative to launch the game piece onto the mobile electronic device.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 17 further comprising a launch mechanism attached to the greeting card which is operative to launch the game piece onto the mobile electronic device.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 18, wherein the mobile application is programmed to respond in a certain way depending on where the game piece lands on the touch screen of the mobile electronic device.