Method for producing remotely a commemorative device having an audio message circuit

• US 6,263,310 B1
• Filed: 09/20/1999
• Issued: 07/17/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1991
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: LJ Talk LLC
• Original Assignee: LJ Laboratories L.L.C.
• Inventors: Loudermilk, Alan R., Jung, Wayne D.
• Primary Examiner(s): SMITS, TALIVALDIS IVARS
• Application Number:
  US09/399,127
• Time in Patent Office: 666 Days
• Field of Search: 407/17, 704/272
• US Class Current: 704/272
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 1/0616 Ornamental frames, e.g. with illumination, speakers or decorative features
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2001/145 Picture cubes
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/143 producing means
• CPC Class Codes: A47G 2200/146 recording or detecting means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/062 Combinations of audio and printed presentations, e.g. magnetically striped cards, talking books, magnetic tapes with printed texts thereon
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems

Abstract

A picture frame and accompanying audio message circuit is provided such that one or more desired audio messages stored in the audio message circuit associated with one or more display pictures can be played upon the touching of the pictures or the frame, or in response to a voice recognition device sensing an audio command associated with the particular audio message and/or pictures. When audio message playback is desired, a switch on the frame or under a protective cover for the picture is activated by touching, or a position sensitive device may be used to sense whether a particular position on the picture has been touched. Digital or analog information representing the desired audio message is retrieved from a memory device, which is subsequently transmitted to a speaker which produces the desired audio message perceptible to a human. In other embodiments, multiple picture and multiple messages are provided such that the user can touch a particular picture, or the switch associated with that picture, and an audio message corresponding to the picture is then played through the speaker. In still other embodiments, a system is provided with a plurality of pictures mounted in the perimeter faces of a cube or other geometrical shape, each picture having associated with it a switch for activating a message or plurality of messages. In still other embodiments, a position sensitive device or a voice recognition device is utilized to initiate audio message playback.

Claims

1. A method for producing a display device having one or more displayed pictures and an audio message circuit storing one or more audio messages at a second location remote from a first location, wherein one or more switches and a speaker are provided with the display device for playback of the one or more audio messages through the speaker, comprising:

generating electrical representations corresponding to the one or more audio messages corresponding to the displayed one or more pictures at the first location;

transmitting the electrical representations from the first location to the second location, not on the premises of the first location, over a transmission medium;

receiving the electrical representations from the transmission medium at the second location; and

storing electrical representations of the one or more audio messages in the audio message circuit in the display device at the second location, wherein the one or more audio messages corresponding to the displayed one or more pictures are played back through the speaker by activation of a corresponding one of the one or more switches.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generated, transmitted and received electrical representations comprise audio information and picture information produced at the first location.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more pictures comprise a sketch, drawing, lettering, or photograph.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into the audio message circuit in digital form.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into the audio message circuit in analog form.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the audio message circuit in digital form.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the audio message circuit in analog form.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more audio message is/are input into the audio message circuit via a microphone or input port.

9. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more touch sensitive switches.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise capacitive or membrane type switches.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise switches that are unnoticeable to a user.

12. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more switches comprise at least two switches.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise at least two audio messages.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to activation of a second switch.

15. The method of claim 2, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise a light activated switch.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein a predetermined audio message is played back in response to activation of the light activated switch.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein the predetermined audio message is played back in response to the activation of the light activated switch.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first audio message and the predetermined audio message comprise different audio messages.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmission medium comprises a telephone line.

20. The method of claim 2, wherein the transmission medium comprises a data line or satellite link.

21. The method of claim 2, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received using digital or analog transmit or receive devices.

22. The method of claim 2, wherein the display device including the stored one or more audio messages is delivered to a predetermined user at a location remote from the first location.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a commemorative message.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the one or more pictures comprise a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein a commemorative object comprising the display device including at least the sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object and the audio message circuit storing at least the commemorative message is produced and delivered at a location remote from the first location.

26. The method of claim 2, wherein the audio message circuit comprises a memory.

27. The method of claim 2, wherein the audio message circuit comprises an analog storage device.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more pictures comprise a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into the audio message circuit in digital form.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into the audio message circuit in analog form.

31. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the audio message circuit in digital form.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the audio message circuit in analog form.

33. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more audio message is/are input into the audio message circuit via a microphone or input port.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more touch sensitive switches.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise capacitive or membrane type switches.

36. The method of claim 34, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise switches that are unnoticeable to a user.

37. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more switches comprise at least two switches.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise at least two audio messages.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to activation of a second switch.

40. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise a light activated switch.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein a predetermined audio message is played back in response to activation of the light activated switch.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein the predetermined audio message is played back in response to the activation of the light activated switch.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein the first audio message and the predetermined audio message comprise different audio messages.

44. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a telephone line.

45. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmission medium comprises a data line or satellite link.

46. The method of claim 1, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received using digital or analog transmit or receive devices.

47. The method of claim 1, wherein the display device including the stored one or more audio messages is delivered to a predetermined user at a location remote from the first location.

48. The method of claim 47, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a commemorative message.

49. The method of claim 48, wherein the one or more pictures comprise a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein a commemorative object comprising the display device including at least the sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object and the audio message circuit storing at least the commemorative message is produced and delivered at a location remote from the first location.

51. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio message circuit comprises a memory.

52. The method of claim 1, wherein the audio message circuit comprises an analog storage device.

53. A method for remotely producing a commemorative device having one or more visual elements and also having an audio message circuit storing one or more audio messages corresponding to the visual elements at a second location remote from a first location, wherein one or more switches and a speaker are provided with the display device for playback of the one or more audio messages through the speaker, the method comprising:

generating electrical representations corresponding to the one or more audio messages at the first location, not on the premises of the first location;

transmitting the electrical representations from the first location to the second location over a transmission medium;

receiving the electrical representations from the transmission medium at the second location; and

storing electrical representations of the one or more audio messages in the audio message circuit in the commemorative device at the second location, wherein the one or more audio messages corresponding to the visual elements are played back through the speaker by activation of one of the one or more switches.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more visual elements comprise a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.

55. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into the audio message circuit in digital form.

56. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are input into the audio message circuit in analog form.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the audio message circuit in digital form.

58. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more audio messages is/are stored in the audio message circuit in analog form.

59. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more audio message is/are input into the audio message circuit via a microphone or input port.

60. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more switches comprise one or more touch sensitive switches.

61. The method of claim 60, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise capacitive or membrane type switches.

62. The method of claim 60, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise switches that are unnoticeable to a user.

63. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more switches comprise at least two switches.

64. The method of claim 63, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise at least two audio messages.

65. The method of claim 64, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein a second audio message is played back in response to activation of a second switch.

66. The method of claim 53, wherein the one or more touch sensitive switches comprise a light activated switch.

67. The method of claim 66, wherein a predetermined audio message is played back in response to activation of the light activated switch.

68. The method of claim 67, wherein a first audio message is played back in response to activation of a first switch, wherein the predetermined audio message is played back in response to the activation of the light activated switch.

69. The method of claim 68, wherein the first audio message and the predetermined audio message comprise different audio messages.

70. The method of claim 53, wherein the transmission medium comprises a telephone line.

71. The method of claim 53, wherein the transmission medium comprises a data line or satellite link.

72. The method of claim 53, wherein the electrical representations are transmitted or received using digital or analog transmit or receive devices.

73. The method of claim 53, wherein the display device including the stored one or more audio messages is delivered to a predetermined user at a location remote from the first location.

74. The method of claim 73, wherein the one or more audio messages comprise a commemorative message.

75. The method of claim 74, wherein the one or more visual elements comprise a sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object.

76. The method of claim 75, wherein a commemorative object comprising the display device including at least the sketch, drawing, lettering, photograph or fixed object and the audio message circuit storing at least the commemorative message is produced and delivered at a location remote from the first location.

77. The method of claim 53, wherein the audio message circuit comprises a memory.

78. The method of claim 53, wherein the audio message circuit comprises an analog storage device.