Electronic display materials associated with products

• US 6,749,437 B2
• Filed: 12/19/2001
• Issued: 06/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Thinking Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Thinking Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Chan, Albert Wai Tai
• Primary Examiner(s): Walberg, Teresa
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saadat, Cameron
• Application Number:
  US10/021,041
• Publication Number:
  US 20020106624A1
• Time in Patent Office: 909 Days
• Field of Search: 434/393, 446/73, 446/75, 446/82, 446/268, 446/297, 446/81, 446/258, 446/295, 446/296, 446/385, 206/457, 206/459.1, 206/459.5, 206/776, 206/769, 206/778, 206/542, 362/154
• US Class Current: 434/393
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 3/50 Frames, stands, or wheels for dolls or toy animals
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2203/12 Audible, olfactory or visual signalling means B65D51/248, B65D55/028, B65D79/02 and B65D81/24 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4204 Inspection openings or windows
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 5/4291 Containers provided with an acoustic device, e.g. for indicating opening of the package

Abstract

Innovative and improved display materials associated with products provide enhanced information to potential or actual purchasers of such products. In an aspect of the invention, electronic product packaging for demonstrative use in association with a product comprises demonstration means adapted to demonstrate visually or audibly the use or capabilities of the product under the control of integrated circuit means.

Claims

1. Product and packaging for demonstrative use of the product, comprising:

(a) packaging adapted to hold a product;

(b) a source of electrical power located in the product;

(c) an integrated circuit chip comprising pre-programmed sound segments relevant to the product;

(d) sound reproduction means to reproduce sound under the control of the integrated circuit chip;

(e) switch means located on the packaging to control the flow of electrical power to the integrated circuit chip; and

(f) means for electrically connecting the product to the package for supplying power from the product to the packaging;

such that when a user activates the switch means, pre-programmed sound segments suitable to demonstrate the use or capabilities of the product are generated.

2. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the product is a toy.

3. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the source of electrical power comprises an electrical storage battery.

4. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip is located in the packaging.

5. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the integrated circuit chip is located in the product.

6. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed sound segments comprise human speech.

7. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the pre-programmed sound segments comprise sound effects.

8. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the means to reproduce sound comprises an audio speaker.

9. The product and packaging of claim 8, wherein the audio speaker is located in the packaging.

10. The product and packaging of claim 8, wherein the audio speaker is located in the product.

11. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the means to reproduce sound comprises multiple audio speakers.

12. The product and packaging of claim 11, wherein at least one audio speaker is associated with the packaging, and at least one other audio speaker is associated with the product.

13. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the switch means is adapted to be activated by a user'"'"'s touch.

14. The product and packaging of claim 13, wherein the switch means is associated with a graphic representation of a use or capability of the product.

15. The product and packaging of claim 14, further comprising illumination means to illuminate the graphic representation when the switch means is activated.

16. The product and packaging of claim 1, wherein the switch means comprises multiple switches corresponding to multiple features of the product'"'"'s use or capabilities.

17. The product and packaging of claim 16, further comprising multiple graphic representations of uses or capabilities of the product associated with the multiple switches.

18. The product and packaging of claim 1, further comprising illumination means wherein the switch means is further adapted to initiate illumination of multiple graphic representations of uses or capabilities of the product, by said illumination means.

19. Packaging for a toy having a source of electrical power, comprising:

(a) means to hold and display the toy;

(b) an integrated circuit chip comprising pre-programmed sound segments relevant to the toy;

(c) an audio speaker to reproduce said sound segments under the control of the integrated circuit chip;

(d) means for electrically connecting the source of electrical power in the toy to the integrated circuit chip; and

(e) switch means located on the packaging to initiate the flow of electrical power to the integrated circuit chip;

such that when a user activates the switch means, the sound segments are audibly reproduced.

20. The packaging of claim 19, wherein the switch means is associated with a graphic representation of a use or capability of the toy.

21. The packaging of claim 19, wherein the switch means is associated with multiple graphic representations of uses or capabilities of the toy.

22. The packaging of claim 19, wherein the switch means comprises multiple switches, each switch associated with a graphic representation of a use or capability of the toy.

23. The packaging of claim 20, further comprising illumination means, wherein the switch means is further adapted to initiate illumination of the graphic representation, by said illumination means.

24. The packaging of claim 21, further comprising illumination means, wherein the switch means is further adapted to initiate serial illumination of the multiple graphic representations, by said illumination means.

25. The packaging of claim 22, further comprising illumination means, wherein each switch is further adapted to initiate illumination of its associated graphic representation by said illumination means.

26. A packaging and toy combination comprising:

(a) means associated with the packaging to hold and display the toy;

(b) electrical power means to provide electrical power to the toy and the packaging, the electrical power means located in the toy;

(c) integrated circuit means comprising pre-programmed sound segments;

(d) sound reproduction means associated with each of the packaging and the toy under the control of the integrated circuit means;

(e) switch means located on the packaging to initiate the flow of electrical power to the integrated circuit chip means;

such that when a user activates the switch means, the sound segments are reproduced sequentially by the sound reproduction means of each of the packaging and the toy.

27. The packaging and toy combination of claim 26, wherein the switch means is associated with a graphic representation of a use or capability of the toy.

28. The packaging and toy combination of claim 27, further comprising illumination means, wherein the switch means is further adapted to initiate illumination of the graphic representation, by said illumination means.

29. The packaging and toy combination of claim 26, wherein the switch means comprises multiple switches, each switch associated with a graphic representation of a use or capability of the toy.

30. The packaging and toy combination of claim 29, further comprising illumination means, wherein each switch is further adapted to initiate illumination of its associated graphic representation, by said illumination means.

31. The packaging and toy combination of claim 26, wherein the switch means is associated with multiple graphic representations of uses or capabilities of the toy.

32. The packaging and toy combination of claim 31, further comprising illumination means, wherein the switch means is further adapted to initiate serial illumination of the multiple graphic representations, by said illumination means.

33. A packaging and product combination comprising:

(a) electrical power means to provide electrical power to the product and the packaging, the electrical power means located in the product;

(b) integrated circuit means programmed to control a visual display associated with the packaging;

(c) means for providing power from the electrical power means in the product to the integrated circuit means in the packaging; and

(d) switch means adapted to trigger the integrated circuit means to perform visual display commands to create the visual display associated with the packaging.

34. The packaging and product combination of claim 33, wherein the product comprises the integrated circuit means and the switch means, and further comprises communication means to carry signals from the integrated circuit means to the packaging.

35. The packaging and product combination of claim 34, wherein the communication means comprises a physical electrical connection.

36. The packaging and product combination of claim 34, wherein the communication means comprises a wireless electromagnetic transmitter, and wherein the packaging further comprises receiver means to receive signals from said transmitter.

37. Product and packaging for demonstrative use of the product, comprising:

(a) packaging adapted to hold the product;

(b) a source of electrical power located in the product;

(c) an integrated circuit chip comprising pre-programmed demonstrations relevant to the product, the integrated circuit chip located in the packaging;

(d) a first demonstration means located in the product to reproduce a demonstration under the control of the integrated circuit chip;

(e) switch means located on the packaging to control the flow of electrical power to the integrated circuit chip; and

(f) means for electrically connecting the product to the package for supplying power from the product to the packaging.

38. The product and packaging of claim 37, further comprising a second demonstration means located in the packaging to reproduce a demonstration under the control of the integrated circuit chip.

39. The product and packaging of claim 38, wherein the first and second demonstration means are choreographed.

40. The product and packaging of claim 38, wherein the first demonstration means is an audio system.

41. The product and packaging of claim 40, wherein the second demonstration means is an audio system.

42. The product and packaging of claim 38, wherein the first demonstration means is a visual system.

43. The product and packaging of claim 42, wherein the second demonstration means is a visual system.

44. The product and packaging of claim 38, wherein the first demonstration means is a predetermined series of movements.

45. The product and packaging of claim 44, wherein the second demonstration means is an audio or visual system.

46. The product and packaging of claim 45, wherein the predetermined series of movements are choreographed to the audio or visual demonstration.

47. Product and packaging for demonstrative use of the product, comprising:

(a) packaging adapted to hold the product;

(b) a source of electrical power located in the product;

(c) a first integrated circuit chip comprising pre-programmed demonstrations relevant to the product, the integrated circuit chip located in the packaging;

(d) a first demonstration means located in the packaging to reproduce a demonstration under the control of the integrated circuit chip;

(e) switch means located on the packaging to control the flow of electrical power to the integrated circuit chip; and

(f) means for electrically connecting the product to the package for supplying power from the product to the packaging.

48. The product and packaging of claim 47, further comprising a second demonstration means located in the product and a second integrated circuit chip located in the product having pre-programmed demonstrations relevant to the product for controlling the second demonstration means.