1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a greeting card, and more particularly to an audio/visual greeting device that is capable of presenting greetings in a personalized way in form of audio message and visual images.
2. Description of Related Arts
A greeting card is sent to someone on holidays or special events in order to express the sender's feelings and emotions to the receiver. The card is usually printed with pictures and illustrations related to the holidays and the special events for helping emphasize the personal messages written in the card. The personal messages may be a brief note showing appreciations, congratulations and affections. After the sender writes down his words, the card may be sent to receiver by either hand delivery or postal service. Either way, it helps people to maintain their relationship.
The greeting cards have variations of form in order to provide special emphasis and effects. For example, a greeting card may further include a piece of specially designed cardboard folded and attached to the inner part of the greeting card in order to resemble certain characters and objects. When the card is opened, alone with the movement of the cover, the folded cardboard erects into three-dimensional characters and objects thereby making the reading of the card more interesting.
However, it is always desirable to make the greeting card more personal for effective communication. Conventionally, one way to achieve the end is to print a personal photograph on the cover of the card. A personal computer equipped with a high-resolution printer may be used to create such personalized card. An image processing software may be sued to edit the personal photograph in order to generate a desirable layout. A laser color printer is recommended for greeting a greeting card with high quality of image.
Although the technology development enables people to create a personalized greeting card on their own, the number of people who are able to do the job is limited. Many people do not have access to personal computers and high quality printers. For those who have the access to the equipment, many of them do not feel comfortable or lack the skill to process digital images. In addition, among the people who have the access to computer equipment and the skill for image processing many simply do not have the time to do it. Furthermore, it seems boring that the greeting card is only printed with a personal photograph without voice messages told by people.
Therefore, what is needed is a greeting card that is easily to be personalized by presenting greetings in the form of visual image and/or audio message.
The present invention discloses a greeting device that is capable of presenting greetings in audio and/or visual form in order to provide personalized greetings. The present invention also discloses a method of how to use the greeting device to create such personalized greetings.
In order to accomplish the above objectives, the present invention provides a greeting device including:
The present invention also provides a method for presenting audio message and visual images via the greeting device. The record switch is pressed to activate the audio memory member. The user may direct his voice toward the microphone in order to record audio message into the audio memory member. A play switch is pressed for the user to listen to the audio message. A permanent recording function is activated to preserve the audio message without being erased and overwritten by future recordings. Finally, a photograph is inserted into a receiving pocket, so that the photograph together with the audio message constitutes audio/visual presentation of information.
Still further objects and advantages will become apparent from a consideration of the ensuing description and drawings.
These and other objectives, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.
A greeting device that is capable of presenting information in audio and/or visual form is disclosed. Drawings of perspective view will be used to explain how the mechanical and electrical structures of the greeting card enable such audio and visual presentation.
Referring to FIG. 1 and
According to the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the base panel 21 can be connected with the front panel 12 edge to edge to define a receiving pocket 122 therebetween and an opening 123 at one side to enable a visual article 30 such as a photograph or a piece of note of personal significance to be inserted and received in the receiving pocket 122 therethrough, so that people can view the content of the visual article 30 through the display window 121. The visual article 30 serves as a visual presentation of greetings that helps the sender and the receiver better communicate their emotions, affections and appreciations.
The base 20 is made slightly bigger than the visual article 30 and that the front panel 12 overlaps the edge areas of the visual article 30 in order to nicely place the visual article 30 within the receiving pocket 122. It is however noted that the way to place a photograph between the front panel 12 and the base panel 21 of the base 20 is not limited to the embodying illustration as disclosed in the preferred embodiment. For example, the viewing window 121 of the front panel 12 may be made about the same size of the visual article 30 so that the visual article 30 can be directly fitted into the front panel 12 through its window. It is an apparent alternative that, instead of making the front panel 12 in a frame structure as shown in
A cover 13 is extended from the front panel 12 and constructed to be folded on top of the front panel 12 to better protect the visual article 30. The cover 13 and the front panel 12 may be made out of the same piece of material, such as cardboard, paper, plastic and celluloid, with a folding line 124 dividing them apart. On the exterior side of the cover 13, pictures and illustrations are printed in order to generate visual effects to entertain receivers of the greeting device 10. As an alternative, the cover 13 may also be a piece of material physically separate from the front panel 12 that is capable of moving toward and leaving from the base 20.
Referring to
The greeting device 10 further comprises an audio device 40 which comprises a control circuit board 41, one or more batteries 42 detachably mounted on the control circuit board 41, an audio memory member 43 mounted on the circuit board and powered by the batteries 42, a record switch 44 provided on the control circuit board 41, a play switch 45 connected to the control circuit board 41 through a first pair of electric wires 46, a speaker 47 connected to the control circuit board 41 through a second pair of electric wires 48, and a LED 49 for operating indication.
The circuit board 41 is affixed on the bottom panel 22 at a position that the batteries 42 are just positioned at the operation window 231. Since the opening 211 is positioned right above the operation window 231, as shown in
Referring to
Usually, the audio memory member 43 can save only a predetermined period of time such as a few seconds of audio information, so that if the record switch 44 is pressed for a period longer than the time limit of the audio memory member 43, the control circuit board 41 will issue a beep sound to warn that the space of the audio memory member is full.
A play mark 451 is provided on the front panel 12 and positioned right above the play switch 45, so that when the user presses the play mark 451, the play switch 45 will be precisely press to activate the audio memory member 43 to play the audio message recorded.
The play switch 45 is electrically connected to the speaker 47 and the control circuit board 41. When the play switch 45 is pressed, it sends out a command to the control circuit board 41 to audibly output the audio message recorded in the audio memory member 43 through the speaker 47. It is noted that the speaker 47 can be placed at any possible positions of the greeting device 10. The process of recording and playing audio message can be repeated and when every time the record switch 44 is pressed, the old audio message recorded in the audio memory member 43 will be overwritten by the new audio message. As a result, the recoding can be repeated until satisfaction.
In order to enable the greeting device 10 to permanently save the audio message in the audio memory member 43, a locking switch 50 is electrically connected to the control circuit board 41 for permanently saving the audio message in the audio memory member 43 without being erased or overwritten by new message. In the preferred embodiment, the locking switch 50 comprises a jump wire 51 electrically connected to the record switch 44 and the control memory member 43 and a flap 52 attached to the jump wire 51. By pulling the flap 52, the jump wire 51 is detached from the control circuit board 26 so as to disconnect the record switch 44 and the audio memory member 43. As such the audio message is permanently saved in the audio memory member 43 without being erased or overwritten.
The audio memory member 43 together with the visual article 30 placed between the front panel 12 and the base panel 21 of the base 20 constitutes personalized greetings. Any notes, illustrations, or a piece of paper that has personal significance can replace the photograph to function as visual article 30. The audio message can be made in association with the particular meaning of the photograph to create a special audio/visual presentation of information that enables the sender and the receiver better communicate their emotions, appreciations and affections. Thus, the greeting device 10 effectively helps people maintain their relationship.
Referring to
As such, the user is able to create a personalized greeting card that presents his greetings in audio and visual forms to better communicate his emotions to the receiver.
One skilled in the art will understand that the embodiment of the present invention as shown in the drawings and described above is exemplary only and not intended to be limiting.
It will thus be seen that the objects of the present invention have been fully and effectively accomplished. It embodiments have been shown and described for the purposes of illustrating the functional and structural principles of the present invention and is subject to change without departure from such principles. Therefore, this invention includes all modifications encompassed within the spirit and scope of the following claims.
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
3691312 | Petersen | Sep 1972 | A |
3857191 | Sadorus | Dec 1974 | A |
4541188 | Sadorus | Sep 1985 | A |
5063698 | Johnson et al. | Nov 1991 | A |
5359374 | Schwartz | Oct 1994 | A |
5499465 | Manico | Mar 1996 | A |
6185851 | Loudermilk et al. | Feb 2001 | B1 |
6282819 | Gu | Sep 2001 | B1 |
6393401 | Loudermilk et al. | May 2002 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country | |
---|---|---|---|
20040237359 A1 | Dec 2004 | US |