Patent Application
20090040878
The present invention relates to an invitation cards with built-in electronic audio/visual countdown features.
Event reminders vary from the proverbial “string around a finger” to computer calendars with audio-visual cues designed to get our attention as an event approaches. The stand-alone timer of Yeh in patent application US 2006/0087920 not only has a real-time clock, but an audio-visual reminding device. Patent application US 2003/0136036 of Zubil combines a real-time digital clock with a foldable card holder for display of a business card. Greeting cards with audio or flashing lights are commonly available. Two examples of prior art relating to this genre are U.S. Pat. No. 5,036,698 of Johnson which describes a classic greeting card with a sound recording, and the animated device of Wilson (U.S. Pat. No. 4,299,041) which relates to greeting cards with both audio and visual features involving flashing light emitting diodes (LED's). However, the prior art does not reveal an invitation card with a built-in countdown feature.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a card stock invitation which includes built-in electronic audio/visual countdown features.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a card stock invitation which utilizes audio/visual stimuli to periodically remind an invitee of an upcoming event.
Other objects will become apparent from the following description of the present invention.
In keeping with these objects and others which may become apparent, the present invention is a tangible physical paper or cardstock invitation card announcing a specific event that also has the ability to remind the recipient of the approaching date by audio and visual means, specifically a daily countdown. The method and system of this invention includes means for programming the invitation card with the necessary information to enable it to perform its reminder mission.
Since the target market for these invitation cards is traditional customers who value the sending of physical cards (as opposed to computer screen-transmitted “E-cards”) by standard mail, the programming effort is designed to be simple, not requiring expert computer skills. Also, since an event such as a wedding often involves sending many invitations, the cost of each card and the time involved in programming each card should be held to a minimum.
Three different methods of programming the cards are illustrated. The most costly and time-consuming involves each card equipped with a programmer subsystem detachably attached to the card itself as a fold-out companion. It has a user interface panel and requires, at minimum, the entry of the present date and time as well as the date of the event. If a recorded voice feature is included, a recorded message would also have to be spoken into the programmer. In some cases, a countdown to an “RSVP date” (i.e. response date, as in “Repondez, S'il Vous Plait” in French language, or “Respond, if you please” in English language) is also desired; this date would also have to be entered. While this method is feasible if cost is not much of a factor and the number of invitations is small, it is desirable to program the cards during an engraving or printing process, or to have the customer or store clerk program an entire batch simultaneously.
If engraved or printed cards are ordered, the programming can be accomplished during the printing process as each card is printed or engraved, or one of the batch programming methods to be described can be used after the run of cards is printed or engraved. In this manner, the customer is not involved in the programming. Cards can be ordered by phone or over the internet and then delivered to the customer. If a voice-entry feature is included, the customer can call the engraver/printer to enter this item remotely.
If cards are not printed, the customer would write-in the pertinent information. The customer or a store clerk would also be programming the cards. Even if the cards are printed, they may not be pre-programmed during the process. A physical store can be equipped with an in-store programming station. The cards would be placed into the station and then a clerk or the customer would proceed to program all of them simultaneously. In a similar embodiment, the lid of a box of cards can include a batch programmer with a user interface panel on the top surface. This would program all cards in the box simultaneously much as in the programming station.
Although a wide variety of audio/visual features can be implemented, in the preferred embodiment, the card would be a flat invitation card (as opposed to a folded card) with very flat electronics and battery built-in. At least one shielded magnet or double-sided stick surface for attachment to a magnetic or other surface such as a refrigerator would be attached to the back surface. The electronics will include a microcomputer with factory loaded countdown software, a real-time clock function, at least one liquid crystal display (LCD) to display the countdown number, audio playback, and one or more LED's. Display technology in current test-markets include flexible “electronic ink” LCD type displays as well as organic LED's. These can be substituted as they become available. Obviously, animated displays using cartoon characters or changing color designs can be incorporated. The audio can be all factory supplied, or custom messages in a person's voice can be added. The computer calculates the time left before the RSPV and event days and displays the appropriate “DAYS LEFT” as a countdown. The reminder cues are factory programmed and get more urgent and intrusive as the event day approaches.
All programmer devices use the same design of user interface panel in the preferred embodiment. The panel includes a column of prompting LED's leading the user to enter the pertinent information in the proper format and order. A numeric keypad is used to enter information. Command keys are used to communicate with the programmer. Numeric LCD's are used to display date and time along with RSPV/EVENT and AM/PM designation dots.
In the attached programmer instance, a perforated seam separates each invitation card of this invention from its adjacent programmer to which it is electrically attached. In this case, it is possible to share a single micro computer physically in the card portion to also perform programmer functions. After programming, the programmer card is detached from the invitation card, and the electrical connection is simultaneously severed. The programmer portion with the user interface panel is then discarded.
Two types of batch programmers are described whether implemented as in-store programming stations or as card box-top programmers. The first type is physically connected to each card via a cable from the programmer making conductive contact with each card via contacts attached to an edge of each invitation card which would make contact with conductive rails inside the programming station or card box. In the preferred embodiment, an inductive coupling or a radio frequency link as used in RFID tags is used to transfer data from programmer to each card simultaneously. This involves the use of printed conductive loops or primitive flat antennas. The RFID technology is well proven and quite inexpensive.
The present invention can best be understood in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is noted that the invention is not limited to the precise embodiments shown in drawings, in which:
The user interface panel 15 on the front of a programmer card is shown in
An example of a typical programmer card, such as programmer card 25 attached to an individual tangible invitation card 1, is shown in
A conductive attachment 36 from programmer 25 to each tangible invitation card 1 is shown in
An option for a radio frequency identification tag, such as, for example, an RFID type of communications link using antenna 40 on programmer 25 linking to each tangible invitation card 1 via card antenna 41, is shown in
The block diagram of
A flow chart of resident software in a typical tangible invitation card 1 is shown in
Although the recipient demographic includes many individuals with limited or no computer skills, some limited user selected options can be incorporated into invitation card 1. One option that would be appropriate is analogous to the “snooze alarm” feature of an alarm clock. Here, the option would be used to interrupt the audio/visual or just the audio portion of the reminder routine for a fixed period (such as an hour or a day) upon the recipient pressing a “panic” button implemented at the factory for this purpose and indicated on the card front surface. Referring to the flow chart of
In the foregoing description, certain terms and visual depictions are used to illustrate the preferred embodiment. However, no unnecessary limitations are to be construed by the terms used or illustrations depicted, beyond what is shown in the prior art, since the terms and illustrations are exemplary only, and are not meant to limit the scope of the present invention.
It is further known that other modifications may be made to the present invention, without departing the scope of the invention, as noted in the appended Claims.
