1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the creation of books and stories using texts and graphics. The present invention relates more specifically to methods for creating a customized children's storybook with fingerprint art using fingerprint-ready image templates.
2. Description of the Related Art
Without limiting the scope of the invention which is determined solely by the claims, this background information is provided in the context of a specific problem to which the invention in one of its aspects was directed: facilitating the creation of customized children's storybooks using the child's own words and fingerprint art.
Fingerprint art is a popular arts and crafts activity for children. The child places a fingerprint on a piece of paper or other material, and then the child or someone else draws a picture that includes the fingerprint—typically the fingerprint is the body of a figure that is completed with hair, facial features, arms and legs, clothing, etc.
The present application utilizes in part certain techniques disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No.: US 2004/0045461 A1; Published Mar. 11, 2004; Entitled: Fingerprint Art Using Fingerprint-Ready Image Templates, the full disclosure of which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
A problem with current approaches to fingerprint art is the artistic effort needed to complete the image or scene that includes the fingerprint. On occasion, the child or family would prefer to have a fingerprint image or scene that is beyond the current artistic capabilities of the child, such as to illustrate to the child various techniques that can be used by the child to create fingerprint art.
An object of the invention is to provide an implement that facilitates fingerprint art. The invention provides methods for using fingerprint-ready image templates. In one aspect, the invention includes an image template defining a fingerprint-ready image, with at least one fingerprint-sized area being defined within the fingerprint-ready image. The fingerprint-ready image is configured to be at least substantially completed by inserting a fingerprint into the fingerprint-sized area.
In an exemplary embodiment, the image template is formed on a stamping implement (such as for use with an inkpad), which is adapted to transfer the fingerprint-ready image template onto paper (or another image surface). Thus, an exemplary method of forming an image is to (a) form (such as by stamping) a fingerprint-ready image that includes at least one fingerprint-sized area within the fingerprint-ready image, and then (b) at least substantially complete the image by inserting a fingerprint into the fingerprint-sized area of the fingerprint-ready image. In an alternate embodiment, one or more image templates are included within a scene.
In a further alternate embodiment, the fingerprint image may be produced and digitized by photo imaging or scanning the child's finger directly, or photo imaging or scanning an inked fingerprint of the child. The digital image of the fingerprint may then be incorporated into one or more scenes within the customized work being created. The digital fingerprint image and/or the graphics associated with the particular scene may both be scaled to fit the scene and its placement or presentation in the overall work. Production of the children's storybook may be carried out through printing and binding as in the other preferred embodiments, or may be assembled digitally to form an e-book or digital image book viewable on any of a number of tablets, laptop computers, or other digital display devices.
A better understanding of the features and advantages of the invention will be obtained by reference to the following Detailed Description and accompanying Drawings that set forth an illustrative embodiment based on the principles of the invention.
Process for Creating Children's Storybook
The following described process is preferably carried out or followed by a child in the company of an adult.
Reference is now made to
The above described process for determining the size of the child's fingerprint is also described in a step by step manner in
In the process of completing the storybook, the adult and child select a storyline topic from the list of storylines that the child can use to tell a personal experience story about themselves (i.e. nonfiction), or that the child can relate to well enough to create a fictitious story. The computer will then bring up the screen for that selected storyline.
The adult and child then select appropriate scenes from the scene options on the computer screen that support the creation of the storyline. For example, the storyline from the topic “My First Pet” may have several scene choices on the page that tell where the child got their pet. The child may choose the scene from the humane society, or the pet store, or the breeder, or the back alley, etc. to match the story they are creating. There may be several scene options as the storyline progresses.
The adult and child then place the pages in the correct sequence/order to match the child's storyline. The adult will describe and discuss the story with the child as the pages are organized. The adult/child descriptions and discussions will be very helpful in “modeling” the language (sentences) for the child that he/she will soon be speaking to create the storybook.
The adult and child, working together, use the scene on each page to facilitate and support the words that the child will speak as they tell the words/sentence(s) for that page. The parent/adult will use the “prompt” questions and comments provided by the software to assist with eliciting the child's language for the words/sentences that will be typed on each page. The previous two steps will typically happen simultaneously as each page is created.
The adult and child then select graphics using screen “buttons” to choose character features such as hair, facial expressions, glasses, and accessories appropriate to the specific characters and the words used in the story-line as each page is created. The characters will eventually have a generic body comprised of a fingerprint image. These generic fingerprint images will be absent once the storybook is printed. The void spaces left where the generic fingerprints were shown on the computer screen are to be filled in with the child's personal fingerprint when the storybook is printed.
The adult or child will use the text box to type the words/sentences spoken by the child for each page. The text will be entered in the child's simple words/sentences (or a close approximation, thereof) so as to promote a cognitive comfort-level that will: (a) facilitate the child's fluency of thought and (b) encourage literacy-building skills, once the child reads (or follows the book to retell) the story he/she has written.
Once graphics and text are completed in the storybook, the adult uses the computer printer to print the book. The “prompt” questions/comments provided on the screen previously will not appear on the pages of the book. The child then (with the assistance of the adult) uses an ink pad to “ink” the child's finger tip and carefully place it within the open/void space inside each character image on the first page. The adult and child then continue through the pages of the storybook, being sure to “ink” the child's finger for each fingerprint character on each page. The finished storybook pages may then be professionally bound, spiral bound at a local print shop, or simply placed in a ringed binder or similar home-binding device. The adult will want to encourage repeated sharing of the storybook by the child to further develop expressive language skills and to build literacy and cognitive skills.
The above process is shown structurally by the images presented in
The overall method described above is shown in step by step manner in
If the adult and child are not creating the final scene in the book (query Step 140) then the process returns to Step 128 where creation of the next scene is initiated. If the final scene has been created then the process proceeds to Step 142 where automated compilation of the storybook by the software of the system of the present invention is carried out. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention, the adult and child are presented with the created storybook pages at Step 144. The adult and child confirm each page (and may preferably be given the opportunity to edit the works). In providing this review presentation the system may insert a placeholder image of a darkened oval to allow for a preview of how the completed page will look.
After the adult and child have confirmed each scene page at Step 144 the process proceeds to Step 146 wherein each of the pages is printed out. The child then (with the help of the adult) then inks his or her finger, at Step 148 and places or stamps his or her fingerprint onto each oval area designated for the same on each of the various storybook scene pages. Finally, at Step 150 the pages of the storybook are bound and the adult and child (or the child alone) re-reads the storybook in its hardcopy form.
Advantages & Features of the System and Method
All of the text is preferably developed by the child, that is, there is no pre-programmed text, thus allowing the child to be the sole author of the book.
The child's original fingerprint is used to finish the scenes, thus allowing for customized artwork of the scenes by the child.
Written prompts are provided (on the computer screen) by the software to the adult throughout the scenes. These prompts effectively elicit the verbalized storyline from the child, thus building expressive language skills and literacy skills as the child repeatedly speaks and reads his/her own familiar words.
The adult and child together will select (from a preprinted page) the correct size of the fingerprint-ready space to be left open/blank/void for the child's personal fingerprint, which will then be adjusted and placed on the finished pages of the storybook. The selection of the specific fingerprint measurement will automatically adjust the size of the graphic image surrounding the void fingerprint-ready space, allowing for an accurate fit between the image and the size of the child's personal fingerprint. One objective is to provide a large enough image that the child will recognize the fingerprint as their own and see its consistency throughout the storybook.
Alternately, the child's actual fingerprint can be downloaded from a biometric fingerprint reading device and placed within the storybook scenes prior to being printed.
The foregoing describes exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various modifications of these embodiments, as well as various alternative embodiments of the invention, will be suggested to those skilled in the art. Thus, it is intended that the claims define the scope of the invention, and that the claims cover all structures and methods, and their equivalents, encompassed by the claims.
Various alternate embodiments may implement the basic processes described above. Some of the alternate embodiments may include children's interactive e-books, designed to advance literacy, expressive language, and creative writing skills using the child's developmental level of imagination and cognition. The child would author their very own book and use their very own fingerprints to complete the pictures in their unique story. The parent or adult may print their child's pages for a keepsake and create a treasured learning tool that's filled with personalized memories for both the parent and child.
In summary, the system of the present invention provides for:
(a) “Skeletal” template pages which will combine to create a story as a finished children's book. The book can be printed out from a home computer by the author/creator of the individualized/customized book.
(b) Technology which produces the book electronically (as with an e-book) or from software such as with the creation of a PDF file, or similar digital graphic imagery software.
(c) Pages in the book will allow for manipulation of images/graphics and the creation of text so that the finished story line and graphics are customized by the individual author. A selection of graphics “buttons” will be available to allow various images (i.e. furniture, pets, etc.) and image features (i.e. differing hair, faces, glasses, etc.) to be added to the scenery on each page.
(d) A selection of pages will be available to fit multiple options to the story line (for example, the child chooses getting his puppy from the pound rather than a pet store.)
(e) The application will provide suggested “prompting questions” to aid an adult in helping the child to determine what to say on each page of the story. The adult may input on the computer keyboard (if necessary) the child's text for each page. As an example, prompt: “What did you tell Dad? What did Dad say about your wish?” The adult will say, “Let's put that in your book. What do you want me to type?”
(f) Scenery within the printed pages will leave empty spaces to allow for added customized finishing of the images with fingerprint(s) and/or graphic images that might be created by the child in a personalized manner.
Implementation of some of the features of the alternate preferred embodiments described generally above is demonstrated in
The primary difference between the alternate embodiment shown in
In addition to the alternate digital methods of acquiring the fingerprint, the alternate method of the present invention shown in
As all of this information is accumulated digitally into computer 212, the software associated with the operation of the system of the present invention constructs the storybook as described above (and in more detail again in
One aspect of the digital image input features of this alternate embodiment of the present invention, is the ability to scale both the fingerprint acquired and the graphic elements in the scene being created.
Reference is next made to
In the alternate embodiment of the present invention shown in
Although the present invention has been described in terms of the foregoing preferred embodiments, this description has been provided by way of explanation only and is not intended to be construed as a limitation of the invention. Those skilled in the art will recognize modifications of various features and structures of the present invention that might accommodate specific computer hardware and software environments. As indicated above, the specific images and text that are utilized are not so important as the ability to personalize the images and text according to the child's interests and desires. Various forms of artwork may be used for the storybook such as public domain web art or clip art. The child should be able to choose from a variety of art, scenes, figures, and the like available on the web. The child may also choose to use a photo that they may have uploaded. A child might, for example, place his or her fingerprint image over the body of an animal in a photo taken while at the zoo. A compilation of these photos could be the scenes used to go with the story the child writes (speaks) to tell about the trip to the zoo. These variations and modifications do not necessarily depart from the spirit and scope of the invention.
This Application claims the benefit under Title 35 United States Code §120 as a Continuation-In-Part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/896,062, filed Oct. 1, 2010, which itself further claims the benefit under Title 35 United States Code §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/247,938, filed Oct. 1, 2009, the full disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference.
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Number | Date | Country | |
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20140145425 A1 | May 2014 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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61247938 | Oct 2009 | US |
Number | Date | Country | |
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Parent | 12896062 | Oct 2010 | US |
Child | 13868960 | US |