Interactive greeting card

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10456668-B2
Application number	US-201715691056-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 30, 2017
Priority date	Aug 6, 2012
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

An integral greeting card/game is disclosed wherein a multi-panel greeting card also serves as a game board and is combined with a game piece and launch mechanism to create a novel, interactive greeting card. The multi-panel greeting card contains a sound module therein and a magnetic trigger is contained and concealed below one or more of the multiple greeting card panels. The game piece contains a magnet therein so that when the game piece comes into contact with the area of the greeting card above or proximate to the magnetic trigger, playback of an audio file is initiated. In one embodiment, the game piece is operative to interact with a touch screen of a mobile device.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An interactive greeting card, comprising:
a greeting card body;
an article associated with the greeting card body and decoupled from the greeting card body; and
a launch mechanism attached to the greeting card body and configured to move the article relative to the greeting card body while the article is decoupled from the greeting card body,
wherein positioning the article proximate a particular location on the greeting card body with the launch mechanism, while the article is decoupled from the greeting card body, triggers playback of a digital audio file via the greeting card.

2. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the greeting card body comprises a sound module operative to playback a first digital audio file in response to the article being positioned proximate the location.

3. The interactive greeting card of claim 2 , wherein the sound module is further operable to playback a second digital audio file upon opening the greeting card.

4. The interactive greeting card of claim 2 , wherein the greeting card further comprises a switch mechanism connected to the sound module, and the sound module is further operable to playback the first digital audio file in response to activation of the switch mechanism.

5. The interactive greeting card of claim 2 , wherein the sound module is further operable to playback a message different from the first digital audio file in response to the greeting card body being open for a predetermined period of time.

6. The interactive greeting card of claim 2 , wherein the greeting card body and the article include visual indicia indicating a particular theme, and wherein the first digital audio file corresponds to the particular theme.

7. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the greeting card body further comprises a pop-up structure operable to move between:
a first position in which the pop-up structure extends substantially parallel to a panel of the greeting card body, and
a second position in which the pop-up structure extends substantially perpendicular to the panel body.

8. The interactive greeting card of claim 1 , further comprising a spring mechanism concealed by the greeting card body and operably connected to the launch mechanism.

9. An interactive greeting card, comprising:
a greeting card body;
an article associated with the greeting card body; and
a mechanism configured to physically launch the article from the greeting card body to a location spaced from the greeting card body and proximate a digital device,
wherein the article is operative to communicate with an application operable on the digital device when the article is moved from the greeting card body to the location by the mechanism.

10. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the mechanism is connected to the greeting card body and is configured to move the article from the greeting card body onto the digital device, the article being configured to activate the application once the article is disposed on the digital device.

11. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the article includes a digital watermark, a QR code, printed electronics, foil stamping, conductive foam, or an augmented reality marker configured to communicate with the application.

12. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a first response when the article is disposed proximate a first location on the digital device, and wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a second response different from the first response when the article is disposed proximate a second location on the digital device different from the first location.

13. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the article is configured to unlock the application when the article is positioned proximate the digital device.

14. The interactive greeting card of claim 13 , wherein the article is configured to cause the application to be unlocked at least partly in response to a motion detection device of the digital device sensing the article.

15. The interactive greeting card of claim 9 , wherein the article is configured to cause the application to play a video on a display of the digital device at least partly in response to the article being positioned proximate the digital device.

16. The interactive greeting card of claim 15 , wherein the greeting card body includes visual indicia indicating a particular theme, and wherein the video corresponds to the particular theme.

17. An interactive greeting card, comprising:
a greeting card body;
a launch mechanism attached to the greeting card body; and
an article removably retained by the greeting card body, the article including a component configured to communicate with an application operable on a digital device when the article is positioned proximate the digital device,
wherein the launch mechanism is configured to move the article to a location spaced from the greeting card body.

18. The interactive greeting card of claim 17 , wherein the component of the article includes a digital watermark, a QR code, printed electronics, foil stamping, conductive foam, or an augmented reality marker.

19. The interactive greeting card of claim 17 , wherein the article is operable to unlock the application on the digital device, and to trigger playback of at least one of an audio file or a digital file, via the digital device, once the application has been unlocked.

20. The interactive greeting card of claim 17 , wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a first response when the article is disposed proximate a first location on the digital device, and wherein the article is configured to cause the application to provide a second response different from the first response when the article is disposed proximate a second location on the digital device different from the first location.

Assignees

• American Greetings Corp

Inventors

• Mayer David

Classifications

• A63F13/837

  Shooting of targets · CPC title

• A63F13/2145 Primary

  the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens · CPC title

• B42D15/02

  Postcards; Greeting, menu, business or like cards; Letter cards or letter-sheets (B42D25/00 takes precedence; envelopes B65D27/00) · CPC title

• A63F13/00

  Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions · CPC title

• G11C13/0028

  Word-line or row circuits · CPC title