IP Library Granted Patent US 8,683,721
Granted Patent B1
US 8,683,721 · App. 13/798,476 · Granted Apr 1, 2014

Greeting card with game

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,683,721
App. No.
13/798,476
Granted
Apr 1, 2014
Kind
B1
Abstract

The present disclosure and related inventions are directed to a greeting card or other social expression product which is combined with a simple game with sound and light effects. The greeting card combines a traditional paper greeting card, a plastic-molded game encasement and game board, lever, and game pieces with various electronic components to create an interactive greeting card with playable game that causes sound and light effects.

Claims (36)

1. A greeting card comprising:

a greeting card body having a front panel attached to a back panel along a fold line, the front and back panels each having an outer surface and an inner surface opposite the outer surface;

an interactive game attached to the greeting card body, the interactive game comprising: a transparent sealed game body having a front surface and a back surface and a perimeter surface therebetween; one or more u-shaped channels contained between the front and back surface; a lever; and one or more game balls;

a sound module operative to store and replay at least one audio file;

a light module operative to illuminate one or more LED lights;

an on/off switch;

at least one additional switch which causes playback of at least one audio file upon the one or more game balls entering the one or more u-shaped channels.

2. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein an audio file is replayed upon turning the on/off switch from the off position to the on position.

3. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the at least one additional switch is a leaf switch.

4. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the lever is used to launch the one or more game balls into the one or more u-shaped channels.

5. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the transparent sealed game body is attached to the outer surface of the front panel of the greeting card body.

6. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the transparent sealed game body is plastic.

7. The greeting card of claim 1 , wherein the interactive game automatically shuts off after the lever has not been used for a pre-determined period of time.

8. A greeting card comprising:

a two panel greeting card body;

a plastic moulded game attached to a front surface of the two panel greeting card body;

the plastic moulded game having an enclosed cavity, a plurality of open-topped channels contained within the enclosed cavity, a ball launch mechanism, and two or more balls;

a sound module operative to store and playback a plurality of audio files;

a light module operative to illuminate one or more LED lights;

an on/off switch which provides power to the sound and light modules;

a plurality of switches contained and concealed behind each of the plurality of open-topped channels contained within the enclosed cavity such that when the on/off switch is in the on position and one of the two or more balls land in one of the plurality of open-topped channels, one of the plurality of audio files is replayed and at least one of the one or more LED lights flash.

9. The greeting card of claim 8 further comprising an additional switch located and concealed beneath the ball launch mechanism.

10. The greeting card of claim 9 , wherein when the ball launch mechanism has been unused for a pre-determined period of time, power to the greeting card is turned off.

11. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of switches is leaf switches.

12. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein a different one of the plurality of audio files is replayed depending on which of the plurality of open-topped channels one of the two or more game balls lands in.

13. The greeting card of claim 8 , wherein one of the plurality of audio files is replayed upon turning the on/off switch into the on position.

14. The greeting card of claim 8 further comprising a printed insert which is located within the enclosed cavity of the plastic moulded game behind the plurality of open-topped channels.

15. The greeting card of claim 14 , wherein the printed insert contains point values associated with each open-topped channel printed thereon beneath each open-topped channel.

16. A greeting card comprising:

a game comprising a transparent enclosed cavity having two or more baskets contained therein, two or more game balls contained therein and a lever for projecting the two or more game balls into the two or more baskets;

a sound module operative to store and playback two or more audio files;

wherein when one of the two or more game balls lands in one of the two or more baskets, the sound module initiates playback of one of the two or more audio files.

17. The greeting card of claim 16 further comprising a light module operative to illuminate one or more LED lights when one of the two or more game balls lands in one of the two or more baskets.

18. The greeting card of claim 16 further comprising an on/off switch.

19. The greeting card of claim 16 wherein power to the sound module is turned off when the lever goes unused for a pre-determined amount of time.

20. The greeting card of claim 16 , wherein the game is attached to one of two attached greeting card panels.

Assignments (5)
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 12, 2018
From: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045915/0841 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2018
From: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: AGC HOLDINGS, LLC; AGC, LLC; AGCM, INC.; AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION; A.G.C. INVESTMENTS, INC.; A.G. EUROPE, INC.; A.G. INDUSTRIES, INC.; AG INTERACTIVE, INC.; A.G. (UK), INC.; AGP KIDS, INC.; CARDSTORE, INC. FORMERLY KNOWN AS PHOTOWORKS, INC.; CARLTON CARDS RETAIL, INC.; CREATACARD, INC.; CREATACARD INTERNATIONAL LEASING INC.; CLOUDCO, INC.; CUSTOM HOLDINGS, INC.; GIBSON GREETINGS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED; JOHN SANDS (AUSTRALIA) LTD.; JOHN SANDS (N.Z.) LTD.; JOHN SANDS HOLDING CORP.; MEMPHIS PROPERTY CORPORATION; MIDIRINGTONES, LLC; PAPYRUS-RECYCLED GREETINGS, INC.; PLUS-MARK LLC, FORMERLY KNOWN AS PLUS MARK, INC.; THOSE CHARACTERS FROM CLEVELAND, INC.; PRGCO, LLC; RPG HOLDINGS, INC.
Reel/Frame 045917/0006 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Feb 12, 2018
From: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
To: PNC BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 045307/0476 →
AMENDED AND RESTATED COLLATERAL ASSIGNMENT OF PATENTS Recorded Sep 10, 2013
From: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
To: PNC BANK, A NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 031200/0816 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 13, 2013
From: BOGDANSKI, SHARON; FLESHER, MELISSA; GALI, MIKE; ROWLETT, KAREN; DECKERD, ANNIE
To: AMERICAN GREETINGS CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 029985/0239 →