Abstract:
A prayer aid or study tool comprises first and second card members. The first card is wider, and includes spaced parallel slits of slightly larger width than the second card. The spacing of the slits is in an amount corresponding to regions on the second card. The second card is passed through the slits so as to be viewable in the window thereby defined. Topics or information provide on the second card are then viewable in discrete portions of the size of the window defined by the slots, while other portions of the second card can be blocked from view by the first card, to assist in focusing on topics. The first card may be provided with printing thereon to assist in the prayer or study, such as religious text, hymns, poetry, drawings/photos, or the like. The prayer aid is also suitably implemented on a computer or PDA.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS  
       [0001]     This application is a non-provisional of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 60/570,253, filed May 12, 2004. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     This invention relates to thought integration, and more particularly to a device to assist in prayer, meditation, studying or creation of song ideas, interpolation of ideas, and the like.  
         [0003]     Some persons focus on specific ideas/topics one at a time. Other persons desire to integrate multiple ideas by infusing a subject with other novel or established ideas construed de novo or taken from existing religious literature, hymns, poetry or pictures. Previously, these persons integrating multiple ideas might, to assist them in focusing their prayers, highlight and underline portions of pages or passages of other religious texts, and then flag or otherwise mark the relevant pages, and flip to the flagged pages and religious text, in some sequence when praying, to help focus and direct their prayers. However, as might be imagined, this can be time consuming and cumbersome and the mechanics and timing of flipping around and finding the words of interest can distract from the prayer itself, especially when on the move as during a prayer walk.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0004]     In accordance with the invention, first and second cards interact to provide a viewing window to the second card so that just a portion of the card may be viewed at any one time. The first card is printed with information useful to the study or prayer, such as religious text.  
         [0005]     Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improved device to assist in prayer and/or meditation.  
         [0006]     It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved device providing prayer assistance to a person, to focus their prayer.  
         [0007]     It is a further object of the present invention to expand prayer or thoughts by adding a second dimension of subject matter.  
         [0008]     It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved simple, yet useful device to assist with the study of items.  
         [0009]     The subject matter of the present invention is particularly pointed out and distinctly claimed in the concluding portion of this specification. However, both the organization and method of operation, together with further advantages and objects thereof, may best be understood by reference to the following description taken in connection with accompanying drawings wherein like reference characters refer to like elements. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0010]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a first card in accordance with the prayer aid;  
         [0011]      FIG. 2  is a front view of a second card in accordance with the prayer aid;  
         [0012]      FIG. 3  is a view of the first and second card when interfaced in accordance with the invention; and  
         [0013]      FIG. 4  is a representative view of an implementation of the invention on a hand held computer device such as a personal digital assistant (PDA).  
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION  
       [0014]     The system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention comprises a set of cards that interact to present information for prayer or study, or thought integration.  
         [0015]     Referring to  FIG. 1  and  FIG. 2 , a representation of a first and second card in accordance with an embodiment of the invention, the device comprises two cards,  10  and  12 , which are adapted to interact together to provide an improved prayer or study tool. Both cards  10  and  12  rounded edges at their respective 4 corners  10   a ,  10   b ,  10   c ,  10   d ,  12   a ,  12   b ,  12   c  and  12   d  for the ease of interfacing between the cards, for sliding into pockets and for the hand held comfort of the user. The cards are both substantially rectangular in shape, card  10  being wider than card  12 , and card  10  includes first and second horizontal slots members  14 ,  16  defined centrally of the card, the two slots being in spaced relation to each other. The left to right (as considered in the drawing figure) width of the slots is slightly larger than the width of card  12 .  
         [0016]     Card  10  includes plural regions  18  defining horizontal bands along the extent of the card and which suitably include text in the regions and which may be of certain colors, for example, a different color for each band. Top and bottom margin bands  18 A and  18 B may be of slightly different height than the other regions  18 .  
         [0017]     Card  12  includes plural horizontal band regions  20 , which may include top and bottom margins  20 A and  20 B, of slightly less height than the other bands in the illustrated embodiment. Each region  20  may include text, for example, and suitable comprise alternating white and gray backgrounds in the preferred embodiment. Alternatively, the regions may be absent of any text, and include the alternating background colors (white/gray) only from band to band.  
         [0018]     In use, with reference to  FIG. 3 , card  12  is suitably inserted through the slot members  16 ,  14 , from behind the face of card  10 , so as to emerge from behind the card  10  via slot member  16 , and to disappear behind card  10  again via slot member  14 , whereupon as card  12  is slid upwardly and downwardly, the various regions  20  of card  12  may be suitably visible in the region  22  defined between the slot members  16  and  14 , which operates as a viewing window, but otherwise other portions of card  20  may be hidden by the card  10 .  
         [0019]     The two cards interact by sliding card  12  upwardly and downwardly through the opening defined in card  10  by the slot members  14 ,  16 , so that a portion of card  12  can be read through the center window defined in the in the middle of card  10  by the two slot members.  
         [0020]     The text (or graphics, photos, drawings or mix thereof) material on the two cards is such that the cards are suitably useable for prayer or study.  
         [0021]     For example, the text in the various regions of card  10  may comprise certain religious, poetic words or even small pictures or drawings (all of which may be related to a particular theme). The card  12  includes on its various regions topical subject matter for which the user may be desiring to pray. These may be pre-printed topics, such as health related issues, e.g. “Sam&#39;s back pain”, or, may be added by the user by writing or printing on the card (which is suitably accomplished with a blank card  12 ). Card  12  may suitably be partially populated with topics, with other regions  20  being blank for customization by the user.  
         [0022]     In a particular embodiment, the color scheme of the card  10  is considered to be important, and proceeds as follows, from top to bottom. Margin portion  18 A, is black and the included text (if any) in white. The subsequent regions  18 , continuing downwardly, through slot member  16 , may be divided into 7 color regions (although the drawing illustrates 2 regions  18  in this portion of the card, the preferred embodiment employs 7 regions of separate colors) yellow, light orange, light green, rose, tan, aqua and lime. The text (if any) in any of these regions is suitably black.  
         [0023]     The region between slot  16  and  14  comprises a region upon which written text can also be placed.  
         [0024]     Continuing from slot  14  to the bottom margin  18 B, the colors are suitably repeated as 7 color regions, yellow, light orange, light green, rose, tan, aqua and lime, and the text (if any) in any of these regions is, again, suitably black.  
         [0025]     Card  12  may be supplied in a form with a printing template so as to enable a user to produce a custom set of printing in the regions  20 . For example, in the case of use for prayer, a first band  20  might include the name of a person or persons for whom the user would be wishing to pray, with 1 to 3 points on which the prayer might focus (e.g., praying for the raising of children, work issues, marriage growth, healing of injuries or sickness, obstacles which the person needs to overcome, etc). Card  10  can include religious words which touch on specific issues for which the user is praying, or a number of verses of different topics, to provide a more generic prayer card. If there were a specific list of things which the user was wishing to pray about, those items would be listed on card  12 , and the user could individually move card  12  up and down so as to show an individual line or lines in the window portion of card  10 , to remind the user of what the topic was, or to assist in focusing on the particular topic.  
         [0026]     Card  10  employs the regions of different color to help distinguish different verses.  
         [0027]     The device can also be applied to studying other than religious text or verse.  
         [0028]     Card  10  is suitably a paper card, laminated, with verses and the color band configuration provided on both sides thereof. Card  12  may be laminated, or may be paper, depending on the use and durability desired, also having both sides used, if desired.  
         [0029]     In a particular embodiment, the dimensions of card  10  are: Height (from bottom to top margin of regions  18 A and  18 B)  6  and  1 / 8  inches. Width, 4 and ¼ inches. Width of slot member  14 ,  16  (from left to right edges thereof), 3 and ¾ inches, leaving a ¼ inch from the edges of the slots to the edge of the card. The distance  22  between the slot members  14  and  16  is ¾ of an inch.  
         [0030]     Card  12  has dimensions as follows: Height, suitably 6 and 1/8 inches. Width, 3 and 3/8 inches. The height of each region  20 , is suitably ¾ inches, which corresponds to the distance  22  between the slot member  14 ,  16  of card  10 . As the distance between the slot members is changed for any particular card  10  configuration, a corresponding change in the height of region  20  of the corresponding card  12  would also be made, to achieve the desired effect of a single region  20  being displayed when the cards are assembled.  
         [0031]     These dimensions are not requirements, and, for example, cards  10  and  12  can be different heights if desired for the particular use.  
         [0032]     In the particular card configuration show, the lowermost region  20  of card  12  may be slightly shorter than other regions, ½ inch in the particular embodiment.  
         [0033]     The cards  10  and  12  suitably have rounded corners, and in the case of the cards being laminated, the lamination portion may also be suitably rounded.  
         [0034]     An alternative card  12  includes horizontal markers, such as lines, to define the borders between the various regions  20 .  
         [0035]     The cards are suitably made of 32# paper or 110# cardstock, or may be made of any suitable plastic or other durable, thin, flexible medium capable of carrying printing or inscriptions thereon.  
         [0036]     A software version of the invention, which may be provided on a PDA or hand held computer, for example, employs a graphic interface to emulate the paper version, with a color coded list of verses, for example, and the list of items being prayed on appearing in the central window, capable of being scrolled upwardly and downwardly, employing two sets of data, for example, novel in construction or from religious literature.  
         [0037]      FIG. 4  is a representation of an implementation on a PDA or hand held computer, wherein the computer screen has lines  14 ′ and  16 ′ (representative of the slots in the card version of the invention). Between lines  14 ′ and  16 ′, is band region  20 ′ for displaying representative information as would be visible when in use on card  12  in the card version. Regions  18 ′ above and below region  20 ′ display information corresponding to that which would be on card  10  in the card version.  
         [0038]     When the key word for the prayer item is entered, then the prayer or other item is displayed in region  20 ′ surrounded above and below in regions  18 ′ equidistantly with religious or other text that matches the keywords entered. The prayer item is found in central window  20 ′, surrounded above and below by other religious text. This text can be scrolled up or down, for example, by use of scroll arrows  24 , and the prayer items can also be scrolled up or down, by use of scroll arrows  26 , for example. Not illustrated corresponding scroll arrows may also be provided in the upper region  18 ′. If new prayer or other items have different key word coding, then a different set of verses or other text with corresponding key word coding will appear which can again be scrolled into place as the user desires.  
         [0039]     Another feature of the software is a suggested prayer category which is coded to the key word and optionally to given scriptural text. Therefore the user can click on the font for suggested prayers by key word or click on the religious text for suggested prayers by religious text designation.  
         [0040]     Another feature is praying by books of the religious text instead of key worded religious text. A font for each book of religious text is included with a scroll bar.  
         [0041]     Another feature is praying by categories, with a similar of the same key word index as above. The viewer is able in this way to select a font for a particular theme, for example, and religious texts that have been coded to that theme will appear. These verses will surround the central prayer item window and allow for user scrolling.  
         [0042]     Another feature is prayers by religious people, for example, “Prayers King David Prayed”. Other categories include prayers by women, men, children, etc. Information from various prayer organizations, churches, and quotes about prayer may be included.  
         [0043]     Accordingly, the prayer or study aid may be particularly useful for ambulatory activities such as prayer walks or nature hikes so that multiple topical ideas can be juxtaposed in the most rapid fashion, so that the one praying/studying need not but glance at the aid to capture the topic thereupon. Once the idea is captured, the hiker can resume eye contact with the environs so as to absorb that and incorporate it into his prayer/study time and/or keep from stumbling across some rocks in the path.  
         [0044]     The prayer or study aid comprises two mixing cards for integrating topics. It can be constructed in a small pocket size form, and the rounded edges enable easy access for sliding in or out of pockets.  
         [0045]     The color scheme helps to retain a sense of whereabouts on the card from glance to glance because of the radical change from one color to another (as opposed to using multiple shades of a single color). Type setting may be bolded for key thoughts or concepts.  
         [0046]     While plural embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspects. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.