Abstract:
A puzzle includes a first piece and a second piece, the first and second pieces evidencing matching and selectively engageable profiles. A communication element is provided to the first and second pieces, the communication element enabling communication between the first and the second pieces, and an integrated power supply and load, when the first and second pieces are engaged with one another along the matching profiles.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    This application is entitled to the benefit of and incorporates by reference essential subject matter disclosed in Provisional Patent Application No. 61/746,863 filed on Dec. 28, 2012. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    This invention relates, in general, to a jigsaw puzzle, and deals more particularly with a jigsaw puzzle in which pieces of the puzzle are in communication with one another, and are therefore capable of providing an interactive feedback when the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle, is assembled. 
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0003]    Known jigsaw puzzle pieces are planar in nature, having irregular profiles and a nominal thickness. Each piece typically represents, on at least one planar side, one portion of an overall picture, design or other fanciful representation, and that when joined with the rest of the jigsaw puzzle pieces, creates an overall ‘portrait’. 
         [0004]    The act of finding the proper sequence of pieces, and appraising the resulting overall portrait created by assembling the various jigsaw puzzle pieces, constitutes the bulk of the activity enjoyed by aficionados of jigsaw puzzles. 
         [0005]    Thus, it is the general object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle with greater functionality by inscribing the sides of the jigsaw puzzle pieces themselves with either stand-alone text, or more preferably, portions of a larger text. Moreover, it is another general object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle piece with increased functionality by inscribing, embedding, embossing or otherwise providing each piece of the jigsaw puzzle with a portion of an electrical circuit, or appropriate electrical sensors, which may operate independently or collectively with each other to precipitate an interactive feedback when the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle, has been assembled. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0006]    It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel jigsaw puzzle having expanded functionality and stimulative properties. 
         [0007]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle where the act of assembling the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle, enables electrical communication between two or more pieces in the puzzle. 
         [0008]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle that utilizes communication means associated with the puzzle pieces to determine when the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle, has been assembled. 
         [0009]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle with the capability to provide feedback when the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle, is assembled. 
         [0010]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle which will play an audible recording upon the assembly of the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle. 
         [0011]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle which will issue a visual display upon the assembly of the puzzle, or a portion of the puzzle. 
         [0012]    It is another object of the present invention to provide a jigsaw puzzle whereby the edges of the individual puzzle pieces can be adorned with fanciful decorations or wording. 
         [0013]    These and other objectives of the present invention, and their preferred embodiments, shall become clear by consideration of the specification, claims and drawings taken as a whole. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0014]      FIG. 1  illustrates a jigsaw puzzle according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0015]      FIG. 2  is an elevational view of a puzzle piece of the puzzle shown in  FIG. 1 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0016]      FIG. 3  illustrates a jigsaw puzzle piece according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0017]      FIG. 4  is an elevational view of the puzzle piece of the puzzle shown in  FIG. 3 , showing an associated electrical conductor. 
           [0018]      FIG. 5  is plan view of a puzzle piece showing an associated power source and load, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0019]      FIG. 6  illustrates a jigsaw puzzle having a puzzle circuit associated with each piece of the puzzle, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0020]      FIG. 7  is an elevational view of a puzzle piece showing a manually actuated power source and load, according to one embodiment of the present invention. 
           [0021]      FIG. 8  illustrates a jigsaw puzzle having multiple puzzle circuits associated with differing portions of the puzzle, according to another embodiment of the present invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT 
       [0022]      FIG. 1  illustrates a jigsaw puzzle  5 , with representative piece  10 , according to one embodiment of the present invention. The piece  10  typically has an irregular profile  12 , with some portion of an overall design present upon planar portion  P . 
         [0023]    It will of course be readily appreciated that the present invention is in no way limited by the irregular profile  12  shown in  FIG. 1 . Indeed, the profile  12  could be of any configuration without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0024]      FIG. 2  is an elevational view A-A of the piece  10 . As shown in  FIG. 2 , the sidewalls of the puzzle piece are inscribed with text  T . The text  T  could be either ‘stand-alone’ text, or as is principally envisioned, a portion of some greater overall text, which when all pieces of the jigsaw puzzle are assembled, essentially represents the greater overall text. 
         [0025]    The text  T  may be inscribed, burned, stamped, overlayed or in any other manner applied to the sidewalls of the piece  10 . Most preferably, the text  T  would be present on the outer, or exposed, edges of the piece  10 . As utilized herein, the ‘exposed’ edge of any piece of the jigsaw puzzle is that edge which would form the outer periphery of the jigsaw puzzle, when the jigsaw puzzle was fully assembled. However, in the alternative, the text could be inscribed, burned, stamped, overlayed or in any other manner applied to some, or all, sidewalls of the piece  10 , as desired. 
         [0026]    It will therefore be readily appreciated that the present invention provides a method of utilizing the sidewalls of a jigsaw puzzle to functionally present text to the assembler. Moreover, this text can be stand-alone, or part of a greater overall text. Thus, for example, a jigsaw puzzle representing a portrait of the U.S. Capitol, could have portions of the actual Declaration of Independence applied to the desired sidewalls of one or more of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle. 
         [0027]    It is therefore possible to link the graphic depiction on the face of the assembled puzzle, to the text and/or designs imprinted on the sidewalls of the puzzle, so as to provide a synergy between the text and the graphic image of the puzzle. 
         [0028]    Of course, while it may be necessary or desirable to make the thickness,  t , or depth, of the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, greater, in order to accommodate a particular method of applying text to the sidewalls, the present invention is, however, equally applicable to puzzle pieces of all thicknesses. 
         [0029]      FIG. 3  illustrates a jigsaw puzzle piece  100 , according to another embodiment of the present invention. As shown in  FIG. 3 , an electrical conductor  130  has been inscribed, layered, embedded or otherwise provided to or associated with the piece  100 . 
         [0030]    The electrical conductor  103  is a preferred communication means between the pieces of the puzzle  5 , and may be of any type, and its application to the piece  100  may be accomplished in any preferred manner without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. Indeed, as will be discussed hereafter in more detail, an important aspect of the present invention is that regardless of the nature of the conductor, or the method of its association with one or more pieces of a particular puzzle, the conductor is a communication means by which one or more puzzle pieces may sense the presence of the other when properly assembled, thus facilitating the completion of a puzzle circuit and precipitating a predetermined result. 
         [0031]    Turning now to  FIG. 4 , showing an elevational view  B-B  of the jigsaw puzzle piece  100 , the sidewall  116  and the sidewall  122  of the piece  100  each illustrate a terminal end  134  of the embedded electrical conductor  130 . 
         [0032]    In one preferred embodiment, every piece of the jigsaw puzzle  5  would include at least some portion of the electrical conductor  130 , such that when fully assembly, a complete electrical puzzle circuit is completed. In the alternative, only a predetermined number of the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle may actually include portions of the conductor  130 , thereby electrically connecting only a portion of the jigsaw puzzle  5  when such pieces are properly assembled. 
         [0033]    Still further, another embodiment of the present invention envisions multiple, yet independent, portions of the overall puzzle  5 , each such portion of the puzzle  5  involving two or more puzzle pieces and having their own self-contained and dedicated puzzle circuits, which may or may not each be connected to, and powered by, a common power source, or independent power sources, as desired and appropriate, and as discussed below. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  illustrates a planar view of a corner ‘power’ piece  200  according to the present embodiment. It will be readily appreciated that the power piece  200  need not be a corner piece of the jigsaw puzzle  5 , and may alternatively be any piece of a jigsaw puzzle, without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0035]    As shown in  FIG. 5 , the corner power piece  200  includes an embedded battery/power source  202 . This power source  202  is connected to and in electrical communication with the conductor  130 . 
         [0036]    As will be appreciated, when the jigsaw puzzle is properly assembled, the terminal ends  134  of all the embedded conductors  130  will touch one another, thus completing a puzzle circuit, and thereby permitting the power source  202  to energize the load  204 . 
         [0037]    It is therefore an important aspect of the present invention that by embedding an electrical conductor within at least a predetermined number of pieces of a jigsaw puzzle, that a load may be energized when the jigsaw puzzle is properly assembled. Preferably, the power source  202  is envisioned to be a lithium ion ‘watch’ battery, however any type or configuration of battery can be utilized, including rechargeable batteries or film batteries without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0038]    As will also be appreciated, the load  204  may be any number of appropriate devices capable of various operations, such as but not limited to a microprocessor attached to a speaker, for playing a recorded, or recordable, message (such as the spoken words printed on the puzzle pieces, as discussed in the preceding embodiment), or a light emitting element or display device such as, but not limited to, a LED or LCD element. The load  204  may, in the alternative, be located in another puzzle piece, apart from the piece containing the power source  202 , without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0039]    In those cases where the load is either a speaker element or a light emitting element, preferably under the control of the embedded microprocessor unit, apertures are machined or otherwise formed within the planar face of the puzzle piece having the load embedded therein, so as to permit the audible or visual effects of the load to be realized by the assembler. 
         [0040]    As shown in  FIGS. 1-5 , an important aspect of the present invention lies in the ability of a predetermined number of puzzle pieces to communicate with each other, at least to the extent that the predetermined puzzle pieces can determine whether they have been assembled properly, or not, and thereafter provide a visual or audible feedback to an assembler when the predetermined number of puzzle pieces are so assembled. 
         [0041]      FIG. 6  illustrates one possible configuration of the puzzle circuit, showing conductor  130  as imbedded or otherwise attached to each piece of the puzzle  5 , and powered by power source  202 . When all pieces of the puzzle  5  in  FIG. 6  are assembled, the puzzle circuit will be complete and the power source  202  will energize load  203 . 
         [0042]    It will readily be appreciated that the puzzle  5  shown in  FIG. 6  will have an almost unlimited number of applications. For example, if the picture depicted upon the puzzle  5  was of former US President Abraham Lincoln, it would be possible for the load  203  to play a prerecorded and audible version of his famous Gettysburg Address. That is, an assembler of puzzle  5  will assemble the jigsaw puzzle in a completely traditional fashion: discovering pieces that may fit together, and proceeding until the entire puzzle  5  is completed. In the present case, however, when the assembler has completed putting the last piece of the puzzle  5  together (regardless of which particular piece was lastly placed in its proper position) the puzzle circuit will be completed as well, and the load will perform as intended, issuing a visual or audible (or both) feedback to the assembler. 
         [0043]      FIG. 7  illustrates a side elevational view of an individual puzzle piece, or element,  E  or overall puzzle  5 . As shown in  FIG. 7 , piece  E  contains the power source  202  as well as a sliding actuator  250 . The sliding actuator  250  slides within a suitable slide avenue  252  and is in electrical communication with the power source  202  such that moving the sliding actuator to the ‘on’ position of the slide avenue  252  causes the power source to selectively energize the puzzle circuit.  FIG. 7  also shows a record button  254 , which is in electrical communication with the load  203 . When activated, the record button  254  will preferably access the microprocessor and memory components of the load  203 , and permit the recording of a personalized message, to be played upon the completion of the puzzle circuit, as discussed previously. In the preferred embodiment, the record button  254  will record a message when pushed, and continue to record until it is again actuated. 
         [0044]    While a sliding actuator and record button have been described with respect to  FIG. 7 , it will be readily appreciated that any alternative arrangement of elements, push buttons, levers or switches could be substituted therefore without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0045]    As discussed above, the load  203  may itself contain a microprocessor unit and internal digital memory, such that an assembler could record their own message for playback when the puzzle  5  is completed. Thus, it would be possible for a person to personalize the recording that would play when the puzzle  5  is completed—the possible applications of which are almost too numerous to individually recite herein. 
         [0046]    Turning now to  FIG. 8 , the puzzle  5  evidences multiple puzzle circuits, each of which can be individually energized when that particular portion of the puzzle is assembled, even if the pother portions have yet to be assembled. That is, as shown in  FIG. 8 , a puzzle circuit  150  may be formed in only a predetermined number of puzzle pieces, and in electrical communication with the power source  202  and the load  203 . Thus, when the four puzzle pieces having puzzle circuit  150  associated therewith are assembled, the load  203  will be powered by the power source  202  and will behave as programmed, preferably under the control of an associated microprocessor to control such things such as, but not limited to, the duration or repetition of any visual or audible feedback. 
         [0047]    Also shown in  FIG. 8  is a second puzzle circuit  152 , which is associated with four different pieces of the puzzle  5 , and which are themselves in electrical communication with a power source  202   a  and a load  203   a.  Thus, when the four puzzle pieces having puzzle circuit  152  associated therewith are assembled, the load  203   a  will be powered by the power source  202   a  and will behave as programmed. Thus, another embodiment of the present invention lies in a puzzle having multiple, independent puzzle circuits, each with its own power source and associated microprocessors, to operate independently of one another as their individual puzzle circuits are assembled and completed. 
         [0048]      FIG. 8  also illustrates yet another alternative embodiment of the present invention where separate puzzle circuits  150  and  152  are in fact in electrical communication with a common power source and load. That is, as shown in  FIG. 8 , the puzzle circuits  150  and  152  could be in electrical communication with common power source  202  and common load  203  via conductor  154 , without the need for additional power source  202   a  and load  203   a.    
         [0049]    As reflected in  FIG. 8 , it is therefore possible to have differing portions of an overall puzzle ‘come alive’ when their constituent puzzle pieces are assembled, either individually or as a whole, and as controlled by one or more microprocessors in the load(s)  203 / 203   a,  as desired. 
         [0050]    The methods for providing a predetermined number of puzzle pieces with the conductor  130  include, but are not limited to: embedding a conductor into the substrate of the puzzle prior to, or after, the pattern of puzzle pieces are cut into the substrate; or, overlaying or layering a flexible or rigid printed circuit board or foil onto or into the substrate of the puzzle prior to, or after, the pattern of puzzle pieces are cut into the substrate. Similarly, the cavities for both the power source  202  and the load  204  may be separate or in a common space, and are preferably formed in the body of puzzle piece  200 , by any suitable inscribing or cavity-forming/selective-layering means, without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0051]    While  FIG. 4  shows the terminal end  134  of conductor  130  embedded into the puzzle piece, it will be readily appreciated that instead of being embedded, the conductor  130  (and terminal end  134   a ) could be arranged within a channel  170  formed in the bottom of each puzzle piece. These channels  170  can thereafter be sealed by a suitable agent or epoxy that preferably hardens upon curing. Moreover, the terminal ends  134  of the connector  130  could be modified, expanded or otherwise configured to provide a better electrical connection to it&#39;s matching terminal end located in another adjoining piece, without departing from the broader aspects of the present invention. 
         [0052]    Still yet another embodiment of the present invention involves inserting, embedding, affixing or otherwise applying or associating an alternative communication means, such as a sensor that may be but is not limited to an electronic surveillance tag (commonly known as a RFID tag/chip), to each piece (or to a predetermined number of pieces) of a jigsaw puzzle  5 . The power source  202  will generate an interrogation signal whereby the load  204  is activated if certain parameters are met, such as if all of the pieces of the puzzle respond to the interrogation signal via their embedded electronic surveillance tag and confirm their presence and/or their correct arrangement with respect to one another. 
         [0053]    Regardless of the technology utilized, and regardless of the particular conductor employed or the manner in which the terminal ends of the conductor are fashioned and located, it is the primary objective of the present invention that the pieces of a puzzle are capable of communicating with one another such that the completion of the entire puzzle, or alternatively, the completion of just a portion of the puzzle, will produce an audible or visual feedback to the assembler. The nature and content of the load can be matched to the pictorial depiction of the puzzle as a whole, or to a particular portion of the puzzle, as desired. 
         [0054]    While the invention has been described with reference to the preferred embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various obvious changes may be made, and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof, without departing from the essential scope of the present invention. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed, but that the invention includes all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.