Abstract:
A gift card is provided which integrally combines a voice storage/playback unit with a stored value card and on two separate portions of a base substrate, with the two portions separated by a releasable connection portion. Upon purchasing the gift card, a gift giver records a personal voice message and provides the gift card to the recipient. Upon receiving the gift card, a recipient may immediately playback the recorded personal voice message through simple manipulation of the card. Thereafter, the two parts of the card may be separated by manipulation of the connection portion, and the stored value portion may be used in the matter of the conventional stored value cards. The voice storage/playback portion may be stored for safekeeping and played back by the gift recipient at will.

Description:
[0001]    This application is a continuation of application of PCT/US07/60437, which designates the United States of America and will be published in English. This application also claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/759,104 filed Jan. 13, 2006. The entireties of the disclosures of both applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
       [0002]    The present invention relates generally to stored value cards and, more particularly, concerns an integral structure combining a stored value card and voice recording and playback mechanism, permitting recording and selective playback of a personal message related to the stored value card. 
         [0003]    Modern life finds family members and loved ones often separated by great distances. Modern technology has made communication very convenient, and toll free numbers and automated and online order-taking services have made gift purchasing very convenient, especially when the recipient is far away. However, it has also resulted in gift giving having lost much of its personal, creative and romantic aspects. This is particularly true for stored-value cards, which are very popular gifts today. These cards are very convenient, but highly impersonal, since the giver has not selected a gift specifically for the recipient. Typically, the gift giver may never even see the card he sends or presents as a gift. A personal message delivered with a card may be written by a retailer or card supplier on a stock card or form and delivered by mail or a total stranger. It would be highly desirable to restore the excitement and personal involvement in giving a gift, without reintroducing all of the inconveniences eliminated by modern order-taking technologies. 
         [0004]    It would therefore be desirable to personalize a stored value gift card through the addition of the capability of enabling a personal voice message to be recorded by a gift giver and to be received by a gift receiver an integral form with the gift card, which the gift receiver may then playback. 
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
       [0005]    In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a gift card is provided which integrally combines a voice storage/playback unit with a stored value card and on two separate portions of a base substrate with the two portions separated by a releasable connection portion. Upon purchasing the gift card, the gift giver records a personal voice message and provides the card to the recipient. Upon receiving the gift card, a recipient may immediately playback the recorded personal voice message through simple manipulation of the card. Thereafter, the two parts of the card may be separated by manipulation of the connection portion, and the stored value portion may be used in the matter of the conventional stored value cards. The voice storage/playback portion may be stored for safekeeping and played back by the gift recipient at will. 
         [0006]    In accordance with some presently preferred embodiments, the stored value and voice recording/playback portions are separated by a frangible region, permitting separation of the two portions by breaking them apart. In accordance with another embodiment, the recording/playback portion contains a clamp-like structure at one edge which receives the stored value portion. The stored-value portion is separated by forcibly extracting it from the clamp-like structure. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]    The foregoing brief description and further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be understood more completely from the following detailed description of presently preferred, but nonetheless illustrative, embodiments, with reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which: 
           [0008]      FIG. 1  is a front view of a first embodiment of the present invention in the form of a voice message recording/playback gift card; 
           [0009]      FIG. 2  is a rearview of the gift card of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0010]      FIG. 3  is top view of the gift card of  FIG. 1 ; 
           [0011]      FIG. 4  is a perspective view schematically representing the interior of the voice recording/playback unit as seen from above; 
           [0012]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view similar to  FIG. 4  with the internal components of the voice recording/playback unit removed; 
           [0013]      FIG. 6  is a schematic circuit diagram of the voice recording/playback unit; 
           [0014]      FIG. 7  is a perspective view of a second embodiment of the gift card in accordance with the present invention; 
           [0015]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of a third embodiment of a gift cut in accordance with the present invention; and 
           [0016]      FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view of the gift cut of  FIG. 8 . 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
       [0017]    Turning now to the details of the drawings,  FIG. 1  is a front view of a voice-enabled gift card  10  embodying the present invention,  FIG. 2  is a rear view thereof, and  FIG. 3  is a top view thereof with respect to  FIG. 1 . Card  10  broadly comprises a planar main body  12  with an integral voice recording/playback unit  14 . 
         [0018]    Main body  12  is preferably made of a plastic sheet material, such as is commonly used for credit cards. Body  12  comprises two integral portions  16 ,  18  connected by a frangible region  20 , preferably a narrow line. Portion  16  includes a perforated region  16   a , through which a speaker will play, as explained further below. It also has a circular opening  16   b , through which a pushbutton P protrudes. Portion  16  also includes a cut out  16   c  constructed to permit body  12  to be hung on a display hook, or the like. On its rear, portion  18  includes a magnetic strip  18   a , or the like, which permits a value to be store in card  10 , as is well-known. Typically, portion  18  would also include a barcode in addition to strip  18   a , or instead of it. 
         [0019]    Voice recording/playback unit  14  is formed integrally with body  12 , as by bonding. As will be explained further below, unit  14  includes a speaker which is located behind perforated region  16   a  of portion  16 . It also has a pushbutton P, which protrudes through opening  16   b  in portion  16 . On its rear, portion  14  includes a hole  14   a , behind which there is located a push switch that may be depressed by the user. Portion  14  also includes holes  14   b  and  14   c . Within the hole  14   c , there protrudes a light emitting diode (LED), and behind hole  14   b  there is located a microphone, both to be discussed further below. 
         [0020]    In use, the gift giver will preferably select a card  10  which has been pre-charged to a desired value. Pressing and holding down the record button accessible through hole  14   a  will cause unit  14  to enter a voice recording mode and the LED will light, indicating that the recording mode has been entered. The gift giver then speaks into hole  14   b , and his voice message will be recorded into unit  14 . When the record button in hole  14   a  is released, recordation terminates and the LED turns off. Thereafter, depressing pushbutton P. will cause the recorded message to play back. 
         [0021]    As will be appreciated from  FIG. 3 , the thickness of unit  14  fits well with the dimensions of card  10  and does not affect the thickness of the overall card in any inconvenient way. When the gift recipient initially receives card  10 , he will be able to conveniently play back the gift giver&#39;s personal voice message by simply depressing pushbutton P. Thereafter, he will be able to make use of the gift card  10  by separating portions  16  and  18  at the frangible area  20 . Portion  18  may then be used in the manner of any stored value card. At the same time, portion  16  may be put aside for safekeeping, and the gift receiver may playback the gift giver&#39;s personal Message at any time. 
         [0022]    As will be appreciated from  FIGS. 1-3 , unit  14  has its own housing  22 . Housing  22  includes a bottom portion  24  and an upper cover  26 .  FIG. 4  is a perspective view schematically representing housing bottom  24  with components mounted thereon and  FIG. 5  is a similar perspective view of bottom portion  24  without the components. As may be seen, bottom portion  24  includes a bounded region  28  which is constructed to receive a piezoelectric speaker S. Bounded regions  30  are constructed to receive disc batteries B, as well as miniature circuit boards  32 ,  34 , of which circuit board  34  receives an integrated circuit I. Portion  24  also includes a bounded region  36 , into which is mounted a record locking mechanism  38  having a slider  38   a . Bottom portion  24  has a peripheral flange  24   a , the outer perimeter of which is dimensioned and shaped to closely conform to the interior perimeter of cover  26 . Cover  26  also has an opening positioned to align with mechanism  38 . 
         [0023]    The slider  38   a  of mechanism  38  slides laterally and is connected to an electrically nonconductive arm  38   b  which extends under the record button R and moves with slider  38   a . The record button R includes an electrically conductive under-surface which makes an electrical connection between two contacts when the button is depressed, as is well-known. Arm  38   b , in the position shown in  FIG. 4 , is clear of the under-surface of button R and permits it to make an electrical connection. When slider  38   a  is moved to the right, it carries arm  38   b  with it, and arm  38   b  becomes positioned under the conductive area of the under-surface of button R, preventing it from completing an electrical connection. Thus, slider  38   a  may be utilized to prevent accidental depression of button R, which would cause unintentional recording. 
         [0024]      FIG. 6  is a circuit schematic diagram for unit  14 . “I” designates the integrated circuit referred to previously. In the preferred embodiment, this is a series ISD1600 single-message, single-chip voice record/playback device available from the Windbond Electronics Corporation America, of San Jose, Calif. As may be seen, circuit I provides a speaker amplifier output between pins  8  and  11 , to which the speaker S is connected. Circuit I also provides a play enable input at pin  3 , to which pushbutton P is connected so as to apply a ground when depressed. Circuit I also has a record enable input at pin  2 , to which a pushbutton S 2  is connected so as to apply ground when depressed. This is the button that is accessed through hole  14   a  in unit  14 , as explained above. At pin  16 , circuit I has an LED driving input, to which an LED L is connected. LED L is visible through the hole  14   c  in unit  14 . At pins  6  and  7 , circuit I provides a connection for a microphone and microphone M is coupled thereto. Microphone M is behind the hole  14   b  of unit  14 . 
         [0025]    It should be noted that speaker S is a piezoelectric speaker. Preferably, it has a diameter between about 30 mm and about 44 mm, most preferably 35 mm, and is made of hard brass, stainless steel, or alloy plate approximately 0.05 mm thick. Preferably, it is a biomorph structure (two elements), with each element approximately 25 mm in diameter and about 0.05 mm thick. Preferably, the total thickness of the speaker should not exceed 1.7 mm. Preferably, speaker S is secured to bottom portion  24  by means of the thin ring of resilient material which has adhesive on both sides. This ring not only serves to retain the speaker S on bottom portion  24 , but it also acts as a spacer to offset speaker S above portion  24 . 
         [0026]    One reason a piezoelectric speaker was utilized is that it was found that a magnetic speaker damaged or obliterated the information stored in magnetic strip  18   a . However, a piezoelectric speaker offers benefits even when a magnetic strip is not used. For example, it permits the unit to be thinner and prevents units from sticking together magnetically when they are stacked for display. For best performance, speaker S should be driven through two inductors L 1  and L 2 . Preferably, these inducts are miniature or SND type. Preferably, their height should not exceed 3 mm, their diameter should not exceed 8 mm, and their inductance should be between 40 mH and 60 mH, most preferably approximately 47 mH. Preferably, their DC resistance should not exceed 150 ohms. 
         [0027]      FIG. 7  is a perspective diagram illustrating an alternate embodiment  10 ′ of a gift card in accordance with the present invention. Card  10 ′ broadly comprises a planar main body  12 ′ with an integral voice recording/playback unit  14 ′. Main body  12 ′ is preferably made of a plastic sheet material, such as is commonly used for credit cards. Body  12 ′ comprises two integral portions  16 ′,  18 ′ connected by a frangible region  20 ′, preferably a narrow line. Instead of being bonded to body  12 ′, unit  14 ′ is press-fitted into it. Specifically, body  12 ′ has an opening  12 ′ b  which is shaped and dimensioned to closely fit the perimeter of unit  14 ′. A plurality of tabs  12 ′ a ,  16 ′ d  project into opening  12 ′ b . When unit  14 ′ is pressed into opening  12 ′ b , the tabs  12 ′ a ,  16 ′ d  are compressed and exercise sufficient force to maintain unit  14 ′ within opening  12 ′ b . A benefit of this construction is that unit  14 ′ protrudes both above and below the body  12 ′, so its maximum protrusion from body  12 ′ is reduced. 
         [0028]    As may be seen in  FIG. 7 , unit  14 ′ has a label  15 ′ which, preferably, contains directions on how to make a voice recording. Preferably, label  15 ′ is secured so as to be peelable. The record button R is under the area  15   a , and instructions are provided as to how to operate locking mechanism  38 . Thus, a recording can be made by operating locking mechanism  38  to release button R, at which time the user may depressed area  15   a  to make the recording. Thereafter, locking mechanism  38  is operated to disable button R, and label  15 ′ is peeled off, to expose a permanent label and that conceals area RCD, as well as button R. 
         [0029]      FIG. 8  is a front perspective view of a third embodiment  10 ″ of a gift card in accordance with the present invention, and  FIG. 9  is a rear perspective view thereof. Card  10 ″ broadly comprises a main body  40  and a stored value card  42 . On the rear of main body  40 , a voice recording/playback unit  14 , similar to unit  14  of  FIG. 1 , is secured to body  40 , as by bonding. 
         [0030]    Body  40  may be made of any firm sheet material such as the type of plastic material used for credit cards. At the bottom of body  40 , there is provided any clamp-like member  44 , in which stored value card  42  is retained under pressure. At the top of body  40 , there is provided a hanging element  46 , permitting card  10 ″ to be hung, for example on a hook or Christmas tree branch. On the front surface of body  40 , there is a thinned region  17  which overlies a pushbutton P similar to button P in  FIG. 1 . 
         [0031]    Stored value card  42  is similar to portion  12  of  FIG. 1  and, similarly, includes a stripe  42   a , for example a magnetic stripe, permitting information to be stored on the card, such as a monetary value. Voice recording/playback unit  14 ′ is similar to unit  14  in  FIG. 1 . One difference is that it includes a pushbutton  17  in place of the button in the hole  14   a  of  FIG. 1 . In addition, there is provided a slide switch  15  which can lock and unlock operation of pushbutton  17 . 
         [0032]    In use, the gift giver will preferably select a card  10 ″ in which stored value card  42  has been pre-charged to a desired value. Alternately, at the point of sale, a desired main body  40  may be selected and a card  42  of desired value purchased, after which card  42  is inserted into the clamp mechanism  44  and retained therein. Switch  15  is then slid from the locked position to the unlocked position, and the gift giver depresses button  17 , and he will speak to record a voice message. He may play back the message by pressing on region  17  and, when he is satisfied with the message he moves switch  15  to the unlocked position. Thereafter, pressing on region  17  will cause the recorded message to be played back. 
         [0033]    When the gift recipient initially receives card  10 ″, he will be able to conveniently play back the gift giver&#39;s personal voice message by simply pressing on region  17 . Thereafter, he will be able to make use of the gift card  42  by firmly removing it from the clamping mechanism  44 . Card  42  may then be used in the manner of a charge card. At the same time, body  40  may be put aside for safekeeping, and the gift receiver may play back the gift giver&#39;s personal message at any time. 
         [0034]    Although preferred embodiments of the invention have been disclosed for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that many additions, modifications, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as defined by the accompanying claims.