Abstract:
Disclosed is a soft, flexible, photo, face, or image recognition flash card game and system for children, adults, and special needs individuals. By utilizing the foam flash cards of various colors and shapes containing photographs of people, places, and familiar objects, a persons cognitive abilities can be developed and exercised.

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
       [0001]    The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/338,124 filed 16 Feb. 2010 which is incorporated herein by reference in its entireties. 
     
    
     TECHNICAL FIELD 
       [0002]    The present invention relates to an educational device for improving cognitive development in children, adults, and impaired individuals and more particularly to an soft, flexible, photo face recognition flash card game and system for children, adults, and special needs individuals that utilizes foam flash cards of various colors and shapes containing photographs of family members and familiar objects and locations. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0003]    Early development of a child&#39;s mental abilities can lead to success in all areas of life. Currently, available materials generally focus on the child&#39;s ability to associate words with standard pictures, colors, shapes, etc. Traditionally, flash cards containing various standard pictures of animals, shapes, or objects rather than written materials are used. These cards are generally arranged in sets to help develop a particular skill such as counting or reading. These cards, however, are typically standard and are not easily customizable by the user. 
         [0004]    Furthermore, in today&#39;s society, with families living further and further apart, young children who do not regularly interact with distant relatives, tend to forget and/or not recognize their faces and images. To aid with this problem, family photos can be used, however, photo albums are often too bulky for infants and toddlers to handle and the photos often are damaged in the process. They are also typically not kid friendly, nor do they reinforce basic learning skills such as shape recognition or color recognition. 
         [0005]    Similarly, as with children, adults suffering from various forms of dementia such as Alzheimer&#39;s disease or other ailments have difficulty remembering and/or recognizing faces of family members and friends. Constant reinforcement of familiar images via photographs may help with such problems. 
         [0006]    Therefore, there exists a need for an educational device that can be easily customizable to include pictures and photographs of familiar images, that is safe for handling by a toddler or infant, and that incorporates in various colors, number, and shape recognition capabilities. The present invention addresses all these needs. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0007]    The devices disclosed herein relate to foam flash cards that allow a user to insert a picture or image into the flash card for easy customization. The flash card comprises a frame side and a shape side. The frame side typically has a frame or aperture cut out through which a photograph or picture can be viewed. Thorough repetitive viewing of the image a child or impaired person&#39;s cognitive, communicative and sensory abilities to recognize and associate faces, objects and images, with names of people and objects, can continually be reinforced. 
         [0008]    The shape side typically contains a simple geometric shape cut out or aperture and is used to teach basic shapes and images. It may also be used as a location to place a trademark or logo. The flash card can be manufactured out of a single piece of materials and is typically formed into a pouch with at least one open edge though which an image may be inserted. Furthermore, to protect the inserted image, a transparent film or pouch is inserted within the frame pouch to protect the image. 
         [0009]    Features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art upon examination of the following detailed description, when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is intended that all such features and advantages be included herein within the teachings of the present invention, as set forth herein and as sought to be protected by the claims. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The system and method, in accordance with one or more embodiments, is described in detail with reference to the following drawings. The drawings are provided for purposes of illustration only and merely depict typical or example embodiments. These drawings are provided to facilitate the reader&#39;s understanding and shall not be considered limiting of the breadth, scope, or applicability of the disclosure. It should be noted that for clarity and ease of illustration these drawings are not necessarily made to scale. 
           [0011]    Some of the figures included herein illustrate various embodiments from different viewing angles. Although the accompanying descriptive text may refer to such views as “top,” “bottom” or “side” views, such references are merely descriptive and do not imply or require that the embodiment be implemented or used in a particular spatial orientation unless explicitly stated otherwise. 
           [0012]      FIG. 1  depicts a front view of a flex frame with an image inserted in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  depicts rear view of a flex frame in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0014]      FIG. 3 . is a side view of a flex frame in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0015]      FIG. 4 . is a side view of a flex frame in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0016]      FIG. 5  is perspective view of a flex frame with an image being inserted in accordance with an embodiment; 
           [0017]      FIG. 6  is front view of a flex frame in accordance with an embodiment; and 
           [0018]      FIG. 7  depicts a front view of a flex frame in accordance with an embodiment. 
       
    
    
       [0019]    The figures are not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the precise form disclosed. It should be understood that the embodiments can be practiced with modification and alteration, and that it is limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof. 
       DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0020]    The present disclosure is described herein in terms of example embodiments. Descriptions in terms of these embodiments are provided to allow the various features to be portrayed in the context of an exemplary application. As will be clear to one of ordinary skill in the art, the devices and methods can be implemented in different and alternative embodiments without departing from the spirit of the invention. 
         [0021]    Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as is commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the present field of technology. All patents, applications, published applications and other publications referred to herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. If a definition set forth in this section is contrary to or otherwise inconsistent with a definition set forth in applications, published applications and other publications that are herein incorporated by reference, the definition set forth in this document prevails over the definition that is incorporated herein by reference. 
         [0022]    While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. Likewise, the various diagrams may depict an example architectural or other configurations and is intended to aid in understanding the features and functionality that can be included. The discovery is not restricted to the illustrated example architectures or configurations, but the desired features can be implemented using a variety of alternative architectures and configurations. Indeed, it will be apparent to one of skill in the art how alternative functional, logical or physical partitioning and configurations can be implemented to implement the desired features of the present inventions. Also, a multitude of different constituent module names other than those depicted herein can be applied to the various partitions. 
         [0023]    Although, described in terms of various exemplary embodiments and implementations, it should be understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
         [0024]    As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture, geometry or configuration. 
         [0025]      FIGS. 1 and 2  depict a flex flashcard frame  10  in accordance with one embodiment. Flex flashcard frame  10  includes a front side or frame side  12 , an opening or aperture  14 , a transparent sheet  16 , a rear side or shape side  20 , a rear cut out or rear aperture  22 , text or rear image  24  printed on a medium, and rear transparent sheet  26 . In  FIG. 1 , flex flashcard frame  10  is depicted with an image  18  already inserted into the flashcard. While depicted in rectangular form, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, that flex flashcard frame  10  may be any geometric shape, such as square, diamond, oval, heart shaped, or any other simple shape. 
         [0026]    Frame side  12  and shape side  20  are typically joined on three edges to form a single pouch style object into which image  18  may be inserted through open edge  2 . The flash card  10  may be composed of a single sheet of non toxic malleable or flexible materials or from separate pieces. If a single sheet is used, it may be formed into front side  12  and rear side  20  from the single sheet. The remaining edges,  4 ,  6 , and  8  may be sealed using any known method, such as stitching, adhesive, heat bonding, or chemical bonding. If individual sheets are used, frame side  12  and shape side  20  may be joined together to form the pouch shape flashcard frame  10 . Similar methods can be used to join frame side  12  and shape side  20  to form the unified pouch. It is to be understood that flashcard frame  10  must contain an open edge  2  into which image  18  may be inserted by the user. In one embodiment, it was found that a single sheet of ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam about 2 mm in thickness was particularly suited for forming the flashcard frame  10 . As will be understood by those skilled in the arts, other non toxic foam materials maybe used. 
         [0027]    Prior to formation of flashcard frame  10  into a pouch, front aperture  14  and rear opening or aperture  22  should be cut from the materials. Any known technique may be used to cut the apertures, such as stamping or cutting. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, aperture  14  is not limited to the images depicted in the figures. While aperture  14  is typically square, rectangular, oval, or circular, it may be any geometric shape, such as a diamond, heart, circle, or it may be a simple shape such as a butterfly, tree, fish, or a dinosaur, and is only limited by the size of the flashcard frame  10 . 
         [0028]    Similarly, rear opening or aperture  22  may typically be a geometric shape such as a square, rectangle, hexagon, heart, diamond, or any other geometric shape, but it may be any simple image such as a car, truck, fish, letter, number, plane, tree, dinosaur, or any other image typically found in standard flash cards. 
         [0029]    Internal to flashcard frame  10  are transparent sheets  16  and  26 . Transparent sheets  16  and  26  are intended to protect the inserted image  18  from a user&#39;s fingers or other objects, such as a child&#39;s mouth, that may damage the image. 
         [0030]    Transparent sheets  16  and  26  may be individual sheets affixed to the inside of front side  12  and rear side  20 . In another embodiment, a transparent pouch  40  comprised of a front transparent sheet and a rear transparent sheet were utilized rather than individual sheets. In this manner, the transparent pouch  40  may be inserted into the frame  10  through open edge  2 , thereby eliminating the need to affix individual sheets to frame side  12  and cut out side  20 . In one embodiment a transparent pouch composed of 5 millimeter clear polyester was used. 
         [0031]    Mounted in the inside face of rear transparent sheet  26 , and positioned to be visible through rear aperture  22  may be text  24 . Text  24  may be any text or additional image such as for example, a word describing the shape, or a logo or trademark, printed on a medium such as paper or card stock. In this way, the flashcard&#39;s use as a learning device or promotional device may be enhanced. For example, the word “circle” may appear through the shape of the circle or a company selling or marketing the flashcard frame may place its mark there. 
         [0032]      FIG. 3  depicts a side view of flex flashcard frame  10  viewed through the open edge  2 . Cavity  34  is formed within the frame created by front side  12  and rear side  20 . Inserted into cavity  34  is transparent pouch  30  forming cavity  32 . Transparent pouch  30  contacts both front side  12  and rear side  20 . Mounted on the rear side of transparent pouch  30  is text or image  24 , such that it is viable through shape cut out or rear aperture  22 . It will be understood, that because of the size and location of rear aperture  22 , text or image  24  should be affixed to transparent pouch  30  to ensure that it remains visible from the outside of the flashcard frame. Also, seen in  FIG. 3 , transparent pouch  30  should be larger than aperture  14 , and should typically be large enough to adequately display a standard 4×6 inch or 3×5 inch photo or image. Image  18  may be any image printed on a medium such as photo paper, regular paper or card stock, but any image or aperture size may be used. 
         [0033]      FIG. 4  depicts a side view of flex flashcard frame  10  in accordance with another embodiment. Cavity  40  is formed within the frame created by front side  12  and rear side  20 . Inserted into cavity  40 , are transparent sheets  16  and  26 . Once inserted, into cavity  40  the transparent sheets, contact front side  12  and rear side  20 , respectively. Mounted on rear transparent sheet  26  is text or image  24 , such that it is viable through shape cut out or rear aperture  22 . It will be understood, that because of the size and location of rear aperture  22 , text or image  24  should be affixed to rear transparent sheet  26  to ensure that it remains visible from the out side of the pouch. As can be seen in  FIG. 4 , transparent sheet  16  should be larger than aperture  14 , and should typically be large enough to adequately display a standard 4×6 inch or 3×5 inch photo or image. Image  18  may be any image printed on a medium such as photo paper, regular paper or card stock, but any image or aperture size may be used. 
         [0034]      FIG. 5  depicts a perspective view of flashcard frame  10 . As can be seen image  18  is inserted by a user into cavity  40  through open edge  2 . Similarly, if transparent pouch  30  is utilized, image  18  would be inserted into cavity  32  within cavity  30 . 
         [0035]    With respect to  FIG. 6 , and as noted above, frame side  12  and the shape side  20  form a pouch shape with open edge  2 , through which image  18  may be inserted. Edge  2  contains a sealing strip which may be a single strip such as sealing strip  60  or may be composed of front strip  60  and rear strip  62 , depending on the mechanism of sealing and the resalable nature of the sealing strip. As will be appreciated, by those skilled in the art, edge  2  may be sealed once image  18  is inserted to permanently create a flashcard, or it may remain open or be resealable to allow image  18  to be replaced by the user. Sealing strip  60  and  62 , may be any mechanism that allows edge  2  to be sealed. For example, it may comprise two sided tape, glue, individual adhesive strips, a single adhesive strip, hook and loop materials or any other similar device used to keep edge  2  closed. 
         [0036]    Flex flashcard  10 , with image  18  installed as seen in  FIG. 7  may be used to improve the cognitive, communicative and sensory abilities or learning skills of a subject, such as a child, an adult with dementia, or a special needs individual. For example, image  18  may be a picture of a family member, a pet, a distant relative, or a familiar location. By having a user, such as a parent or care giver show the specific image to the subject repeatedly along with a verbal description of the image, causes the subject to connect the images with the words, thereby improving the subject&#39;s cognitive, communicative and sensory abilities. Because image  18  is a specific image rather than a generic image, the subject is more likely to make the cognitive connection between the image and the verbalization. Furthermore, shape cut out  22  may be utilized to teach a subject such as a small child the name of simple shapes such as “circle.” The three-dimensional nature of shape cut out  22  also allows a child to trace the shape with a finger, thereby stimulating the tactile senses of the subject while at the same time, the verbal association is being reinforced by verbal repetition of the word. 
         [0037]    While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that they have been presented by way of example only, and not of limitation. It should be further understood that the various features, aspects and functionality described in one or more of the individual embodiments are not limited in their applicability to the particular embodiment with which they are described, but instead can be applied, alone or in various combinations, to one or more of the other embodiments, whether or not such embodiments are described and whether or not such features are presented as being a part of a described embodiment. Thus the breadth and scope of the present disclosure should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments. 
         [0038]    As will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art after reading this document, the illustrated embodiments and their various alternatives can be implemented without confinement to the illustrated examples. For example, block diagrams and their accompanying description should not be construed as mandating a particular architecture, geometry or configuration.