Patent Publication Number: US-8983088-B2

Title: Set of interactive coasters

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     The present patent application is a non-provisional application claiming the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/469,958 filed on Mar. 31, 2011, and entitled “SET OF INTERACTIVE COASTERS,” naming Jeffrey B. Conrad as inventor, the complete disclosure thereof being incorporated herein by reference. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND OF DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure is directed to a set of interactive coasters. Coasters are well known in the prior art and generally consist of small pieces of wood, plastic, or other material people put between a surface, such as a table, and a beverage container. Generally, coasters are used to protect the surface from the heat, scratching, moisture or the like. However, coasters may also be decorative in nature. Coasters have been made in a variety of colors and materials. 
     SUMMARY OF DISCLOSURE 
     The present disclosure is directed to a set of interactive coasters. Specifically, it is an object of the present disclosure to provide a set of musically interacting coasters which harmonize when placed in proximity to one another. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         FIG. 1  illustrates a perspective view of an individual coaster situated between a table and a beverage container. 
         FIG. 2  illustrates a plan cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the set of musically interactive coasters of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 3  illustrates a plan cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the set of musically interactive coasters of the present disclosure. 
         FIG. 4  illustrates a plan cross-sectional view of an embodiment of the set of musically interactive coasters of the present disclosure. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a set of musically interactive coasters that harmonize when placed in proximity to one another. The following description is presented to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to make and use the present disclosure and is provided in the context of a patent application and its requirements. Various modifications to the preferred embodiment and the generic principles and features described herein will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein. Embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with references to the accompanying drawings. 
     The present application discloses a set of musically interactive coasters that harmonize when placed in proximity to one another. The set of musically interactive coasters is comprised of a plurality of at least two individual coasters. As illustrated in  FIG. 1 , each individual coaster  102  is generally comprised of a body portion  105 , a top support surface  107  and a bottom base surface  109 . Each coaster  102  may provide a support surface for the foot or bottom surface  103  of a drinking vessel or beverage container  111 . During use, the coaster  102  is generally situated between the bottom surface  103  of a beverage container  111  and the top surface of a substrate  101 , such as a table or bar counter, to protect the substrate  101  from heat, scratching, moisture or the like. It will be appreciated that the bottom base surface  109  of coaster  102  is generally configured to provide a stable engagement with substrate  101 , and that the upper top surface  107  of coaster  102  is configured to provide a stable engagement with the foot or bottom surface  103  of a drinking vessel or beverage container  111 . While coaster  102  is shown as having a circular shape, it may be in any shape or form so long as it provides stable upper and lower engagement surfaces. For example, the bottom base surface  109  and the upper top surface  107  of coaster  102  may include a flat surface, a series of concentric rings/ridges or other geometric configurations which presents a substantially planar engagement surface. 
     Preferably, each individual coaster in the musically interactive coaster set has the capability to interact musically with at least one other coaster of the set.  FIG. 2  illustrates an embodiment of a musically interactive set of coasters being comprised of two coasters  202   a  and  202   b . Coaster  202   a  and coaster  202   b  are each pre-programmed with a tune or portions of a tune which, when played together in sequence, comprise harmony and melody. The pre-programmed tune may be embedded in a standard miniature audio device, also known as an audio player and/or audio player-recorder. Such standard miniature audio devices are well known and used, for example, in musical greeting cards. 
     In this embodiment, the standard audio devices in each coaster  202   a ,  202   b  include: a memory component for storing one or more tunes, a speaker, and a circuit board for connecting the speaker to the memory component to allow playback. The circuit board is also connected to a power supply and a switch for activation thereof. In another embodiment (not shown), each individual coaster may include a more elaborate known miniature audio device, such as an MP3 player (e.g. iPod®, iShuffle®, etc.). It will also be appreciated that the miniature audio device may be equipped with a microphone and/or a recording mechanism and appropriate circuitry, as readily known, understood, and appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, to enable customized programming. Thus, for example, one or more individuals may record their own voices and/or their own songs on the coaster audio device, and/or load their own preferred recording and have a customized interactive vocal coater set. 
     As discussed above, each individual coaster has the capability to interact musically with at least one other coaster included in the set. In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , the first coaster  202   a  includes a first identification code  204   a , a first wireless communication interface (such as radio frequency signal transmitter  206   a  and receiver  208   a ), a first sensor  210   a , and a first audio player  212   a . Correspondingly, the second coaster  202   b  includes a second identification code  204   b , a second wireless communication interface  206   b ,  208   b , a second sensor  210   b , and a second audio player  212   b . The first and second coaster  202   a ,  202   b  each further include a power supply source. For example, each coaster  202   a ,  202   b  may be powered by a small, flat battery situated in a cavity defined therein (not shown). 
     Each coaster has three modes of operation: 1) active mode; 2) standby mode; and 3) off mode. In active mode, power is supplied to the coaster via the battery. The coaster  202   a ,  202   b  is activated by an external stimulus (i.e., manual on/off switch, presence of moisture, temperature change, the weighted pressure of the beverage container or audible external stimuli) (not shown), which signals to the coaster  202   a ,  202   b  to emit a musical tune via the audio player  212   a ,  212   b . It will be appreciated that a manual on/off activation switch could be placed on the side of the coaster body and that a pressure sensitive switch or other activation switches could be readily built into the body of the coaster by one of ordinary skill in the art. In standby mode, the power is supplied to the coaster  202   a ,  202   b  via the battery, but no music is emitted because no signal has been received. In off mode, no power is being supplied thereto and no signal may be received. 
     In the embodiment of  FIG. 2 , when the first coaster  202   a  is activated by an external stimulus, it emits the preprogrammed musical tune via the first audio player  212   a . The second coaster  202   b  is situated in close proximity to the first coaster  202   a  in standby mode. When the first coaster  202   a  emits the musical tune, it simultaneously sends a radio frequency signal  214   a  via the first wireless communication interface  206   a ,  208   a  to the second coaster  202   b . The second coaster  202   b  receives the signal  214   a  via the second wireless communication interface receiver  206   b . The signal  214   a  acts as an external stimulus to activate the second coaster  202   b , thereby causing it to begin to emit its preprogrammed musical tune. The sensor  210   b  of the second coaster  202   b  senses the audible stimuli emitted by the first coaster  202   a  and adjusts the second coaster&#39;s  202   b  tune accordingly so that the first coaster  202   a  and the second coaster  202   b  are in harmony. 
     Alternatively, the first coaster  202   a  and second coaster  202   b  may be configured to participate in an interaction sequence in which: the first coaster wirelessly communicates using the first wireless communication interface, the second coaster wirelessly communicates using the second wireless communication interface, a musical composition is selected based on both the first identification code and the second identification code, and the first coaster and the second coaster cooperatively play the musical composition, with each of the first coaster and the second coaster playing a different part of the musical composition. 
     In another embodiment (not shown), the first coaster has a stored first library of musical segments according to a first musical style, a first wireless communication interface and a first audio player, and a second coaster has a stored second library of musical segments according to a second musical style, a second wireless communication interface and a second audio player. The first coaster and the second coaster are configured to participate in an interaction sequence in which: the first coaster wirelessly communicates using the first wireless communication interface and the second coaster wirelessly communicates using the second wireless communication interface, a musical composition is selected based on the first musical style, the first coaster plays the musical composition, and the second coaster plays accompanying music being based on the second musical style and either or both of (1) the first musical style and (2) the musical composition that the first coaster is playing. 
     In yet another embodiment shown in  FIG. 3 , a set of musically interactive coasters  300  is provided including at least four coasters  302   a - d . In this embodiment, each coaster  302   a - d  is sequentially radio frequency sensitive. That is, when a first coaster  302   a  of a four coaster set  300  begins to output music via its audio player  312   a , the second coaster  302   b  is activated by its sensor  310   b  sensing such music. The second coaster  302   b  then begins to output music, accordingly, via its audio player  312   b . A delay factor may be built or programmed into the sensor  310   b , e.g. the second coaster  302   b  may be set to output music with a 5 second delay. The third coaster  302   c  is then activated by sensing via sensor  310   c  the music emitted by the second coaster  310   b . The third coaster  310   c  then begins to output music via its audio player  312   c , which the fourth coaster  302   d  senses via sensor  310   d , triggering it to output music via its audio player  312   d , resulting in all four coasters  302   a - d  operating with musical output in harmony at the same time. 
     In another embodiment, illustrated in  FIG. 4 , a set of musically interactive coasters  400  is provided including at least four coasters  402   a - d . In this embodiment, when the first coaster  402   a  emits the musical tune, it simultaneously sends a radio frequency signal  414  via the first wireless communication interface transmitter  406   a  to the second coaster  402   b , the third coaster  402   c  and the fourth coaster  402   d . The second, third and fourth coasters  402   b - d  receive the signal  414  via their respective receivers  406   b ,  406   c , and  406   d . The signal  414  acts as an external stimulus to activate the second, third and fourth coasters  402   b - d , thereby causing them to begin to emit their preprogrammed musical tunes. The sensors  410   b - d  of the second, third and fourth coasters  402   b - d  senses the audible stimuli emitted by the first coaster  402   a  and adjusts the second, third and fourth coaster&#39;s  402   b - d  tunes accordingly so that all coasters  402   a - d  in the set  400  are in harmony. 
     The present sets of musically interactive coasters have been described in accordance with the embodiments shown, and one of ordinary skill in the art will readily recognize that there could be variations to the embodiments, and any variations would be within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, many modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.