|Número de publicación||US5604517 A|
|Tipo de publicación||Concesión|
|Número de solicitud||US 08/182,275|
|Fecha de publicación||18 Feb 1997|
|Fecha de presentación||14 Ene 1994|
|Fecha de prioridad||14 Ene 1994|
|También publicado como||CA2138700A1, EP0663658A1|
|Número de publicación||08182275, 182275, US 5604517 A, US 5604517A, US-A-5604517, US5604517 A, US5604517A|
|Inventores||Andrew S. Filo|
|Cesionario original||Binney & Smith Inc.|
|Exportar cita||BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan|
|Citas de patentes (58), Otras citas (14), Citada por (78), Clasificaciones (19), Eventos legales (10)|
|Enlaces externos: USPTO, Cesión de USPTO, Espacenet|
The present invention relates to drawing devices for children, and more particularly, to interactive drawing devices directed for entertainment and development of children.
Various entertainment and developmental devices for children have long been known. For a great number of years, for example, drawing and coloring books have provided countless hours of entertainment for children. It is further recognized by professionals among the various fields studying early childhood education and development, that drawing and coloring provide excellent vehicles for early childhood development.
To more specifically describe the developmental process, at birth, infants are unable to distinguish colors, recognizing only black and white. As they grow, vision develops to distinguish primary colors. That is, children will distinguish red from blue, long before recognizing subtle distinctions such as red from crimson or scarlet. As childrens' sense of vision matures to differentiate between various colors, they have an ever increasing desire for self-expression through coloring. Indeed, young children will tend to select specific colors depending upon the particular mood that they are experiencing at the time. As children further mature, drawing and coloring activities help to develop or enhance fine motor skills, as demonstrated by refining particular shapes through repeated drawings on blank pages, or by learning to color within the borders of preprinted patterns.
It can be appreciated that the more time children spend drawing or coloring, the faster their fine motor skills will develop. While there exists an innate desire among children to engage in drawing and coloring activities, their stamina to sustain any such single activity is generally short term. Encouraging children to repeatedly engage in drawing or coloring activities facilitates the development of their fine motor skills, as well as color identification and recognition ability.
One way of effectively encouraging children to engage in or maintain certain activities is by praising their efforts or otherwise providing positive reinforcement. While adult support and encouragement of childhood developmental activities provides a strong motivation for children to continue or repeat such activities, a more desirable means of encouragement would be a means where constant adult supervision is not required, thereby enabling children to enjoy the sense of satisfaction in coloring or creating a drawing independent of adult direction.
Since the visual stimulation that is innately achieved from drawing or coloring provides effective motivation for children to temporarily engage in these activities, it is recognized that stimulating other sensory perceptions in response to such drawing or coloring activities further encourages children to continue and repeat these activities.
More particularly, it is known that young children naturally respond to various audible stimuli in much the same fashion as visual stimuli. For example, infants make various and repeated "clucking" or other noises with their mouths because of the congenital fascination in discovering the power or ability to create such sounds. As children grow this intrinsic fascination is displayed in other ways, such as drumming on various objects with various utensils to create a wide variety of sounds.
It is, therefore, realized that if this intrinsic auditory fascination can be effectively utilized in connection with a drawing and coloring device, children will be more thoroughly entertained. As a result, children will spend more time coloring or drawing with such a device, not only providing effective entertainment, but also facilitating development of fine motor skills, as well as the ability to identify and recognize various colors.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a drawing device that provides audible stimulation to encourage children to draw or color.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a drawing device that provides audible stimulation to encourage children to recognize and identify different colors.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a drawing device producing audible stimulation to encourage children to draw or color, that can be manufactured at a low cost.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a drawing device producing audible stimulation to encourage children to draw or color, that is readily adaptable to operate in multiple modes so as to provide even further stimulation for entertainment and development.
Additional objects, advantages and other novel features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description that follows and in part will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned with the practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the foregoing and other objects, the present invention is generally directed to an interactive drawing device providing audible stimuli for providing entertainment, as well as encouraging drawing and coloring development. The drawing device includes at least one drawing instrument, such as a crayon, a marker, a colored pencil, or the like. It further includes a drawing instrument detector that generates an output signal which indicates the identity of the drawing instrument selected for use. More particularly, the drawing instrument detector output signal indicates the color of the particular crayon, or other drawing instrument selected.
A pressure sensitive drawing tablet is provided, and is responsive to pressure contact from the drawing instrument to generate an output signal that is indicative of such pressure contact. Receiving the output signals from the drawing instrument detector and the drawing tablet, is a computer that is, itself, adapted to generate an output signal responsive to the combination of the received output signals. Specifically, the computer output signal is adapted to connect directly to an audible device, such as a speaker, whereby the computer output signal drives the speaker to generate various audible output.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, various uniquely identified drawing sheets, which may be preprinted with a wide variety of scenes, are included with the drawing device. The drawing sheets are adapted to directly insert into the device and overlay the drawing tablet. In this embodiment, the computer may be adapted to further vary the audible output of the speaker dependent upon the identity of the particular drawing sheet that is inserted into the drawing device. Furthermore, the audible output may include both speech and melody.
The accompanying drawings incorporated in and forming a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects of the present invention, and together with the description serve to explain the principals of the invention. In the drawings:
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an electronic drawing device having a drawing sheet and auxiliary cartridge shown as exploded therefrom;
FIG. 2 is an exploded view of an electronic drawing device;
FIG. 3a is a cut-away side view of an individual membrane switch or cell of the pressure sensitive drawing tablet, shown in its open position;
FIG. 3b is a cut-away side view of the membrane switch shown in FIG. 3a, showing the switch in its closed position due to force exerted from a drawing instrument;
FIG. 4a is a cut-away, exploded perspective view of an individual crayon holder/detector location;
FIG. 4b is a cut-away side view of an individual crayon holder/detector;
FIG. 4c is a cut-away side view of an individual crayon holder/detector, showing a crayon inserted therein;
FIG. 5a is a cut-away exploded perspective view of the encoder portion for identifying various drawing sheets;
FIG. 5b is a cut-away side view of the encoder of FIG. 5a with no drawing sheet inserted;
FIG. 5c is a cut-away side view of the encoder shown in FIG. 5a showing a drawing sheet inserted, but no registration of the identification hole;
FIG. 5d is a cut-away side view of the encoder shown in FIG. 5a, having a drawing sheet inserted and showing registration or alignment with an identification hole;
FIG. 6 is schematic diagram depicting the electronic circuitry of a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7 is a flow chart depicting the software organization and operation for a preferred embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8 is a flow chart depicting the software organization and operation for an alternative embodiment of the present invention; and
FIG. 9 is a flow chart depicting the software organization and operation for an alternative embodiment of the present invention;
Reference will now be made in detail to various present preferred embodiments of the invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an electronic drawing device is shown and generally designated as reference numeral 20. The drawing device 20 is generally defined by a rectangular-shaped frame 22, which is divided into upper frame portion 23 and lower 24 frame portion. The upper frame portion 23 is configured to provide a window 25 for exposing the drawing surface of a pressure sensitive drawing tablet 30, crayon holders 26, a switch path 27, and sound passages 28. The crayon holders 26 have color-coded chamfered edges 31 to facilitate proper color coordination and crayon placement within each individual crayon holder 26.
Sandwiched between the upper portion 23 and lower portion 24 of the frame is a substrate board 29. The pressure sensitive drawing tablet 30 substantially covers the surface of the substrate board 29 and comprises a matrix of individual membrane switches 32 or cells, which will be described in more detail in connection with FIG. 3, that close or short circuit as a result of pressure applied to the surface of the drawing tablet 30. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, this pressure is applied by a drawing instrument 34 such as a crayon, marker, colored pencil, or the like. Extensions 33 of the substrate board 29 are provided as alignment stops for the individual drawing instruments 34. In connection with these extensions 33, a crayon detector 36 is also provided. Specifically, the crayon detector 36 includes individual resilient fingers 37 which are adapted to detect the presence of individual crayons 34 within their respective holders 26. The operation of the resilient fingers will be discussed in greater detail in connection with FIGS. 4a-4c.
A multi-position slide switch 40 is included to provide greater versatility and user control of various features of the present invention, as will be described in greater detail below. A speaker 42 is also included and is utilized to provide a variety of audible feedback or stimulation to a user, including melody and speech sounds. In one embodiment the speaker 42 is housed within the cartridge 46, while in another embodiment it is mounted within the frame 22 of the drawing device 20.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention an edge connector 44 is located on the edge of the substrate board 29 to facilitate ready attachment of the substrate board 29 with a corresponding connector 45 of an external cartridge 46 (See FIG. 1.). In this way, the present invention is readily adapted to employ a variety of functional embodiments which can be user selected simply by attaching a different cartridge 46. It can be appreciated that in such an embodiment, a circuit board having all necessary electronic components is entirely self contained within the cartridge 46. In yet another embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the electronic drawing device of the present invention could be adapted as a stand alone device. In this embodiment, a circuit board 47 is included for direct connection to the connector 44. Indeed, in this embodiment the connector 44 could be eliminated, whereby the electronic circuitry and components would be contained on the substrate board 29.
In keeping with the present invention, a drawing sheet detector/encoder 49 is also disposed upon the substrate board 29. Individual drawing sheets 50 (as shown in FIG. 1) are uniquely identified by a series of identifier holes 51 disposed along the edge of the drawing sheet 50. That is, identifier holes 51 varying in number and spacing are spaced so as to align with the detector/encoder 49 in a particular fashion that is unique to each individual drawing sheet 50. It should be appreciated, in connection with alternative embodiments of the present invention, that alternative drawing sheet identifying means could be employed with equal success. For example, rather than having identifier holes 51, individual drawing sheets 50 may be magnetically encoded. Similarly, drawing sheets 50 could be identified photoelectronically by utilizing a bar coding indicia or the like on the edge of the drawing sheets 50. Drawing sheets 50 may be further encoded by disposing traces of conductive ink on the drawing sheets 50 such that, when the drawing sheets 50 are in place, the conductive traces align with open-circuit electrical contacts, closing the electrical circuit between the contacts.
Referring to FIG. 1, the drawing sheets 50 are inserted through a receiving slot 52 located along the edge of frame 22, and properly positioned so as to overlay the pressure sensitive drawing tablet 30. In one embodiment, the drawing sheets 50 are fabricated from material, such as paper coated with varnish, that is adapted for repeated use. That is, the drawing sheets 50 in this embodiment are made from material that can be easily erased, thereby allowing the same sheet to be used over and over. In an alternative embodiment, however, noneraseable or disposable drawing sheets are utilized to realize a cost savings over coated drawing sheets 50.
In yet another preferred embodiment, the drawing sheets 50 contain preprinted designs on both sides, achieving a more cost-effective design. In this embodiment, the drawing sheets 50 are correspondingly encoded so that both sides of the sheet 50 are distinguishable by the drawing sheet detector/encoder 49.
In yet a further embodiment, the drawing device 20 is adapted for drawing or coloring directly upon the tablet 30. In this embodiment, the surface of the tablet 30 is adapted for erasure by, for example, a varnish coating. It should be appreciated that, in connection with this embodiment, certain elements of the device 20 can be eliminated for cost-savings purposes. Included within this list of elements is the drawing sheet detector/encoder 49.
As shown in FIG. 2, a separate square is shown in the lower left hand corner of the drawing tablet 30. This separated square represents a unique pressure sensitive theme switch 54 that is provided to enhance the functionality of certain features of the present invention, as will be discussed in more detail below.
Referring now to FIGS. 3a and 3b, an individual pressure sensitive membrane switch 32 is shown in both its open (FIG. 3a) and closed (FIG. 3b) positions. More specifically, in a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the pressure sensitive drawing tablet 30 is formed from a three layer substrate, wherein the individual membrane switches 32 are formed by traces 55 and 58 of conductive ink printed on the lower side of the upper substrate layer 56 and the upper side of the lower substrate layer 57. The conductive traces 55 and 58 are generally insulated from each other by a center substrate layer 59. The center layer 59, however, is punched in various locations so as to provide an air gap between the conductive traces 55 and 58. The substrates, and in particular the upper substrate layer 56, are fabricated from a resilient material that is deformed by pressure contact. As shown in FIG. 3b, when pressure is exerted from a stylus, or drawing instrument 34 at a location where the center layer has been punched, the upper layer 56 deflects into the lower layer 57, thereby electrically connecting the conductive traces 55 and 58 provided on the upper and lower substrates. When pressure from the drawing instrument 34 is removed, the upper substrate layer retracts to its normal position, thereby breaking the electrical contact between the conductive traces 55 and 58.
Referring now collectively to FIGS. 4a-4c, the crayon holder 26 and detector 36 are shown in greater detail. Specifically, the upper frame portion 23 immediately surrounding an individual crayon holder 26 is shown. Each crayon guide 31 is disposed directly above a chute 64 formed with an integral lobe 73. A finger 37 extending from and forming a part of the crayon detector 36 is disposed alongslide the lobe 73. As shown in FIG. 4b, when the crayon 34 has been removed from the crayon holder 26, the lobe 73 is adapted to protrude into the path of a crayon 34 to be inserted. Upon insertion of a crayon 34 into the chute 64 (FIG. 4c), the lobe 73 is forced to deflect away from the path of the inserted crayon 34 and into the finger 37.
A three-layer pressure sensitive membrane 62, of the type described for use with the drawing tablet 30, is disposed upon the surface of each finger 37. A cell or switch 63, of the same type as shown and described in FIGS. 3a and 3b, is provided upon finger 37 at the location adapted to receive pressure contact with the lobe 73, upon insertion of a crayon 34. It should be appreciated that the pressure contact formed at this location upon insertion of a crayon 34 is sufficient to close the switch 63. In this way (e.g., detecting whether switch 63 is open or closed), the present invention can determine whether a crayon 34 is inserted or withdrawn from the holder formed by crayon guides 26.
Consistent with the concepts and teachings of the present invention, it should be appreciated that alternative means of detecting the presence of a crayon 34 within the holder 26 can be employed with equal success. For example, a simple photoelectric emitter-detector pair could be disposed across the path of an inserted crayon for detecting crayon presence within the holder. Furthermore, more elaborate embodiments could include means, such as color sensors, for detecting the color of crayons 34 inserted in each holder 26, whereby no particular crayon placement need by made.
Referring now to FIGS. 5a-5d, a detailed view of the drawing sheet detector/encoder 49 is shown. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a mechanical detector/encoder 49 is provided and comprises primarily four-spring loaded arms 64 (only one shown in FIGS. 5a-5d). Each spring-loaded arm 64 includes two lobes: a contact lobe 65 and a sheet detector lobe 66. Normally the sheet detector lobe 66 of the encoder arm 64 extends into a reader pit 67 (see FIG. 5b). In this position, contact lobe 65 is in contact with a membrane switch 68 of a type previously described. The spring load on the encoder arm 64 is sufficient to cause enough force at the contact lobe 65 to deflect the membrane, so as to electrically close the membrane switch.
As shown in FIG. 5c, when a drawing sheet 50 is inserted into the drawing device 20 the identifier holes 51 are disposed so as to align with the reader pits 67. In the particular example as illustrated in FIG. 5a, where the drawing sheet 50 has only two identifier holes 51, it should be appreciated that these holes will align with only two of the reader pits 67. FIG. 5c illustrates the displacement of the encoder arm 64 at reader locations where alignment does not occur. Specifically, as the drawing sheet 50 is slid into position, sheet detector lobe 66 is elevated from the reader pit 67 and is forced to ride along the surface of the drawing sheet 50. Accordingly, contact lobe 65 disengages from its pressure contact with the membrane switch 68 so as to open or break the electrical connection formed thereby. Where, however, as shown in FIG. 5d, an identifier hole 51 aligns with a reader pit 67, the contact lobe 65 of the encoder arm 64 again contacts and depresses the membrane switch 68 so as to close the electrical connection of that particular switch.
It should be appreciated that, in the preferred embodiment disclosed in FIGS. 5a-5d and described above, by using four individual encoder arms 64, there are sixteen unique binary codes that can be established by the various open or closed positions of the four encoder arms 64. It is assumed, however, that when all encoder arms 64 are in their closed position that no drawing sheet 50 has been inserted into the drawing device 20. It is likewise assumed that, when all encoder arms 64 are in their open position, a drawing sheet 50 has been improperly inserted or that an invalid drawing sheet 50 has been inserted into the drawing device 20. Accordingly, there remain fourteen valid binary codes for identifying various unique drawing sheets 50. It should be further appreciated, however, that this number can be greatly increased by the addition of further encoder arms 64 in connection with the necessary support structure for their operation.
FIG. 6 shows a schematic diagram of the circuitry of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. The various switches discussed earlier are represented schematically in FIG. 6. In particular, the membrane switches that comprise the drawing sheet detector/encoder 49 are enclosed in dashed lines in FIG. 6 and appropriately designated as reference numeral 49. Similarly the theme switch 54, drawing tablet membrane switches 32, crayon detector switches 36, and slide switch 40 are also shown. Dashed lines 46 represent the cartridge (discussed in connection with FIG. 1) in connection with a particular preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Additional dashed lines 38 and 35 are shown in connection with crayon detector switches 36 and drawing tablet membrane switches 32. These dashed lines are intended to illustrate that not all of the membrane switches have been shown in the figure. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there are eight crayon detector switches, whereas only four are shown in FIG. 6. Also, in the preferred embodiment, there are 225 drawing tablet membrane switches 32 comprising the switch matrix previously described, whereas only four are illustrated in FIG. 6.
As will be illustrated by particular reference to the switch grouping for the drawing sheet encoder/detector 49, each switch grouping has a common signal line (reference numeral 70 for the encoder/detector 49 switch grouping), electrically connecting each individual switch of that grouping to ground. The opposing or remaining switch contacts are electrically connected to a bus 71 that is accessible by a microprocessor 72. Although not shown in the figures, a pullup resistor is attached to each, non-common, switch signal line. Accordingly, when any given switch is in its open state, the associated non-common signal line will be in a "high" or logic 1 state. Conversely, when a given switch is in its closed state, the associated non-common signal line will be in a "grounded" or logic 0 state.
Also not shown in the figures, but as will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, latches or other buffer devices are provided between the bus 71 and microprocessor 72, whereby the state of the non-common signal lines can be read by the microprocessor 72 by addressing the particular latch associated with those lines. For example, the eight signal lines associated with the crayon detector switches 36 can be fed into a single latch which, in turn, can be accessed by the microprocessor 72 as a single byte of data. By examining the binary value of this data byte, the particular open-closed switch configuration for the crayon detector switches 36 can be determined. Furthermore, detection of a given switch transitioning from a closed to open state, indicates that a crayon has been withdrawn from that particular holder 26.
As will become clear from the discussion below, the switches form the input data for the microprocessor 72. The software that governs the operation of the microprocessor is responsive to particular switch configurations as well as various switch transitions.
In keeping with the invention, the microprocessor 72 is also in communication with a Read-Only Memory (ROM) 74 and a Digital to Analog Convertor (DAC) 76, the three devices collectively comprising an electronic computer 75. Sound data, including both speech and melody, is preprogrammed into the ROM 74. This data can be directed by the microprocessor 72 in a controlled fashion for output from the ROM 74 to the DAC 76, where it is converted into analog form and output to a speaker 42.
More particularly, various speech phrases and melodies may be audibly input into a microphone, the output signal of which may then be sampled, digitized, and stored in the ROM 74. By knowing, for example, where a particular phrase is addressed within the ROM 74 and further knowing how many bytes comprise that particular phrase, the microprocessor 72 can access that phrase and transmit it to the DAC 76 for output to the speaker 42.
In another preferred embodiment of the present invention, specialized support chips are used to create the speech and melody effects, rather than the preprogrammed ROM 74 described above. In one embodiment of the present invention, the electronic support circuitry comprises two specialized support chips: a voice synthesis chip and a melody chip. The particular support chips selected for use in this embodiment are manufactured by Vitelic Ltd., and can be specifically referenced by their part numbers MSS2801 (voice synthesis chip) and VM2188 (melody chip). The manufacturer's data sheets on these particular components can be referenced for a more complete and particular description of their operation, sufficient to enable one of ordinary skill in the art to configure them in a manner to effectuate the concepts and teachings of the present invention as disclosed herein.
In keeping with the present invention as disclosed in FIG. 6, the drawing template membrane switches 32 are electrically connected in parallel, wherein the switch grouping has two signal lines: a grounded or common line 77, and an active signal line 78. As previously described, pressure exerted from a drawing instrument 34 upon the drawing tablet 30 at a location coincident with a tablet membrane switch 32 will close that particular switch, causing the active signal line 78 to transition from its high to low state. It should be understood that as a user draws or colors upon a drawing sheet 50, the user will be moving the drawing instrument 34 across the tablet 30 so as to intermittently coincide with tablet membrane switch 32 locations. As a result, the various tablet membrane switches 32 will open and close in response thereto, causing the active signal line 78 to repeatedly transition between high and low states. The frequency of these state transitions on signal line 78 is proportional to the speed or rate at which the user is drawing or coloring.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention is adapted to output different, preprogrammed melodies to the speaker 42, based upon the particular binary coding present at the drawing sheet detector 49. That is, the particular melody will be dependant upon the identity of the particular drawing sheet 50 inserted into the drawing device 20. In this embodiment, the particular preprogrammed melody begins to play at a predetermined tempo as soon as one of the tablet switches 32 closes. Furthermore, the computer 75 continues to monitor the high-low and low-high transitions occurring on the active signal line 78 from the tablet switches. As the frequency of these high-low and low-high transitions increases, the computer 75 causes the tempo of the melody to increase proportionally therewith.
Having described the low-level operation of the circuitry of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference will now be made to FIG. 7 which depicts the top-level operation of a preferred embodiment of the present invention. As is evident from the flow chart, the drawing sheet detector 49 is monitored and no action is taken unless a valid drawing sheet 50 has been inserted into the drawing device 20. Once a valid drawing sheet 50 has been inserted, then the action of the drawing device 20 depends upon whether the theme switch 54 is depressed or whether a crayon is used to draw on the tablet 30. If the theme switch 54 is depressed, a particular phrase is recited corresponding to the particular drawing sheet 50 that is inserted.
For example, a particular drawing sheet 50 may include the picture of sheep or lamb. Upon depression of the theme switch 54 in connection with the insertion of that particular drawing sheet, the present invention recites the nursery rhyme to "Mary Had A Little Lamb". A different drawing sheet may, similarly, depict a farm scene whereby depression of the theme switch 54 triggers the present invention to recite the lyrics to "The Farmer In The Dell".
If, instead of depressing the theme switch 54, a user were to select a crayon 34 for coloring upon the drawing surface, then the present invention plays the preprogrammed melody associated with the particular inserted drawing sheet 50. As in the example given above, if the drawing sheet contained a picture of a lamb, the device plays the melody associated with "Mary Had A Little Lamb", as the user colors upon the drawing sheet. Moreover, in connection with another aspect of the present invention, as the user varies the coloring speed, the tempo of the melody varies in proportion thereto.
Referring now to FIG. 8, an alternative embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, the drawing sheet detector 49 is not monitored, so the identity of the particular drawing sheet 50 is irrelevant. Instead, this embodiment is directed toward developing or enhancing color identification or recognition. This objective is achieved by associating certain predetermined sounds with the various crayons, so that each individual crayon 34 has a unique sound associated with it. For example, the red crayon may be associated with the sound of a horn, while the blue crayon may be associated with the sound of a whistle.
In this embodiment, the computer 75 monitors the crayon detector 36 and slide switch 40. The slide switch 40 is adapted to selectably alter the predetermined sounds associated with the individual crayons. Indeed, in one embodiment there are three sets of predetermined sounds associated with the crayons. In one instance, as described above, the red and blue crayons may be associated with the sounds of a horn and whistle, respectively, when the switch 40 is in a first position. When the slide switch 40 is in a second position, these sounds may, for example, change to bell and a siren, or a bark and a meow, etc. Thus, the particular position of the slide switch 40 determines the set of predetermined sounds that are associated with the individual crayons.
In continuing with the description of FIG. 8, if the computer 75 detects that a crayon 34 has been withdrawn from the holder 26, then it causes the speaker 42 to recite the color of the crayon by, for example, stating "You picked the red crayon." The computer 75 then monitors the drawing tablet 30, and more specifically, the tablet switches 32. Upon detecting closure of any of these switches, and thus writing pressure upon the tablet 30, the computer 75 causes the speaker 42 to play the sound associated with the particular crayon selected in combination with the position of the slide switch 40.
Referring now to FIG. 9, yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown. This embodiment effectively combines the features of the embodiments discussed in connections with FIGS. 7 and 8. More specifically, it retains the features of the function or slide switch 40, while coupling the predetermined sound "sets" with preprinted graphics on the drawing sheets 50. For example, one drawing sheet may contain pictures of various animals. The sounds, then, associated with the various crayons when that particular drawing sheet is inserted are different animal sounds, such as barking, mooing, tweeting, etc. Moreover, as the function or slide switch 40 is switched to a different position, different animal sounds become associated with the different crayons.
As another example, suppose the drawing sheet 50 contains a picture of cars and buildings in a heavily urbanized area. The sounds associated with the various crayons when this particular drawing sheet is inserted may be car horns, engines, whistles, or other similar noises associated with such a scenic backdrop. Furthermore, the various sounds may be selectively changed by movement of the slide switch 40.
In connection with the description relating to both FIGS. 8 and 9, another preferred embodiment utilizes a slide switch 40 having an additional position; for example, a four-position, rather than three-position (as shown in FIG. 6), slide switch 40. In this embodiment, no sound is output when a crayon 34 is withdrawn from a holder 26. Rather, an individual switch position is provided to instruct the device to recite the crayon color, only as pressure contact is exerted from the crayon 34 upon the tablet 30. The remaining switch positions function in the way previously described. Furthermore, since the embodiments described in relation to FIGS. 8 and 9 are concerned only with pressure contact made with the drawing tablet 30, and not the rate of movement of the drawing instrument 34 across the tablet 30, the drawing tablet 30 may be configured to have only a single switch, rather than an entire matrix of switches. In this way, pressure contact exerted by the drawing instrument 34 on any portion of the drawing tablet 30 closes the single switch.
It can be appreciated that a user may select between the different operating embodiments discussed in FIGS. 7-9, or other embodiments consistent with the teachings of the present invention, by simply interchanging different cartridges 46 into the device 20. Moreover, by providing a wide variety of differing scenes upon different drawing sheets, as well as providing different interactive modes of operation for creating a wide variety of sound effects, the present invention effectively fosters a child's fascination or interest in coloring and drawing.
The foregoing description of various preferred embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Obvious modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The embodiments discussed were chosen and described to provide the best illustration of the principles of the invention and its practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the invention in various embodiments and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. All such modifications and variations are within the scope of the invention as determined by the appended claims when interpreted in accordance with the breadth to which they are fairly, legally, and equitably entitled.
|Patente citada||Fecha de presentación||Fecha de publicación||Solicitante||Título|
|US3382588 *||11 Ene 1965||14 May 1968||Educational Testing Service||Response expression apparatus for teaching machines|
|US3757322 *||3 Feb 1971||4 Sep 1973||Hall Barkan Instr Inc||Transparent touch controlled interface with interreactively related display|
|US4044642 *||29 Oct 1974||30 Ago 1977||Arp Instruments, Inc.||Touch sensitive polyphonic musical instrument|
|US4287568 *||6 Ago 1979||1 Sep 1981||Lester Robert W||Solid state music player using signals from a bubble-memory storage device|
|US4288537 *||14 Ene 1980||8 Sep 1981||Mattel, Inc.||Electronic game|
|US4425099 *||13 Oct 1981||10 Ene 1984||Texas Instruments Incorporated||Educational aid for use with workbook|
|US4451985 *||8 Abr 1981||5 Jun 1984||Pullman Burke Cole||Drawing apparatus|
|US4464118 *||19 Jun 1980||7 Ago 1984||Texas Instruments Incorporated||Didactic device to improve penmanship and drawing skills|
|US4470334 *||29 Sep 1982||11 Sep 1984||Gordon Barlow Design||Musical instrument|
|US4525148 *||31 Ene 1983||25 Jun 1985||Narayanan Sarukkai R||Multi-modal educational and entertainment system|
|US4526078 *||23 Sep 1982||2 Jul 1985||Joel Chadabe||Interactive music composition and performance system|
|US4557694 *||1 Sep 1983||10 Dic 1985||Nelson Roy A||Teaching device and method of using same|
|US4593904 *||19 Mar 1984||10 Jun 1986||Syntech International, Inc.||Player interactive video gaming device|
|US4604065 *||23 Ene 1985||5 Ago 1986||Price/Stern/Sloan Publishers, Inc.||Teaching or amusement apparatus|
|US4614144 *||21 Sep 1984||30 Sep 1986||Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd.||Music card system|
|US4631525 *||11 Abr 1983||23 Dic 1986||Sony Corporation||Digital fader or like device|
|US4639720 *||12 Ene 1981||27 Ene 1987||Harris Corporation||Electronic sketch pad|
|US4651611 *||13 Nov 1984||24 Mar 1987||Matthew Hohner||Touch dynamics signal generator for electronic musical instruments|
|US4664634 *||20 Sep 1985||12 May 1987||Stanley Cutler||Electric self-teaching apparatus utilizing printed and auditory means|
|US4669984 *||7 Feb 1986||2 Jun 1987||California R & D Center||Light dot matrix game assembly|
|US4673357 *||17 Oct 1984||16 Jun 1987||Sony Corporation||Teaching machine|
|US4681548 *||5 Feb 1986||21 Jul 1987||Lemelson Jerome H||Audio visual apparatus and method|
|US4686332 *||26 Jun 1986||11 Ago 1987||International Business Machines Corporation||Combined finger touch and stylus detection system for use on the viewing surface of a visual display device|
|US4690025 *||30 Ago 1985||1 Sep 1987||Quantime, Inc.||Musical entertainment board game|
|US4703573 *||4 Feb 1985||3 Nov 1987||Montgomery John W||Visual and audible activated work and method of forming same|
|US4729564 *||7 Feb 1986||8 Mar 1988||Marvin Glass & Associates||Card reading responsive electronic game|
|US4740161 *||25 Jun 1985||26 Abr 1988||Didier Schwartz||Educational toy for stimulating writing|
|US4931019 *||1 Sep 1988||5 Jun 1990||Pennwalt Corporation||Electrostatic image display apparatus|
|US4968255 *||19 Jul 1988||6 Nov 1990||Video Technology Industries, Inc.||Electronic instructional apparatus|
|US4979423 *||3 Feb 1989||25 Dic 1990||Yamaha Corporation||Touch response device for electronic musical instrument|
|US4980919 *||17 Feb 1987||25 Dic 1990||Tsai Yu Ching||Message card type of language practising set for children|
|US4990092 *||14 Ago 1989||5 Feb 1991||Tonka Corporation||Talking book|
|US4998457 *||22 Dic 1988||12 Mar 1991||Yamaha Corporation||Handheld musical tone controller|
|US5055053 *||13 Sep 1989||8 Oct 1991||Greg Hyman||Computer toy|
|US5070755 *||14 Mar 1990||10 Dic 1991||Carroll Bobby L||Magnetically mounted musical display assembly|
|US5087043 *||9 Feb 1990||11 Feb 1992||Sight And Sound Inc.||Interactive audio-visual puzzle|
|US5095798 *||8 Ene 1990||17 Mar 1992||Nintendo Co. Ltd.||Electronic gaming device with pseudo-stereophonic sound generating capabilities|
|US5122787 *||16 Ene 1990||16 Jun 1992||Seikosha Co., Ltd.||Ferroelectric liquid crystal touch panel|
|US5131311 *||1 Mar 1991||21 Jul 1992||Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha||Music reproducing method and apparatus which mixes voice input from a microphone and music data|
|US5159140 *||9 Ago 1990||27 Oct 1992||Yamaha Corporation||Acoustic control apparatus for controlling musical tones based upon visual images|
|US5178067 *||16 May 1991||12 Ene 1993||Collier Harry B||Special effects rubber stamp|
|US5188533 *||5 Sep 1991||23 Feb 1993||Wood Michael C||Speech synthesizing indicia for interactive learning|
|US5208413 *||5 Dic 1991||4 May 1993||Ricos Co., Ltd.||Vocal display device|
|US5209665 *||12 Oct 1989||11 May 1993||Sight & Sound Incorporated||Interactive audio visual work|
|US5217378 *||30 Sep 1992||8 Jun 1993||Donovan Karen R||Painting kit for the visually impaired|
|US5243123 *||19 Sep 1991||7 Sep 1993||Brother Kogyo Kabushiki Kaisha||Music reproducing device capable of reproducing instrumental sound and vocal sound|
|US5247129 *||8 Jun 1992||21 Sep 1993||Yamaha Corporation||Stringless piano-touch electric sound producer for directly driving a sound board on the basis of key actions|
|US5261038 *||20 Sep 1991||9 Nov 1993||Hewlett-Packard Company||Pen qualification and verification in a graphics plotter|
|US5274191 *||9 Jul 1992||28 Dic 1993||Yamaha Corporation||Electronic musical instrument using fuzzy interference for controlling musical tone parameters|
|US5330380 *||15 Mar 1993||19 Jul 1994||Link Group International||Audible message/information delivery system|
|EP0414565A2 *||24 Ago 1990||27 Feb 1991||Sony Corporation||Portable graphic computer apparatus|
|EP0414566A2 *||24 Ago 1990||27 Feb 1991||Sony Corporation||Portable graphic computer apparatus|
|EP0455147A1 *||25 Abr 1991||6 Nov 1991||Sony Corporation||Coordinate information input apparatus|
|JPH0355295A *||Título no disponible|
|JPH0414084A *||Título no disponible|
|JPH0419567A *||Título no disponible|
|JPH0689138A *||Título no disponible|
|JPS61211098A *||Título no disponible|
|1||"Do Re Mi" or Pinocchio device by Agatsuma K. K. including photocopies of box and 8 photographs of the exterior and interior of device. Also photocopies of the front and back of the box along with English language translations are provided. Product is know to have been publicly available in Japan at least as early as Dec. 1993.|
|2||*||Do Re Mi or Pinocchio device by Agatsuma K. K. including photocopies of box and 8 photographs of the exterior and interior of device. Also photocopies of the front and back of the box along with English language translations are provided. Product is know to have been publicly available in Japan at least as early as Dec. 1993.|
|3||Photocopies of box indicating a copyright date of 1989 by Texas Instruments, Inc., an instruction manual indicating copyright dates of 1984, 1986 and 1989 by Texas Istruments, and ten photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and the box marketed under the name of "Touch and Tell" by Texas Instrruments.|
|4||*||Photocopies of box indicating a copyright date of 1989 by Texas Instruments, Inc., an instruction manual indicating copyright dates of 1984, 1986 and 1989 by Texas Istruments, and ten photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and the box marketed under the name of Touch and Tell by Texas Instrruments.|
|5||Photocopies of the front and back (including instructions) and four photographs of the exterior and interior of the device marketed under the name of "Golden Seek `n` Sound"™. A copyright date of 1993 by Western Publishing Company is noted on the device.|
|6||*||Photocopies of the front and back (including instructions) and four photographs of the exterior and interior of the device marketed under the name of Golden Seek n Sound . A copyright date of 1993 by Western Publishing Company is noted on the device.|
|7||Photocopy and four photographs of device marketed under the name of "Mukku," and having a copyright date noted on the device of 1993 by Bandai.|
|8||*||Photocopy and four photographs of device marketed under the name of Mukku, and having a copyright date noted on the device of 1993 by Bandai.|
|9||Photocopy of operating instructions and six photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and the box marketed under the name of "Electronic Sketch Pad" by Sony Corporation. No copyright dates were noted either on the box, the device, or the instruction manual, but the device is known by applicant to have been marketed at least as early as Dec., 1993.|
|10||*||Photocopy of operating instructions and six photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and the box marketed under the name of Electronic Sketch Pad by Sony Corporation. No copyright dates were noted either on the box, the device, or the instruction manual, but the device is known by applicant to have been marketed at least as early as Dec., 1993.|
|11||Photocopy of the box and seven photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and box marketed under the name of "Talking Colorforms" by Sesame Street. A copyright date of 1993 by Children's Television Workshop is noted on the outside of the box.|
|12||*||Photocopy of the box and seven photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and box marketed under the name of Talking Colorforms by Sesame Street. A copyright date of 1993 by Children s Television Workshop is noted on the outside of the box.|
|13||*||Photocopy of User s manual and six photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and the box marketed under the name of Video Painter and manufactured by V Tech and having a copyright notice on the box dated 1991.|
|14||Photocopy of User's manual and six photographs of the exterior and interior of the device and the box marketed under the name of "Video Painter"™ and manufactured by V-Tech™ and having a copyright notice on the box dated 1991.|
|Patente citante||Fecha de presentación||Fecha de publicación||Solicitante||Título|
|US5724064 *||27 Dic 1995||3 Mar 1998||Xerox Corporation||Computing system with an interactive display|
|US5959615 *||10 Jul 1997||28 Sep 1999||Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha||Information processing device|
|US6005545 *||14 Dic 1995||21 Dic 1999||Sega Enterprise, Ltd.||Image processing method and electronic device|
|US6416326||27 Mar 1998||9 Jul 2002||Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.||Method for turning pages of a multi-purpose learning system|
|US6462733 *||10 May 1996||8 Oct 2002||Wacom Co., Ltd.||Digitizer, assisting apparatus for digitizer, and digitizer system|
|US6512512||31 Jul 1999||28 Ene 2003||Litton Systems, Inc.||Touch panel with improved optical performance|
|US6517355||15 May 2001||11 Feb 2003||Hasbro, Inc.||Magnetically responsive writing device with automated output|
|US6585554 *||11 Feb 2000||1 Jul 2003||Mattel, Inc.||Musical drawing assembly|
|US6608618 *||20 Jun 2001||19 Ago 2003||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|US6641401||20 Jun 2001||4 Nov 2003||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus with templates|
|US6664950||17 Nov 1999||16 Dic 2003||L-3 Communications||Resistive touch panel using removable, tensioned top layer|
|US6677934||30 Jul 1999||13 Ene 2004||L-3 Communications||Infrared touch panel with improved sunlight rejection|
|US6763995||25 Abr 2000||20 Jul 2004||Pil, L.L.C.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US6836267 *||6 Dic 1999||28 Dic 2004||Fujitsu Takamisawa Component Limited||Coordinate input device and a processor readable medium|
|US6985139 *||5 Ene 2004||10 Ene 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|US7071927||12 Ago 2003||4 Jul 2006||L-3 Communications Corporation||Resistive touch panel using removable, tensioned top layer|
|US7083420||9 Feb 2004||1 Ago 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive handheld apparatus with stylus|
|US7106309 *||16 May 2003||12 Sep 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|US7111774||16 Oct 2002||26 Sep 2006||Pil, L.L.C.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US7120385||6 Feb 2003||10 Oct 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Write on interactive apparatus and method|
|US7167675||15 Oct 2004||23 Ene 2007||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Magnetic switch and apparatus including magnetic switch|
|US7201317||24 Mar 2004||10 Abr 2007||Pil, L.L.C.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US7249950||7 Oct 2004||31 Jul 2007||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Display apparatus for teaching writing|
|US7290700||28 Abr 2006||6 Nov 2007||Pil, L.L.C.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US7365894||4 Oct 2004||29 Abr 2008||Reveo, Inc.||Electrode structure including transparent electrode structure, and applications thereof|
|US7453447 *||12 Ene 2005||18 Nov 2008||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus with recording and playback capability usable with encoded writing medium|
|US7529519||9 Feb 2004||5 May 2009||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive handheld educational apparatus with stylus|
|US7540406||5 Nov 2007||2 Jun 2009||Publications International, Ltd.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US7553160||30 Jun 2009||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive hand held apparatus with stylus|
|US7831933||9 Nov 2010||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Method and system for implementing a user interface for a device employing written graphical elements|
|US7853193||1 Nov 2005||14 Dic 2010||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Method and device for audibly instructing a user to interact with a function|
|US7916124 *||3 May 2006||29 Mar 2011||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|US7922099||30 Dic 2005||12 Abr 2011||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||System and method for associating content with an image bearing surface|
|US8025504||31 Jul 2007||27 Sep 2011||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Display apparatus for teaching writing|
|US8025505||23 Dic 2008||27 Sep 2011||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive hand held apparatus with stylus|
|US8187051||26 Oct 2007||29 May 2012||Mattel, Inc.||Digital arts and crafts computer peripheral toy device|
|US8201826 *||19 Jun 2012||Johnson Haywood E||Game with stylus having differently shaped ends and housing having corresponding holes|
|US8261967||19 Jul 2006||11 Sep 2012||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Techniques for interactively coupling electronic content with printed media|
|US8952887||27 Feb 2009||10 Feb 2015||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive references to related application|
|US20030006971 *||27 Ago 2002||9 Ene 2003||Blanchard Randall D.||Touch panel with improved optical performance|
|US20030006972 *||27 Ago 2002||9 Ene 2003||Blanchard Randall D.||Touch panel with improved optical performance|
|US20030095078 *||7 Oct 2002||22 May 2003||Jacobs Warren Leigh||Drawing aid assembly|
|US20030116620 *||16 Oct 2002||26 Jun 2003||Jin Song||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US20030162151 *||17 Ene 2003||28 Ago 2003||Natasha Berling||Display responsive learning apparatus and method for children|
|US20030162162 *||6 Feb 2003||28 Ago 2003||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Write on interactive apparatus and method|
|US20030218604 *||16 May 2003||27 Nov 2003||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|US20040016809 *||4 Dic 2002||29 Ene 2004||Song Jin K.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US20040046749 *||8 Sep 2003||11 Mar 2004||Nikon Corporation||Image recording and replay apparatus|
|US20040074033 *||22 Oct 2002||22 Abr 2004||Rochelle Steinberg||Personal hygiene accessory|
|US20040095332 *||12 Ago 2003||20 May 2004||Blanchard Randall D.||Resistive touch panel using removable, tensioned top layer|
|US20040140966 *||5 Ene 2004||22 Jul 2004||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|US20040178256 *||24 Mar 2004||16 Sep 2004||Pil, L.L.C.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US20040180310 *||12 Mar 2003||16 Sep 2004||Lee Ze Wen||Interactive marker kit|
|US20040224775 *||9 Feb 2004||11 Nov 2004||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive handheld apparatus with stylus|
|US20050140665 *||4 Oct 2004||30 Jun 2005||Faris Sadeg M.||Electrode structure including transparent electrode structure, and applications thereof|
|US20050266386 *||27 May 2005||1 Dic 2005||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Print media apparatus including stroke recognition|
|US20060033725 *||3 Jun 2004||16 Feb 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||User created interactive interface|
|US20060067576 *||12 Ene 2005||30 Mar 2006||James Marggraff||Providing a user interface having interactive elements on a writable surface|
|US20060067577 *||12 Ene 2005||30 Mar 2006||James Marggraff||Method and system for implementing a user interface for a device employing written graphical elements|
|US20060077184 *||12 Ene 2005||13 Abr 2006||James Marggraff||Methods and devices for retrieving and using information stored as a pattern on a surface|
|US20060080608 *||12 Ene 2005||13 Abr 2006||James Marggraff||Interactive apparatus with recording and playback capability usable with encoded writing medium|
|US20060082429 *||15 Oct 2004||20 Abr 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Magnetic switch and apparatus including magnetic switch|
|US20060127872 *||1 Nov 2005||15 Jun 2006||James Marggraff||Method and device for associating a user writing with a user-writable element|
|US20060166592 *||26 Ene 2006||27 Jul 2006||Nielsen Paul S||Electronic drawing toy|
|US20060188861 *||13 Abr 2006||24 Ago 2006||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive hand held apparatus with stylus|
|US20060191992 *||28 Abr 2006||31 Ago 2006||Publications International, Ltd.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US20060292543 *||29 Ago 2006||28 Dic 2006||James Marggraff||Scanning apparatus|
|US20070215508 *||7 Dic 2006||20 Sep 2007||Lee Ye W||Interactive marker kit|
|US20080048991 *||31 Jul 2007||28 Feb 2008||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Display apparatus for teaching writing|
|US20080067231 *||5 Nov 2007||20 Mar 2008||Publications International, Ltd.||Method and system for illustrating sound and text|
|US20090055008 *||4 Nov 2008||26 Feb 2009||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus with recording and playback capability usable with encoded writing medium|
|US20090084014 *||1 Oct 2007||2 Abr 2009||Sloan Dale A||Personalized Photo Costuming Toy|
|US20090179873 *||16 Jul 2009||Wood Michael C||Interactive hand held apparatus with stylus|
|US20120077165 *||29 Mar 2012||Joanne Liang||Interactive learning method with drawing|
|WO2003001475A1 *||17 Jun 2002||3 Ene 2003||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Interactive apparatus using print media|
|WO2003067553A1 *||6 Feb 2003||14 Ago 2003||Leapfrog Enterprises, Inc.||Write on interactive apparatus and method|
|WO2004072818A2 *||10 Feb 2004||26 Ago 2004||Leapfrog Enterprises Inc.||Interactive handheld apparatus with stylus|
|WO2004072818A3 *||10 Feb 2004||27 Ene 2005||Leapfrog Entpr Inc||Interactive handheld apparatus with stylus|
|Clasificación de EE.UU.||345/173, 434/165, 434/163|
|Clasificación internacional||A63F3/00, G06F3/048, G09B11/10, G09B5/06, A63F9/06, G06F3/033, A63F9/24|
|Clasificación cooperativa||A63F3/00097, G09B11/10, G09B5/062, A63F9/0641, G06F3/0488, A63F2009/2476|
|Clasificación europea||G06F3/0488, G09B5/06B, G09B11/10|
|2 Sep 1994||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: BINNEY & SMITH INC., PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:FILO, ANDREW S.;REEL/FRAME:007119/0001
Effective date: 19940829
|3 Nov 1994||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: OPTUM CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 7119, FRAME 001;ASSIGNOR:FILO, ANDREW S.;REEL/FRAME:007188/0377
Effective date: 19940829
|30 Dic 1994||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: BINNEY & SMITH INC., PENNSYLVANIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:OPTUM CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:007280/0352
Effective date: 19940829
|12 Sep 2000||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|5 Feb 2001||FPAY||Fee payment|
Year of fee payment: 4
|5 Feb 2001||AS||Assignment|
Owner name: OPTUM CORPORATION, CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:BINNEY & SMITH INC., A DELAWARE CORPORATION;REEL/FRAME:011506/0309
Effective date: 20001013
|5 Feb 2001||SULP||Surcharge for late payment|
|8 Sep 2004||REMI||Maintenance fee reminder mailed|
|18 Feb 2005||LAPS||Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees|
|12 Abr 2005||FP||Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee|
Effective date: 20050218