Hallmark Cards, Inc.

Jennifer R Garbos

Stephanie F Young

Kevin W Swanson

Krista Masilionis

David Galen Saville

Scott A Schimke

Robert E Morley

Nancy Lynn Short

Timothy G Bodendistel

Peter B Friedmann

David Niel Johnson

Anne Horton

Cecilia Jeanne Merkle

Jeanette B Raven

Wesley DeWayne Lindquist

Christopher Jason Shields

Nicholas Pedersen

Gerald Little

Robert E Langley

Rebecca A Hottel

Timothy Roger Staley

Randy D Smith

William L Brown, Jr

David Lewis

Danielle M Caldwell

Mary E Gentry

Tyler James Richmond

Scott Schimke

A card is provided that includes, for example, a fold that defines a first panel and a second panel, where each of those panels includes front and back surfaces. The second panel includes a void. The back surface of the first panel includes an actionable unique identifier such that when the greeting card is folded along the fold lines the actionable unique identifier is visible through the void. The actionable unique identifier is usable to retrieve a digital presentation among other things.

Greeting card with actionable aperture

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. The activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and may not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage can include a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. To activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.

Activatable postage

An automated greeting card conveyance system is disclosed that includes a first conveyor configured to transport pre-decorated greeting cards along a first conveyance path and a second conveyor configured to transport envelopes along a second conveyance path. A control system controls customization of each greeting card and envelope by (a) determining a card identifier of the greeting card, (b) identifying customized content associated with an order for the greeting card having the card identifier, and (c) causing the customized content to be printed on the greeting card and envelope. A coupling system may also be used to automatically insert the greeting card into the envelope. In addition, a sealing system may be used to automatically seal envelope having a pointed envelope flap.

Automated greeting card conveyance system

The technology described herein allows a sender to initiate generation of a digital asset, which may be a video generated by merging videos provided by a group of users. The technology can facilitate the generation and collection of digital assets, such as video, images, and audio recordings from a group of users designed by the sender. The digital may be associated with a tangible object using a unique identifier located on the tangible object. The digital asset may be stored in computer memory on a user-experience server and associated with the unique identifier. When the unique identifier is provided to the user-experience server a second time, the digital asset can be retrieved and output to the computing device that provided the unique identifier. Thus, a user can initiate generation of a digital asset.

Collaborative asset generation and communication

The technology described herein can generate a unique identifier for a visual media that comprises pre-printed visual indications on the visual media and a user's handwritten signature. The location of the signature on the visual media can be determined by including preprinted fiducial marks on the visual media. The fiducial markers act as landmarks that allow the size and location of the signature to be determined in absolute terms. The unique identifier is then stored in computer memory on a user-experience server. The user-experience server can associate the unique identifier with a digital asset, such as an image or video, designated by the user. When the unique identifier is provided to the user-experience server a second time, the digital asset can be retrieved and output to the computing device that provided the unique identifier.

Signature-based unique identifier

The technology described herein allows a sender to initiate generation of a collaborative asset, which may be a video generated by merging videos provided by a group of users. The technology can facilitate the generation and collection of digital assets, such as video, images, and audio recordings from a group of users designed by the sender. The collaborative asset may be associated with a tangible object using a unique identifier located on the tangible object. The collaborative asset may be stored in computer memory on a user-experience server and associated with the unique identifier. When the unique identifier is provided to the user-experience server a second time, the collaborative asset can be retrieved and output to the computing device that provided the unique identifier. Thus, a user can initiate generation of a collaborative asset.

Methods and systems are provided that include receiving an instruction to associate a unique identifier with a digital presentation, where the unique identifier is associated with a tangible object, receiving a first digital asset from a first remote device, determining a first media component to prepend to the first digital asset, determining a second media component to append to the first digital asset (which influences the determination of the first media component or the second media component), incorporating the prepended content, digital asset, and appended content into the digital presentation, and associating the unique identifier with the digital presentation in a data store.

Digital asset generation and communication

A greeting card is provided that includes, for example, two fold lines that define a first panel, a second panel, and a third panel, where each of those panels include front and back surfaces. The second panel includes a void. The back surface of the first panel includes an actionable unique identifier such that when the greeting card is folded along the fold lines the actionable unique identifier is visible through the void. The actionable unique identifier is usable to retrieve a digital presentation.

Aspects of the technology described herein provide an activatable postage. As an initial step, the activatable postage is printed on a media, such as an envelope or sticker. Initially, the activatable postage has no postage value and will not have any value until activated. Each instance of activatable postage comprises a unique identifier encoded in a machine-readable format. Postage value is added to the activatable postage through an activation process. In order to activate an individual instance of activatable postage, the unique identifier encoded in the activatable postage needs to be provided to the activation application. At the end of the activation process, a central database is updated to associate the unique identifier with a postal value calculated during activation. When the Postal Service receives an item with activatable postage it validates the activatable postage and then deactivates the activatable postage by updating the central database.

The technology described herein generates a unique identifier for a visual media that comprises pre-printed visual indications on the visual media and a user's handwritten signature. The location of the signature on the visual media can be determined by including preprinted fiducial marks on the visual media. The fiducial markers act as landmarks that allow the size and location of the signature to be determined in absolute terms. The unique identifier is then stored in computer memory on a user-experience server. The user-experience server can associate the unique identifier with a digital asset, such as an image or video, designated by the user. When the unique identifier is provided to the user-experience server a second time, the digital asset can be retrieved and output to the computing device that provided the unique identifier.

A greeting card and associated techniques for storing audio tracks corresponding to definable touch zones of the greeting card is provided. In one aspect, the greeting card includes a body for securing a photograph thereon. A sensor array can be disposed within the body of the greeting card to detect touch gestures through the secured photograph, among other things. The greeting card can include a microprocessor that enables touch zones to be defined via the sensor array, such that a touch zone can correspond to various objects depicted on the card or a photograph secured thereon. Among other things, the greeting card can include a microphone for recording an audio track corresponding to each generated touch zone, a speaker for playing back an audio track corresponding to a selected touch zone, and a memory for storing touch zones and/or associated audio tracks.

Recordable greeting card with user-definable touch zones

A plush toy having electronics therein for interacting with a user includes a non-rigid electrical component for detecting deformation thereof. The component, also referred to as a hug sensor, has an electrically conductive and compressible material and is movable from a rest, non-compressed position towards a compressed position by way of the application of an external force thereon (e.g., a hug or squeeze). The hug sensor has a resistance there across that is monitored by a microprocessor. Compression of the hug sensor causes changes in the resistance across the hug sensor. Changes in the detected resistance across the hug sensor result in activation of responses (e.g., playing of audio and/or movement). Varying responses may be activated as a result of varying changes in resistance.

Plush toy with non-rigid sensor for detecting deformation

An interactive toy for interacting with a user while a story is being read aloud from a book or played from a movie/video. The toy includes a speech recognition unit that receives and detects certain triggering phrases as they are read aloud or played from a companion literary work. The triggering phrase read aloud from the book or played in the movie/video may have independent significance or may only have significance when combined with other phrases read aloud from the book or played in the movie/video. In one embodiment, the toy is configured to detect only certain types of triggering prompts in certain states, such as, for example, triggering phrases or triggering terms. In this embodiment, and others, the toy is configured to switch between states such that it can at times respond to triggering terms and at other times respond to triggering phrases.

Growing community of inventors

Kansas City, MO, United States of America

Jennifer R Garbos