Apparatus for combining audio and visual indicia

Apparatus for combining audio and visual indicia comprising;

• a plurality of leaves, each leaf comprising a folded sheet forming pages of visual material on opposing sides thereof;
• each leaf comprising a modular substrate sheet folded to form the pages and including an integral electrical circuit comprising a printed circuit formed on the front side of said modular substrate sheets of flexible conductive ink and having electrical connections between said pages, the circuit having at least one electrically actuable element coupled to a connector portion and disposed in association with a portion of the visual material;
• a common electronic circuit for selectively generating predetermined sequences of signals:
• conductive paths electrically connecting the common electronic circuit to the respective electrically actuable elements integral to the leaves, such that electrically actuable elements integral to the leaves are actuated in accordance with the signals generated by the common electronic circuit to selectively emphasize the particular portions of the visual material associated with the electrically actuable elements integral to the leaves;
• wherein said conductive paths comprise an interconnect sheet folded into a plurality of flaps having at least one flexible conductor printed thereon for receiving said plurality of leaves, each leaf being sandwiched between corresponding interconnect sheet flaps, wherein said conductive paths between said pages are coupled to corresponding conductors on said interconnect sheet.

Apparatus for combining audio and visual indicia comprising:

• a plurality of leaves, at least one of which is formed of a sheet folded to form a pair of adjacent segments and include a printed circuit, the inside folds of which are bound to other leaves, while the outside edges constitute the outer edges of pages;
• said printed circuit comprising at least one flexible conductor on one side of said sheet and extending across said fold;
• printed information provided on said leaves for communicating visual information to a user;
• a sound generator circuit containing audio signal information corresponding to said printed information;
• an audio output device responsive to a drive signal from said sound generator;
• an address generator responsive to control signals applied thereto, for providing address signals to said sound generator to effect generation of predetermined sounds corresponding to said address signals;
• and
• at least one switch disposed on a leaf and associated with at least a portion of the printed information on a set of pages and electrically connected to said address generator to provide the control signals through said printed circuit to selectively effect generation of address signals to said sound generator corresponding to sounds associated with said portion of the printed information.

Apparatus for combining audio and visual indicia comprising:

• a plurality of spreads assembled into leaves, each spread comprising a modular sheet folded to form two facing pages;
• printed circuits formed of flexible conductive ink printed on the back side of said modular sheets and having electrical connections between said two facing pages spanning the fold;
• an interconnect sheet folded into a plurality of flaps having at least one flexible conductor printed thereon for receiving said plurality of leaves, each leaf being sandwiched between corresponding interconnect sheet flaps, wherein said electrical connections between said two opposite pages of each leaf are coupled to corresponding conductors on said interconnect sheet;
• printed information viewable on said facing pages;
• a sound generator, responsive to control signals applied thereto, for generating audio signals corresponding to said printed information;
• audio means, responsive to said audio signals, for communicating audio signal information to a user;
• sequence control means for selectively providing control signals to said sound signal generator to generate the audio signals according to a predetermined sequence;
• and
• at least one switch associated with a respective portion of the printed information on each spread and electrically connected to said sequence control means through said printed circuits and interconnect sheet for activating said sequence control means.

Apparatus of the type comprising a plurality pages of visual material bound together at one edge, improved wherein:

• first and second pages cooperate to form a leaf, each of the first and second pages having interior and exterior surfaces, with the visual material viewable at the exterior surfaces, and disposed such that the interior surfaces face each other within the interior of the leaf;
• and the leaf includes:
• at least a first conductor formed of conductive ink on the interior surface of the first page, disposed in predetermined relationship with an associated portion of the visual material of the leaf;
• a spacer interposed between said page interior surfaces;
• and
• a second conductor formed of conductive ink on the interior surface of the second page disposed relative said first conductor and the spacer such that said first and second conductors are normally isolated from each other, but effect an electrical connection in response to a predetermined pressure applied thereto.

Apparatus for combining audio and visual indicia comprising:

• a plurality of leaves, each comprising a folded sheet forming pages;
• printed information provided on said leaves for communicating visual information to a user;
• a sound generator circuit containing audio signal information corresponding to said printed information;
• an audio output device responsive to a drive signal from said sound generator;
• an address generator responsive to control signals applied thereto, for providing address signals to said sound generator to effect generation of predetermined sounds corresponding to said address signals;
• each of a plurality of the leaves including indicia on a page of the leaf and at least one switch disposed internal to the leaf, underlying said indicia and actuable responsive to user interaction with the indicia, the indicia being associated with at least a portion of the printed information on a set of pages of the apparatus being viewed by the user;
• and
• a conductor extending through the interior of said leaf electrically connecting said switch to said address generator to selectively effect generation of address signals to said sound generator corresponding to sounds associated with said portion of the printed information.