PUZZLE GREETING CARD
A puzzle greeting card is provided. The puzzle greeting card includes a character search puzzle formed on a first portion of the greeting card, and a hidden message puzzle formed on a second portion of the greeting card. The character search puzzle includes a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within the plurality of characters. The character search puzzle is completed by finding and encircling the listed character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle is completed using the un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
This application claims benefit to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/794,740, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the contents of which are incorporated herein.
FIELD OF THE DISCLOSUREThe present disclosure is generally related to character search puzzles, and more particularly is related to themed greeting cards including themed character search puzzles for the card recipient to complete.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSUREGreeting cards are a popular way to send sentiments and well wishes to a recipient for an array of occasions from birthdays to Valentine's Day. Designers and manufacturers of greeting cards look for ways to set their line of greeting cards apart from the rest.
Puzzles are also a popular past time, with word search, seek, find puzzles being of particular interests. The word search puzzle was created by Norman E. Gibat and published on Mar. 1, 1968. However, other versions of this type of puzzle were also created by Spanish puzzle maker Pedro Ocon de Oro much earlier.
The popularity of both the greeting card and the puzzle has seldom been combined to convey a themed message to a card recipient. Although there is known art of a greeting card to contain more than a text message such as the jumbled segment greeting card of U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,703, issued to Roger J. Lenkoff on Nov. 16, 1993, and the crossword puzzle greeting card of U.S. Pat. No. 5,815,964, issued to Roy S. Douglas on Oct. 6, 1998, there has not been a character puzzle combined in a greeting card that reveals an additional hidden character message, word or phrase and/or a hidden image.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the relevant field to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREEmbodiments of the present disclosure provide puzzles and puzzle greeting cards that include multiple, related puzzles to be completed by a recipient.
The first puzzle is a character search puzzle wherein the recipient searches through a plurality of preprinted characters arranged in a group, which may consist of letters, numbers, and/or symbols, on the front cover surface of an illustrated greeting card, looking for words or character groupings provided in a preprinted list also on the card's front cover surface. The character groupings or words may be arranged within the preprinted character group in a vertical, horizontal, ascending, descending, or diagonal manner, or backwards. When found, the recipient circles each of the character groupings or words.
Once all of the character groupings or words from the list are found and circled, the remaining unused characters may be used to solve a second puzzle on the card's interior surface. The recipient looks for unused characters or letters starting on the top left corner and works across from left to right and top to bottom of the character puzzle. The unused characters are entered into provided spaces in the card's interior surface. If the unused characters are letters, they will reveal a hidden word or phrase. If the unused characters are numbers or symbols, the card recipient will use a provided key to decipher the themed message.
In some embodiments, the found characters from the initial puzzle will be arranged in the character group so as to create an image for the recipient to see.
Briefly described, one embodiment of the disclosure, among others, can be implemented as follows. A puzzle greeting card includes a character search puzzle formed on a first portion of the greeting card, and a hidden message puzzle formed on a second portion of the greeting card. The character search puzzle includes a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within the plurality of characters. The character search puzzle may be completed by finding and encircling the listed character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle may be completed using un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
In another embodiment, a themed puzzle is provided that includes a character search puzzle formed in a first region, and a hidden message puzzle formed in a second region. The character search puzzle includes a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within said plurality of characters. The character search puzzle may be completed by finding and encircling the listed character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle may be completed using un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
In yet another embodiment, a method for making a puzzle greeting card is provided that includes: providing a character search puzzle on a first portion of a greeting card, said character search puzzle comprising a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within said plurality of characters; and providing a hidden message puzzle on a second portion of the greeting card, wherein said character search puzzle is completed by finding and encircling said character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle is completed using un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will be or become apparent to one with skill in the art upon examination of the following drawings and detailed description. It is intended that all such additional systems, methods, features, and advantages be included within this description, be within the scope of the present disclosure, and be protected by the accompanying claims.
Many aspects of the disclosure can be better understood with reference to the following drawings. The components in the drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon clearly illustrating the principles of the present disclosure. Moreover, in the drawings, like reference numerals designate corresponding parts throughout the several views.
Referring now to the drawings,
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While the puzzles provided herein are primarily discussed with respect to greeting cards, such puzzles need not accompany a greeting card, but may be provided alone, or on any other media. Further, the puzzle greeting cards provided herein may be electronic greeting cards. That is, rather than being fixed to a tangible, folded material, the puzzle greeting cards of the present disclosure may be provided to a recipient through electronic means, such as through email, a website or the like. The recipient may access and display the electronic puzzle greeting card via any computer device, such as a personal computer, mobile computer device or the like.
It should be emphasized that the above-described embodiments of the present disclosure, particularly, any “preferred” embodiments, are merely possible examples of implementations, merely set forth for a clear understanding of the principles of the disclosure. Many variations and modifications may be made to the above-described embodiment(s) of the disclosure without departing substantially from the spirit and principles of the disclosure. All such modifications and variations are intended to be included herein within the scope of this disclosure and the present disclosure and protected by the following claims.
Claims
1. A puzzle greeting card comprising:
- a character search puzzle formed on a first portion of the greeting card, said character search puzzle comprising a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within said plurality of characters; and
- a hidden message puzzle formed on a second portion of the greeting card,
- wherein said character search puzzle is completed by finding and encircling said character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle is completed using un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
2. The puzzle greeting card of claim 1, wherein the characters comprise letters and the hidden message puzzle comprises a series of spaces, said hidden message puzzle being completed by sequentially filling in the spaces with the un-encircled letters, thereby forming a message.
3. The puzzle greeting card of claim 1, wherein the hidden message puzzle comprises a series of spaces and a decipher key that correlates characters from the character search puzzle with letters to be used in the hidden message puzzle, said hidden message puzzle being completed by sequentially filling in the spaces with letters correlated with the un-encircled characters, thereby forming a message.
4. The puzzle greeting card of claim 1, wherein the greeting card comprises a folded card, wherein said first portion comprises an outer surface of the folded card and said second portion comprises an inner surface of the folded card.
5. The puzzle greeting card of claim 1, wherein the puzzle greeting card comprises an electronic greeting card.
6. The puzzle greeting card of claim 2, wherein the greeting card is associated with a particular theme, and wherein the character search puzzle and the message formed from the completed hidden message puzzle are relevant to the theme.
7. The puzzle greeting card of claim 6, wherein the encircled character groupings of the completed character search puzzle form an image that is relevant to the theme of the greeting card.
8. The puzzle greeting card of claim 3, wherein the greeting card is associated with a particular theme, and wherein the character search puzzle and the message formed from the completed hidden message puzzle are relevant to the theme.
9. The puzzle greeting card of claim 8, wherein the encircled character groupings of the completed character search puzzle form an image that is relevant to the theme of the greeting card.
10. A themed puzzle comprising:
- a character search puzzle formed in a first region, said character search puzzle comprising a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within said plurality of characters; and
- a hidden message puzzle formed in a second region,
- wherein said character search puzzle is completed by finding and encircling said character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle is completed using un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
11. The themed puzzle of claim 10, wherein the characters comprise letters and the hidden message puzzle comprises a series of spaces, said hidden message puzzle being completed by sequentially filling in the spaces with the un-encircled letters, thereby forming a message.
12. The themed puzzle of claim 10, wherein the hidden message puzzle comprises a series of spaces and a decipher key that correlates characters from the character search puzzle with letters to be used in the hidden message puzzle, said hidden message puzzle being completed by sequentially filling in the spaces with letters correlated with the un-encircled characters, thereby forming a message.
13. The themed puzzle of claim 10, wherein the themed puzzle comprises an electronic puzzle.
14. The themed puzzle of claim 10, wherein the encircled character groupings of the completed character search puzzle form an image that is relevant to the theme of the puzzle.
15. A method for making a puzzle greeting card comprising:
- providing a character search puzzle on a first portion of a greeting card, said character search puzzle comprising a plurality of characters and a list of character groupings found within said plurality of characters; and
- providing a hidden message puzzle on a second portion of the greeting card, wherein said character search puzzle is completed by finding and encircling said character groupings, and the hidden message puzzle is completed using un-encircled characters from the completed character search puzzle.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 12, 2014
Publication Date: Sep 18, 2014
Applicant: WISE CAT, LLC (Tucson, AZ)
Inventor: Denise Morrow (Tucson, AZ)
Application Number: 14/207,007
International Classification: A63F 3/04 (20060101);