Electronic device of an electronic voice dictionary and method for looking up a word and playing back a voice

• US 20060200349A1
• Filed: 06/29/2005
• Published: 09/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Inventec Appliances Corporation (Inventec Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Wen-Ming, Ho, David
• Application Number:
  US11/168,301
• Publication Number:
  US 20060200349A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 704/251
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/006 using audible presentation of the information
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/04 Details of speech synthesis systems, e.g. synthesiser structure or memory management
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/58 including a multilanguage function

Abstract

An electronic device of an electronic voice dictionary and a method for looking up a word and playing back a pronouncing voice include a key code table in a memory for storing key code values and letters corresponding to key code values, a storage unit containing data signals and voice signals corresponding to each data signal. The data signal and the voice signal correspond to a word or phrase, so that when a keyboard enters into an input signal, a microprocessor searches for the key code table and an audio processing unit searches for the data signal and the voice signal corresponding to a word or a phrase and decodes the voice signal, which is then sent to a voice output section for the playback.

Claims

1. An electronic device of electronic voice dictionary, comprising:

a keyboard, for inputting an input signal;

a memory, for storing a key code table, and said key code table storing a plurality of key code values and a plurality of letters of an alphabet, and said each key code value corresponding to said each letter;

a storage unit, for storing a plurality of data signals and a plurality of voice signals, and said each data signal corresponding to said each voice signal;

a screen, for displaying said data signals;

a microprocessor, for receiving said input signal, and searching, according to said input signal, for said key code value corresponding to said input signal in said key code table, and sending out a letter corresponding to said key code value to complete an input of a word or a phrase, and receiving said each data signal and sending said each data signal to said screen;

an audio processing unit, for searching for a corresponding data signal and voice signal in said storage unit according to said letter inputted by said microprocessor, and sending said corresponding data signal to said microprocessor, and decoding and sending out said corresponding voice signal; and

a voice output section, for receiving said corresponding voice signal transmitted from said audio processing unit, and playing said corresponding voice signal after said corresponding voice signal being processed.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said voice output section comprises:

a digital-to-analog converter, for receiving said decoded voice signal transmitted from said audio processing unit and converting said voice signal into an analog signal;

an amplifier, for receiving said analog signal generated by said digital-to-analog converter and modulating said analog signal according to a gain of said amplifier; and

a sound player, for receiving said modulated analog signal from said amplifier for a playback.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein said microprocessor comprises:

a first universal transmission pin, coupled with a reset signal input pin of said audio processing unit, and said microprocessor inputs a reset signal to said audio processing unit through said first universal transmission pin to initialize said audio processing unit;

a second universal transmission pin, coupled to an on/off signal input pin of said audio processing unit, and said microprocessor inputs an on/off signal to said audio processing unit through said second universal transmission pin to switch said audio processing unit to a general operating mode or an off status.

4. A method for looking up a word and playing back a voice for an electronic device, which comprises a keyboard, a microprocessor, a memory, an audio processing unit, a storage unit, a screen and a voice output section;

wherein said memory includes a key code table, said key code table stores a plurality of key code values and a plurality of letters of an alphabet, said each key code value corresponds to said each letter, said storage unit includes a plurality of data signals and a plurality of voice signals, said each data signal corresponds to said each voice signal, said data signal and voice signal correspond to a word or a phrase, said microprocessor is enabled to perform the following steps while said keyboard enters a word or a phrase for an inquiry;

receiving an input signal including at least one key code value from said keyboard, and searching, according to said input signal, for said key code table to complete the input of a word or a phrase;

initializing said audio processing unit;

enabling said audio processing unit to search for said data signal and voice signal corresponding to said word or said phrase in said storage unit, and displaying said data signal on said screen;

receiving a voice pronunciation signal inputted from said keyboard, and sending said voice pronunciation signal to said audio processing unit; and

enabling said audio processing unit to decode said voice signal according to said voice pronunciation signal and send said decoded voice signal to said voice output section for a playback.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein said voice output section comprises a digital-to-analog converter, an amplifier and a sound player, thereby a procedure is carried out by said microprocessor after said voice signal is decoded, and said procedure comprises the steps of:

enabling said digital-to-analog converter to convert said voice signal into an analog signal;

sending said analog signal to said amplifier for modulating said analog signal according to a gain of said amplifier; and

enabling said sound player to play back said gained analog signal.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor receives a modulate signal inputted from said keyboard for modulating the gain of said amplifier according to said modulate signal.

7. The method of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor processes a procedure for controlling said audio processing unit after receiving said input signal, and said procedure comprises the steps of:

generating a reset signal and sending said reset signal to said audio processing unit for initializing said audio processing unit; and

enabling said audio processing unit to enter into a general operating mode and receive a word or a phrase sent from said microprocessor in said general operating mode, and searching for said corresponding data signal and voice signal in said storage unit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said microprocessor processes a procedure after entering into said general operating mode, and said procedure comprises the steps of:

sending an on/off signal to said audio processing unit, when said input signal is not inputted to said electronic device after a wait time; and

enabling said audio processing unit to enter into said off mode.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said microprocessor processes a procedure after entering into said off mode, and said procedure comprises the steps of:

sending an on/off signal to said audio processing unit, when said input signal is inputted to said electronic device; and

enabling said audio processing unit to enter into said general operating mode.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein said microprocessor continues detecting whether or not said input signal is inputted, when said input signal is not inputted.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein said microprocessor continues detecting whether or not said input signal is inputted, when said input signal is not inputted.

12. The method of claim 4, wherein said microprocessor processes a procedure after searching, according to said input signal, for said key code table, and said procedure comprises the steps of:

sending a start command to said audio processing unit;

sending a word or a phrase to said audio processing unit when said audio processing unit is not executing;

enabling said audio processing unit to search for said data signal and voice signal corresponding to a word or a phrase in said storage unit according to said inputted word or phrase, when said audio processing unit is not executing;

sending said data signal to said screen;

sending said voice pronunciation signal to said audio processing unit; and

enabling said audio processing unit to decode said voice signal and send said decoded voice signal to said voice output section for a playback, when said audio processing unit is not executing.