AUDIO BOOK FOR PEN-BASED COMPUTER

• US 20090295734A1
• Filed: 05/15/2008
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: LeapFrog Enterprises, Inc. (VTech Holdings Ltd.)
• Inventors: Sinclair, Christa, Hendrickson, Craig
• Granted Patent: US 8,477,095 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/169
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0317 in co-operation with a patterned surface, e.g. absolute position or relative movement detection for an optical mouse or pen positioned with respect to a coded surface
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/0321 by optically sensing the absolute position with respect to a regularly patterned surface forming a passive digitiser, e.g. pen optically detecting position indicative tags printed on a paper sheet constructional details of pen-shaped pointing devices G06F3/03545, G06F3/03542, G06F3/037
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/03545 Pens or stylus

Abstract

A system for producing audio output from interaction with printed material and a pen based computer system. The system includes a printed page including a substantially invisible position code and a human viewable image. The system further includes a pen-based computer system for determining a position of the human viewable image in response to interactions there between, e.g., based upon the pen tip'"'"'s proximity to the image. The pen-based computer is operable to produce a human-audible output corresponding to the human viewable image contemporaneously with the interaction. The human viewable image may be produced independent of the pen based computer and may include a textual word and/or an image. A plurality of pages may be provided in book form allowing a plurality of audio recordings to be rendered in connection with a plurality of images, thusly providing an interactive audio book experience for the user.

Claims

1. A system for producing audio output comprising:

a printed page comprising a substantially invisible position code and a human viewable image;

a pen-based computer system for determining a position of said human viewable image responsive to interaction between said image and said pen based computer system; and

wherein said pen-based computer is further operable to produce a human-audible output corresponding to said human viewable image contemporaneously with said interaction.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said human viewable image is produced independent of said pen based computer.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said human viewable image comprises a word text and wherein said human-audible output comprises the spoken sound of said word.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said human viewable image comprises a substantially non textual image of an object, and wherein said human-audible output comprises a human language name of said object.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said human viewable image comprises a substantially non textual image, and wherein said human-audible output comprises non speech sounds.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein said non speech sounds comprise music.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein said non speech sounds comprise a sound effect associated with said non textual image.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said printed page is part of a first children'"'"'s book including printed words.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

said human-audible output comprises audio corresponding to said printed words of said first children'"'"'s book;

wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of continuously producing audio output corresponding to a reading of substantially all of the printed words of said first children'"'"'s book by selection of a symbol printed on said first children'"'"'s book.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said pen based computer system is capable of producing audio output corresponding to a reading of a word printed on said first children'"'"'s book by selection of said word.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said pen based computer system comprises a memory capable of storing audio content corresponding to a second children'"'"'s book.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of distinguishing said first children'"'"'s book from said second children'"'"'s book by touching the pen based computer system to any location on said first children'"'"'s book.

13. The system of claim 12 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of downloading said audio content of said first children'"'"'s book and said audio content from said second children'"'"'s book from a computer.

14. The system of claim 9 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of continuously producing audio output corresponding to a reading of substantially all of the printed words of said first children'"'"'s book by pressing a button on said pen based computer system.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of producing audio output corresponding to said first children'"'"'s book by pressing said button on said pen based computer system only if said pen based computer system has previously touched said first children'"'"'s book.

16. A method of producing audio output from a pen based computer system, said method comprising:

loading audio content corresponding to printed material into said pen based computer, wherein said audio content comprises audio speech of a textual word contained in said printed material;

accessing an activation of a control input to said pen based computer; and

responsive to said activation, producing audio output corresponding to said printed material,

wherein said printed material is a book comprising pages and wherein further said audio output corresponds to textual words of said pages.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said control input comprises determining a position code of said printed material.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein said control input comprises activation of a button of said pen based computer.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein said audio output comprises spoken word output corresponding to a word in said printed material.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said audio output comprises spoken word output corresponding to a multi-word passage of said printed material.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein said audio output comprises non word sounds corresponding to non word images of said printed material.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein said audio output is produced without said pen based computer accessing said printed matter.

23. A pen based computer system for interaction with pre-printed material comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to said processor and for storing audio content that is associated with positions of printed material;

an optical detector coupled to said processor;

said processor for receiving input from said optical detector to determine a position of said pen based computer system over printed material comprising a position code responsive to an interaction of said pen based computer system and said printed material;

an audio transducer for producing audio output under control of said processor;

wherein said pen based computer system is capable of producing audio output corresponding to said position contemporaneously with said interaction.

24. The pen based computer system of claim 23 wherein said audio output comprises a spoken word corresponding to printed text at said position.

25. The pen based computer system of claim 23 wherein said audio output comprises non word sounds corresponding to graphic images printed at said position.

26. The pen based computer system of claim 23 wherein said processor is further for obtaining software describing a correspondence between positions of said printed material and said audio output.

27. The pen based computer system of claim 23 wherein software describing a correspondence between positions within said printed material and said audio output is loaded into said pen based computer via a removable memory.

28. The pen based computer system of claim 23 further comprising a user operable button to command said processor to produce audio output corresponding to text of said printed material without reference to said printed material.

29. The pen based computer system of claim 23 wherein said pre-printed material comprises a first children'"'"'s book including printed words.

30. The pen based computer system of claim 29 wherein:

said audio content comprises audio corresponding to said printed words of said first children'"'"'s book;

wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of continuously producing audio output corresponding to a reading of substantially all of the printed words of said first children'"'"'s book by selection of a symbol printed on said first children'"'"'s book.

31. The pen based computer system of claim 29 wherein said pen based computer system is capable of producing audio output corresponding to a reading of a word printed on said first children'"'"'s book by selection of said word.

32. The pen based computer system of claim 30 wherein said memory is further capable of storing audio content corresponding to a second children'"'"'s book.

33. The pen based computer system of claim 32 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of distinguishing said first children'"'"'s book from said second children'"'"'s book by touching the pen based computer system to any location on said first children'"'"'s book.

34. The pen based computer system of claim 33 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of downloading said audio content of said first children'"'"'s book and said audio content from said second children'"'"'s book from a computer.

35. The pen based computer system of claim 30 wherein said pen based computer system is further capable of continuously producing audio output corresponding to a reading of substantially all of the printed words of said first children'"'"'s book by pressing a button on said pen based computer system.

36. The pen based computer system of claim 35 wherein the pen based computer system is further capable of producing audio output corresponding to said first children'"'"'s book by pressing said button on said pen based computer system only if the pen based computer system has previously touched said first children'"'"'s book.