Method and apparatus for voice emulation
First Claim
1. A voice-actuated pseudo-articulate sound generator, comprising:
- sound responsive detector means for producing an electrical signal having an amplitude envelope indicative of an actuating voice;
delay means coupled to the detector means for delaying said electrical signal having said amplitude envelope for a predetermined period of time;
frequency generator means for providing a modulation signal having a randomly varying frequency;
means coupled to receive the delayed electrical signal having said amplitude envelope and the modulation signal to produce an audio output signal having an amplitude corresponding to that of the delayed electrical signal and a pitch corresponding to the modulation signal; and
means for transforming the audio output signal to sound having an amplitude envelope corresponding to said amplitude envelope of the activating voice.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A voice emulation device, operation of which is initiated by a person'"'"'s voice, is disclosed. The device includes detector circuitry that responds to a voice to produce a binary indication of the voice that is delayed by a serial shift register. The delayed binary indication is coupled to a digital-to-analog converter where the rising and falling edges of the binary indication are "shaved" to provide the delayed binary indication with attack and decay characteristics to form an amplitude envelope. The amplitude envelope is modulated by a modulation signal of a pseudo-randomly varying (audio) frequency to generate an output signal which, when converted to aural form, produces a pseudo-articulate sound (i.e., voice emulation).
24 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A voice-actuated pseudo-articulate sound generator, comprising:
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sound responsive detector means for producing an electrical signal having an amplitude envelope indicative of an actuating voice; delay means coupled to the detector means for delaying said electrical signal having said amplitude envelope for a predetermined period of time; frequency generator means for providing a modulation signal having a randomly varying frequency; means coupled to receive the delayed electrical signal having said amplitude envelope and the modulation signal to produce an audio output signal having an amplitude corresponding to that of the delayed electrical signal and a pitch corresponding to the modulation signal; and means for transforming the audio output signal to sound having an amplitude envelope corresponding to said amplitude envelope of the activating voice. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A method of producing pseudo-articulate sound in response to a person'"'"'s voice, comprising the steps of:
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providing a binary signal having an amplitude envelope indicative of the person'"'"'s voice; delaying the binary signal while preserving said amplitude envelope; providing said delayed binary signal having said amplitude envelope with an attack portion at the leading edge thereof and a delay portion at the trailing edge thereof; modulating the delayed binary signal with said attack and decay portions with a modulation signal having an audio frequency. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14)
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15. Electronic pseudo-articulate sound producing apparatus, comprising:
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means for producing a binary signal from sound having an amplitude envelope corresponding to said sound; means coupled to receive the binary signal and add an attack portion to the leading edge thereof and a decay portion to the trailing edge thereof; means for modulating the binary signal having attack and decay portions with a pseudo-randomly varying frequency to produce therefrom an output signal having a pseudo-randomly varying frequency content; and means coupled to receive and convert the output signal to sound. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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17. A child'"'"'s toy comprising in combination:
- a stuffed animate object;
means for producing a binary signal from sound having an amplitude envelope corresponding to said sound; means coupled to receive and delay the binary signal and add an attack portion to the leading edge thereof and a decay portion to the trailing edge thereof of said binary signal; means for modulating the delayed binary signal having an attack and decay portions with pseudo random varying frequency to produce therefrom an output signal having a pseudorandom varying frequency content; means to couple to receive and convert the output signal to sound; means for placing the apparatus in a low power consuming state upon non-physical movement of the animate object and means for removing the apparatus from the low power consuming state upon physical movement of the animate object. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19)
- a stuffed animate object;
Specification