Voice activated echo generator

• US 4,630,301 A
• Filed: 06/04/1985
• Issued: 12/16/1986
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Well Made Toy Manufacturing Corp.
• Original Assignee: Well Made Toy Manufacturing Corp.
• Inventors: Hohl, G. Burnell, Calvin, Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kemeny, E. S. Matt
• Application Number:
  US06/741,286
• Time in Patent Office: 560 Days
• Field of Search: 381/31, 381/36, 381/63, 381/110, 360/74.1, 365/45, 434/185
• US Class Current: 704/275
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B

Abstract

A voice activated echo generator employs digital voice recording technology to digitize several spoken words of audio using low-cost encoding techniques. The audio information is stored in dynamic memory and is played back by reconverting the data back from its digitized form to audio, which then drives a loudspeaker. The echo generator has many design parameters which can be varied, such as, duration of recorded speech, voice actuation sensitivity, number of playback repetitions, speech quality, playback speed, playback pitch, and playback volume. For a toy, an input speech threshold initiates a distinct record interval followed by a substantially immediate and automatic playback interval during which the echo is generated without the problem of acoustic feedback.

Claims

1. A voice-activated echo generator circuit for use in an electronic toy comprising:

(a) microphone means for producing an analog audio signal in response to sound received thereby

(b) threshold detection means responsive to said analog audio signal for initiating a record/playback cycle, said record/playback cycle comprising a distinct record interval automatically followed by a distinct playback interval,

(c) means, active during said record interval, for digitally coding said analog audio signal received during said record interval,

(d) memory means for storing said digitally coded audio signal formed during said record interval,

(e) means for automatically initiating said playback interval at the end of said record interval,

(f) means active during said playback interval, for reading said digitally coded audio signal out of said memory means and for decoding said digitally coded audio signal back into analog audio form, and

(g) loudspeaker means for broadcasting said analog audio signal to provide an automatic echo of said received sound.

2. A voice activated electronic toy comprising:

an electronic echo generator circuit capable of receiving a spoken word or phrase and automatically repeating said word or phrase,

said echo generator circuit including;

a microphone for receiving said spoken word or phrase,

a threshold detector responsive to said spoken word or phrase for initiating a record/playback cycle, said record/playback cycle comprising a distinct record interval automatically followed by a distinct playback interval,

means, active during the record interval, for digitally coding said spoken word or phrase,

memory means for storing said digitally coded spoken word or phrase,

means for automatically initiating said playback interval at the end of said record interval,

means, active during said playback interval, for reading said digitally coded word or phrase from said memory and decoding said digitally coded word or phrase, and

loudspeaker means for broadcasting said digitally coded word or phrase to produce an echo of said spoken word or phrase.

3. The toy of claim 2 wherein said coding and decoding means are formed as part of a single chip.

4. The toy of claim 2 wherein said record interval is of a predetermined duration and said playback interval is of a predetermined duration.