Portable vocalizing device

• US 4,788,649 A
• Filed: 01/22/1985
• Issued: 11/29/1988
• Est. Priority Date: 01/22/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SHEA Products Incorporated
• Original Assignee: SHEA Products Incorporated
• Inventors: Shea, James P., Shea, F. William, Lademan, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Kemeny, Emanuel S.
• Application Number:
  US06/693,117
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 381/51-53, 364/513.5
• US Class Current: 704/267
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/02 Methods for producing synthetic speech; Speech synthesisers

Abstract

A portable speech vocalizer in which a user can select phonemes and phoneme combinations for display and sounding. Switches on keyboard or joystick allow selection of sounds in two different scanning modes, as well as selection of volume and inflection of sounds, and selection of duration or speed of sounds.

Claims

1. A portable vocalizing device comprising:

microprocessor means for storing and accessing data including programmed means for controlling said microprocessor,

input means for manually selecting said data,

synthesizer means for synthetically sounding the phonemes and phoneme combinations represented by said selected data,

display means for visibly indicating the alphabetic character of the phoneme and phoneme combinations represented by said selected data,

an electrical power supply circuit means for selectively connecting an electrical power source to said microprocessor means and said synthesizer means,

wherein said input means comprises a keyboard having a plurality of data identifiers and a switch means, each of said data identifiers having an illuminator,

means for selectively activating said illuminators in either of a first or a second mode,

wherein in said first mode said illuminators are repeatedly and sequentially illuminated in a predetermined row until a first activation of said switch means whereupon said illuminators are repeatedly and sequentially illuminated in a column selected upon said first activation, said repeated and sequential illumination in said column continuing until a second activation of said switch means whereupon the illuminated data identifier corresponds to the selected data, and

wherein in said second mode said illuminators are repeatedly and sequentially illuminated by row and column until activation of said switch means whereupon the illuminated data identifier corresponds to the selected data.

2. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein each illuminator comprises an LED.

3. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said switch means comprises at least one normally open, single pole switch, at least one multiple terminal console having at least three and not more than five switches and at least one light sensitive switch.

4. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said switch means comprises a five position switch having joystick control with switch means for engaging at least four contact terminals.

5. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said switch means comprises a light sensitive detector having a body and wherein said scanning means comprises means for sensing a light positioned in registration with an end of said body.

6. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said programmed means comprises means for indefinitely sustaining phonemes.

7. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said programmed means comprises means for generating a plurality of pitches for phonemes synthetically vocalized, and further comprising means for selecting one of said plurality of tones.

8. The invention as defined in claim 7 wherein said programmed means comprises means for generating a plurality of voice levels for each phoneme synthetically vocalized, and means for selecting one of said plurality of voice levels.

9. The invention as defined in claim 8 wherein said programmed means further comprises means for generating a plurality of inflections for each phoneme voice level.

10. The invention as defined in claim 1 comprising programmable memory means for storing data, and

means for maintaining data in said programmable memory means after electrical power has been removed from said electrical power input circuit, said means including a battery and second switching means for maintaining power at said programmable member by coupling said battery to said programmable memory means when said first switching means disconnects said power supply circuit from said circuit components.

11. The invention as defined in claim 1 wherein said keyboard face comprises a first set of data identifiers positioned to correspond with a typewriter keyboard arrangement and a second set of data indentifiers peripherally positioned around said first set.

12. The invention as defined in claim 13 wherein said programmed means comprises means for assigning a plurality of phonemes and phoneme combinations to each data identifier of said first set and means for selecting a predetermined one of said plurality of phonemes and phoneme combinations for each data identifier of said first set, and means for assigning at least one data entry to each data identifier of said second set.