Voice activated compact electronic calculator

• US 4,882,685 A
• Filed: 10/17/1988
• Issued: 11/21/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/1985
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Cornelis Van Der Lely
• Original Assignee: Cornelis Van Der Lely
• Inventors: van der Lely, Cornelis
• Primary Examiner(s): Malzahn, David H.
• Application Number:
  US07/259,424
• Time in Patent Office: 400 Days
• Field of Search: 364/709.11, 364/710.01, 364/705.07, 381/92, 381/104
• US Class Current: 708/141
• CPC Class Codes: G04G 21/06 using voice
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/0225 User interface arrangements, e.g. keyboard, display; Interfaces to other computer systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L

Abstract

A compact electronic calculator comprising a screen, electronic circuits, a microphone, voice recognition circuits which are exchangeable depending upon the context of the verbal data to be received by the calculator and the language in which the data is provided. The calculator is thus responsive to numerals and symbols spoken in a selected language or languages and this is transformed through the circuitry of the calculator to be seen on an elongated display unit. A calculator is also responsive to action words such as "multiply", "divide", "add" and "subtract", so that the calculator carries out these functions on the displayed numerals and symbols. The calculator does not have a keyboard and is of a small size, approximately ten centimeters in length, one centimeter in width and one-half centimeter in depth. It can be incorporated in a pen form or, in a smaller version, incorporated into a wristband or the like. The microphone is preferably uni-directional although it may also be such that it receives voice signals from a number of different directions. The calculator is adjustable so that different selected acoustical decibel levels may be required to actuate the calculator.

Claims

1. A compact electronic calculator comprising:

a display screen for displaying calculator inputs and outputs;

a microphone for receiving audible inputs consisting of numbers and operative words and converting said audible inputs to electrical signals;

a speech analyzer means coupled to said microphone for converting said electrical signals from said microphone into digital words;

an electronic memory, said electronic memory string digitized words representing said numbers and said operative words;

an electronic comparator means, said comparator means coupled to said speech analyzer for receiving said digital words and for comparing said digital words to digitized words stored in said electronic memory, said electronic memory also being coupled to said comparator means;

a processing means coupled with said electronic memory, said processing means controlling the comparison of each said digital word to said digitized words such that said comparator produces a digital number corresponding to an address location in said electronic memory for a digitized word that matches a digital word generated by said speech analyzer;

a plurality of simple comparators, said simple comparators being electronically coupled to said electronic comparator means to receive said digital numbers; and

execution means for executing said audible inputs and displaying the result on said display screen, each said simple comparator, upon recognition of a designated digital number actuating said execution means.

2. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 1, wherein said calculator is oblong and has a length sufficient to permit display of at least ten digits on said screen and a width of approximately one-tenth of said length.

3. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 2 wherein the calculator has a length of approximately ten centimeters, a width of approximately one centimeter and a thickness of approximately one-half centimeter.

4. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone is arranged and constructed so that substantially only sound coming from a predetermined direction is received adequately to actuate said speech analyzer to respond to said number and operative words.

5. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 1 wherein said microphone is arranged on said calculator adjacent said screen.

6. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 1 comprising a user adjustable regulator for adjusting the amplitude of said audible sounds required by said microphone to actuator the calculator.

7. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a clock circuit, said clock circuit being activated by one of said simple comparators through said execution means wherein a time is displayed on said screen in response to an audible input of one of said operative words.

8. A compact electronic calculator as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for selectively reprogramming said electronic memory to enable the calculator to recognize and be responsive to words of a different language.

9. A compact electronic calculator comprising:

a case;

a display screen visibly mounted in said case, said display screen providing means for displaying inputs and outputs of the calculator;

a microphone for receiving human voice generated audio inputs, said microphone mounted in said case proximate said display screen;

electronic circuit means linking said microphone and said display screen for processing electrical signals generated by said microphone is response to said audio inputs to produce visual outputs on said display screen wherein said electronic circuit means further comprises;

a speech analyzer for receipt of said electrical signals from said microphone and converting said electrical signals to digital words;

a comparator, electronically coupled to said speech analyzer for receiving said digital words and comparing said digital words with digitized words;

a memory electronically linked to said comparator;

said memory storing said digitized words used by said comparator, said memory being replaceable to provide means for selectively reprogramming the calculator from processing said audio inputs in one language to processing said audio inputs in a different language;

a processing means for controlling the comparison by said comparator of each said digital word to digitized words stored in said memory to produce a digital number; and

a series of simple comparators, said digital number being electronically passed to said series of simple comparators, one of said simple comparators recognizing said digital number to actuate specific operations corresponding to said audio input.