Digital sound data storing device

• US 5,056,145 A
• Filed: 01/22/1990
• Issued: 10/08/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba (Toshiba Corporation)
• Inventors: Hashiba, Syuzi, Imai, Toshimitsu, Yamamoto, Takaharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Shaw, Dale M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Knepper, David D.
• Application Number:
  US07/469,810
• Time in Patent Office: 624 Days
• Field of Search: 364/513.5, 364/419, 381/51-53, 434/156, 434/157, 434/159, 434/167, 434/169, 434/185
• US Class Current: 704/270
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 19/06 Foreign languages with audible presentation of material to be studied G09B5/04
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 5/04 with audible presentation of the material to be studied sound recording or reproducing G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 2207/16 Solid state audio deprecated, only for historical reasons, G06F3/16, G11B
• CPC Class Codes: G11C 7/16 Storage of analogue signals in digital stores using an arrangement comprising analogue/digital [A/D] converters, digital memories and digital/analogue [D/A] converters

Abstract

This invention relates to a digital sound data storing device wherein analog sound data is synthesized from digital sound data. The device includes a case and an IC card detachably attached to the case. A plurality of digitized sound data groups are stored at a built-in memory of the IC card. The digitized sound data groups are obtained by recording sentences for foreign language conversation practice through a microphone to thereby obtain analog sound signal which is converted to digital sound signal. When the IC card is attached to the case, a signal processing circuit operates to read out the digital sound data group, which is converted to the analog sound signal. The analog sound signal is supplied to an amplifying circuit and reproduced as sound.

Claims

1. A portable language learning device comprising:

A) a card-shaped external storage unit incorporating a built-in integrated circuit memory for storing first digitized speech data corresponding to speech of at least two languages, respectively, said speech of said two languages representing contents corresponding to each other, said built-in memory including a plurality of first memory areas for storing said first digitized speech data in units of speech and a plurality of second memory areas for storing speech identification data corresponding to start addresses of said first memory areas, respectively; and

B) a case to which said external storage unit is detachably attached, said case enclosing a reproduction unit comprising

a) an input section including a plurality of operation switches each manually operated such that a selecting signal is produced;

b) a control section encoding said selecting signal produced from said input section, said control section controlling said device so that said speech identification data corresponding to an encoded selecting signal is retrieved and said first digitized speech data corresponding to retrieved data and represented in said two languages is alternately read out from said memory continuously;

c) a signal processing circuit sequentially synthesizing analog speech signals from said first digitized speech data read out by said control section from said built-in memory;

d) an amplifying circuit amplifying said analog speech signals synthesized by said signal processing circuit; and

e) output means for producing speech based on said speech signals amplified by said amplifying circuit.

2. A portable language learning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reproduction unit further comprises display memory means for storing a title assigned to each of said speech data, displaying means for displaying said title and a control circuit for controlling said displaying means so that said title is read out from said display memory means and displayed by said displaying means at the time of corresponding speech.

3. A portable language learning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reproduction unit further comprises:

microphone means for supplying analog speech signals to said signal processing circuit;

an internal integrated circuit memory for storing second digitized speech data; and

said input section includes a manually operated signal switching circuit for selectively connecting said signal processing circuit to either said internal memory or said built-in memory;

wherein said signal processing circuit functions to convert said analog speech signals supplied from said microphone means to second digitized speech signals, and to transfer said second digitized speech signals to either said internal memory or said built-in memory for storage therein, said signal processing circuit further functioning to synthesize analog speech signals based on speech data read out from either of said memories.

4. A portable language learning device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said reproduction unit further comprises retrieving means for retrieving a capacity of an unstored location of each storage area of either said internal memory or said built-in memory to determine a total time period with respect to said capacity of said unstored location and display means for displaying time period data.

5. A portable language learning device comprising:

A) a card-shaped external storage unit incorporating a built-in integrated circuit memory for storing digitized speech data corresponding to speech of at least two languages, respectively, said speech of said at least two languages representing contents corresponding to each other, said built-in memory including a plurality of first memory areas for storing said digitized speech data in units of speech and a plurality of second memory areas for storing speech identification data corresponding to input start addresses of said first memory areas, respectively; and

B) a case to which said external storage unit is detachably attached, said case enclosing a reproduction unit comprising

a) microphone means for supplying input analog speech signals;

b) an internal integrated circuit memory for storing digitized speech data;

c) an input section including a plurality of operation switches each manually operated such that a selecting signal is produced;

d) a control section encoding said selecting signal produced from said input section, said control section controlling said device so that said speech identification data corresponding to encoded selecting data is retrieved and first digitized speech data corresponding to retrieved data and represented in said two languages is alternately read out from said internal memory continuously;

e) a signal processing circuit comprising

first means for converting said input analog speech signals into input digitized speech data and

second means for converting read-out digitized speech data into synthesized analog speech signals;

f) an input section including a manually operated signal switching circuit for selecting either said first means or said second means such that upon selection of said first means said switching circuit transfers said input digitized speech data for storage in said internal memory and

upon selection of said second means said switching circuit sequentially transfers read-out digitized speech data from said built-in memory or from said internal memory to said second means for conversion to synthesized analog speech signals;

g) an amplifying circuit amplifying said synthesized analog speech signals supplied from said signal processing circuit;

h) output means for producing speech based on said synthesized analog speech signals amplified by said amplifying circuit;

i) first control means for providing data titles corresponding, respectively, to said speech identification data from said built-in memory;

j) first display means for respectively displaying said data titles in conjunction with said synthesized analog speech signals;

k) second control means including retrieving means for retrieving a capacity of an unstored location of each storage area of either said internal memory or said built-in memory to determine a total time period with respect to said capacity of said unstored location; and

l) second display means for displaying said time period data.